Yesterday, I gave a presentation on my mentorship from last semester and read a short excerpt from my novel Blinding. As part of my MFA's programs degree requirements, after each mentorship or independent study, students, faculty, and guests gather to hear a collection of presentations on the work us students have been doing over the past several months.
Although I wasn't nervous to give the presentation, it was something I hadn't done before. The presentation went well, and I was lucky enough to have some friends and family in the audience, but publicly standing up and reading from my novel for listening ears is not something super typical of the writing process, at least not for me in this stage. Of course, it's something I hope to do many times in the future, when my novels are hopefully published and people want you to make appearances (oh, how wonderful that sounds!), but when I left it wasn't so much my presentation that I kept thinking about. Rather, it was the presentations of my friends and fellow students that stayed on my mind.
This year, with mentorships as opposed to writing workshops, I have had less contact with my fellow writers than last year, and it's been more of a "one-on-one" intensive revision and writing process. But sitting with my fellow writers and hearing snippets of and reflections on of their projects made me think about just how important it is to have them in my life — to have a writing community, even if it may not be one that you get together with all the time.
Writing communities serve many functions. Primarily, they are thought of as places where you go and workshop your pieces, getting feedback and swapping suggestions on how to make your story better. And that's totally what happens, but there's so much more going on under the surface. Writing communities aren't just about the actual exchange of stories and suggestions — they are about support and encouragement, bouncing ideas off one another, people to listen to you vent about your frustrations with plot and character, and developing friendships with people who truly understand what you're going through as a writer; people who are right there, doing the same things themselves.
At this point, however, most of my writing happens independently. I don't have a weekly group or exclusive writing buddy who reads all my work. Mostly, I write, rewrite, and revise, send to my mentor, receive comments and then do the same thing all over again. But this change in the process, the switch from workshop to one-on-one mentorship, doesn't negate my need and importance for a writing community. Sure, I may not need the workshop right now or want someone to read all my work. But I sure as heck need the support. I need to know there are friends of mine out there doing the same thing. I need that person to call who understands what I mean when I throw around writing terminology or struggles that are just specific to writing a novel, or even writing for children. I need to see the people who have had success and those who are still seeking it to know I should be both hopeful and not in despair. I need those people who get the writing humor and have read all the same books and have grown alongside me throughout this process. This is what community is all about anyway. Not just the act of making things better, but the act of relationship: being a friend.
Although we may not all talk or exchange work all the time, the simple fact of having people that you know and care about, who are also going through what you are going through is undeniably comforting. Yesterday reminded me just how good that is. We may not have to be best friends, but we are a unique type of friends, who share something that so many people just don't relate to. And that's great. There's really no underestimation of how much support gets you through, in this area of life, and in every area of life.
It's exciting to see and hear portion's of my friends' stories at this point in their careers. Knowing that they will most certainly publish and go on to jobs in publishing houses, agencies, and many other institutions, it's awesome to know we have the bonds now, and we will always be rooting for each other along the way. One day, I'll be able to say I knew them way back when, and I still know them then. So thanks guys, for being your awesome selves and loving children's books like I do.
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