Dreams & Musings on Dreams

It seems like everyone I know is writing a novel or hoping to write one someday.

What is it about writing a novel that inspires so many people to set it as a goal? How many of the people who dream of publishing a novel actually succeed?

I don't know many people who've set out to make their own films or produce their own CDs. Similarly, I don't know many people who have the goal of creating their own gallery showcase of art or putting up a public installation.

Perhaps it's that words are readily available to (almost) everyone. We all have stories; we all have experiences that others do not share. Photography is a similar undertaking. Nowadays I see more and more people with no formal photography training create photography careers for themselves with the raw materials (their natural surroundings) already available to them. With a good eye for aesthetics and composition, many laypeople can pick up the techniques as they go.

I love (and appreciate) the ability to wake up someone's imagination and take him to unknown territories, but this is one of those days when I wish I were skilled in something a little more rare and visual (e.g., filmmaking, art) or lucrative (e.g., mathematics, business).

Nevertheless, I am still a firm believer in hard work being the foundation to making a dream come true. If you want something deeply enough, you may achieve it with determination and perseverance.

Fill 2013 with your dreams!

Ren D.

Time Markers

I wish this were a post about a fantastic set of felt-tip markers that, when used, could manipulate the fabric of space and time. Sounds like a great children's book series, actually. However, when devotees of art say that great art “transports,” I don't think that's what they mean.

I'm writing, of course, about the little signals that show us the passage of time in a film, TV show, or piece of writing. People talking about back-to-school shopping indicate that summer is ending (no!) and that autumn is on its way. Jack o' lanterns, cornucopias, lawn Santas, Christmas trees, and pink doily cupids give away similar clues about the time of year a story is taking place.

When you write, and your story takes place over the course of several months (or years), how do you convey that information? Do you use the holidays? Do you simply state the day of week or time of year? Do you describe your characters' (hopefully weather-appropriate) clothing or mention the meal they are eating? If the time of day or year isn't important, do you forgo time markers completely? Human life is so inextricably linked to the passage of time that we often use time markers without even noticing or thinking about it.

Time is important to the characters of The Fracture of a Dream. It takes place mostly across a timespan of one year, so descriptions of the seasons were my method of marking the time. Dek is a character with a strong affinity for nature, so this also followed quite logically. I also wanted to avoid the assumption that my characters might celebrate any religiously linked holiday. Dek and his friends are solidly American, but they may not share all aspects of the culture that the majority of Americans consider to be a given. Trust me. With what Dek's going through in his life, remembering holidays is not high on his list of priorities.

And on that note, I wish you a happy new year, fellow readers and writers. May your 2013 be everything you dream it will be.

Ren D.

What's in a Place?

Where do you go to work? Specifically, where do you go to write?

Every writer has his or her own process, and the writing environment is part of it. Reportedly, Maya Angelou owns three homes but maintains a hotel room where she goes daily to do her writing. Leo Tolstoy was rumored to lock himself away in his study while working and not come out for days or more. Zadie Smith has been heard to say that one's writing computer should not have access to the Internet (I agree! Look up words later!), which can certainly be an unseen, mental component of one's environment.

On the other hand, some research studies have suggested that a little bit of ambient noise actually fosters creativity (particularly for people who are already highly creative), so I imagine there are many writers (J.K. Rowling comes to mind as a famous example) who may do much of their writing in cafes. If you're interested in reading about that research, a shorter description is here, and a longer one is here.

Personally, I need complete silence to write. It's hard enough immersing my mind in the fictional world I am creating, especially if my environment doesn't match what I'm writing at the time (such as writing about a bitter winter in the middle of a breezeless summer), blocking out extraneous noises would require too much mental effort. At least I can comfort myself with the tidbit that Virginia Woolf herself was constantly getting distracted by the noises in her environment! I always write on my computer (longhand would be far too slow for me), and an uncluttered, unadorned space is best for my concentration. I find sitting becomes uncomfortable after several hours, so I also try changing positions when I can.

If I can dream, I believe that a secluded spot outdoors, perhaps in the forest, would probably be my dream location for writing (perhaps I'm channeling Emerson or Thoreau! I wish, right?), but having no access to such a working space, I have to content myself with writing late at night at home, when the world is (relatively) silent. I'm sure my electric company just loves the energy I burn night after night!

For fun, take a look at some images of famous writers' writing sanctuaries: here, here, and for some more contemporary writers, here. Are you jealous of those beautiful book-filled wooden studies or what? There are some other great examples here.

Ren D.