here’s a quote from Roddy Doyle about writing:
If I want to be a writer, like you, should I start by writing short stories? Are they easier or harder?!
I find short stories harder to write than novels. But that’s just me. When I started writing, I wrote novels – because I loved reading novels. If you want to be a footballer, do you pick up a tennis racket? Probably not. You should start writing what you really want to write, not what you think will be easier. It’s the desire to write that will keep you going, not the easier choice.
it makes me wonder: what do i want to write? do i know when i sit down to write or does it just emerge on the page? i’m not a planner when it comes to stories or writing. i just start with an image or a line of dialogue and see where it takes me next. it’s the not-knowing that gives me a thrill and provides the energy to move through a story. i have been known to finish a piece and have no fucking idea what it’s about, read it aloud to another writer and have them tell me what it’s about.
do you have any fucking idea what you’re doing?
signed,
clueless in Calgary