A name. I need a name. First order of business. What’s in a name? In a course catalogue, EVERYTHING.
Okay, so. Where’s my name? I pause to look around.
I’m in the Blue Danube coffee shop in San Francisco, which I overheard has been here forever. The World Cup is on a television in the corner above the door, on mute. Cameroon and Japan. I’m drinking coffee with cream and sugar (good) and I’m eating a chocolate croissant (realfriggingood). There’s a man on the other side of the window holding a hot chocolate that’s wearing an absurd whipped cream hat. He’s smoking something.
This place is a goldmine. The name’s not coming. But it will.
While we wait: writing well involves three things. First, words. Lots of them. You have to have them. You have to be on the lookout for them, and collect them, like close friends. Could Monet have become an absolute renaissance boss with only 3 shades of blue? Could Zeppellin have become Rock Gods with just 2 chords? Maybe. But not likely.
Second, Socrates advises us to “know thyself.” Best. Advice. Ever. I’m serious. That’s my honest opinion. Literally the most useful thing any one individual has said to another, writer or otherwise. (Aside from the occasional timely “duck!”) If you’re not being constantly reflective and introspective, you’re not going to produce writing that’s useful to you.
(Japan’s up, 1-0. Asian guy sitting on a couch against the wall just spilled thirty percent of his coffee.)
Third, purpose. Why are you putting pen to paper? Sure you have a plot, but what is this piece about? And by the way, even if you can’t perfectly articulate a message, your purpose can be to write with the goal of getting to know thyself. (Timeout. Is that my course title? Creative Writing: Get to Know Thyself? Holy crap. This is what writing teachers mean when they wax frustratingly mystical about a story or a character “going where you didn’t expect.” Meta-gasm!)
This course will have to be grounded in very specific elements of writer’s craft for kids not to get annoyed. And it can be annoying to recognize that it’s somewhat circular to say that you should be introspective and attentive to detail in order to write well, but that you need to write in order to get to know thyself. It’s sort of meditative, in that sense. I used to hate the idea that you can “learn things” about yourself and the world by shutting down sensory data inputs. Will they?
I’ll have to spend a ton more time on this. But at least we have a name.
AND. I just had a Keanu Reeves revelatory moment… I think this blog post in some form could constitute a syllabus of sorts. Whoa…
Hey Ross, it has always been my philosophy, when it comes to anything, that the best way to learn to do something, is to just do it (I hope I don't have to pay royalties to Nike for that). That is, practice, practice, practice. Which is true for everything from running to language acquisition to writing. One thought I had- though clearly your students will need/want to learn some of the conventions of writing, getting them to consistently write will be one of the best gifts you can give them over the course of the year/semester. Might I suggest, for the Do Now each day you give them a writing prompt. Here's one site with some ideas to draw from: http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/ Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI was not an english major and never took a course in creative writing, but you got me wondering what's the opposite of introspection? It's 'extrospection!' Aren't the great novelists geniuses at imagining what its like to be someone else? Maybe your second semester course goes the opposite way and encourages your students to think deeply like another person might think. Just thinkin....
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ReplyDelete"I used to hate the idea that you can “learn things” about yourself and the world but shutting down sensory data inputs."
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I don't think kids will hate the idea if you encourage them to think about whether or not that's true; secondly, sitting down to write is, I believe, only the tail end of a very long process that begins with observation and interaction with the world, and the writing part is an attempt at looking objectively at one's own experience. Writers are, in essence, scientists who explain their experiments in metaphor. As my favorite writing teacher once said, "Did it happen? No. Is it true? Yes."
That said, can I take your class?
Hilary, you already know thyself too well to be enrolled.
ReplyDeleteButterz, you're quite oddsome.
Anon, how about a semester long 'avatar' project? create a (you?) character.
Maxy, great resource. Thanks for the tip. (Again.)
Ugh, the inherent unfairness of outside sensory input strikes again. Lame.
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