For the past couple weeks, in the midst of the insanity of existence, I've started writing again, which is wonderful. And I'm not really sure why, but I started working on a novel, a realist novel. Having not written within the confines of realism since grad school & blatantly autobiographical work, I thought it would be fun, a new challenge perhaps.
But what I've found is, whereas I am writing (I've averaged a couple pages per day for the past couple weeks, give or take a page or two here and there) efficiently and the work is ok, I'm not having fun. Realism doesn't seem to be a constraint that fits with me.
So I wonder how others work with realism. I'm so much more comfortable with my world of two-headed mermen and old cat ladies.
Also, check out FC2's blog. There's a new podcast there with my personal hero (and editor) Kate Bernheimer. She's reading from the newest installment of the Gold sisters. It's pretty exciting. Hearing her blog last night, I immediately wanted to throw out all that realist crap I'd been working on and start playing again. I want to start enjoying what I write.
Do you think writing realist fiction is inherently unenjoyable? Probably not. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm wired the wrong way.
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i did pretty much the same thing you did; desperately tried to reenter the realism of grad school. i made it about 14k words in, trudging, before i said fuck it and went to just writing whatever comes out. i think realism could be fun if it is what 'just comes out,' but if you have to lean for it, as we did, it just ain't gonna feel right :_)
ReplyDeletei agree with you, blake, but here's the thing. we were both--as most people who go through mfa or even undergrad cw workshops--trained to write realism. somewhere along the way, we got off track, but we were *taught* realism and the components of realism (plot, dialogue, character development, etc.).
ReplyDeletehow is it now that what i was taught (& it wasn't even that long ago that i was taught) seems so foreign and just plain wrong?
i guess in all fairness, it didn't feel "right" back when i was writing realism.
maybe one day we can trade: your 14k for mine? we can finish each others' mss. & see how bizarre that can be...