Friday, June 3, 2011
Venture.
As a take a respite from my usual fiction genre of writing, I am trying to stretch my limits into the world of non-fiction. It feels a bit like writing a paper for a class in college. I don't particularly like so far, but I do find it challenging, which is something I always appreciate. Well, almost always... I am looking to write a piece on humility at the moment. One of my favorite books in the universe is Andrew Murray's 'Humility.' It's approximately a quarter-inch thick, but is full of intriguing and life-changing insights. I definitely recommend it. If anyone else has recommendations to read on this topic, please feel free to share. However, that brings me to another dilemma. I am a chameleon. When I'm reading C.S. Lewis, I write like C.S. Lewis; when I am reading L'Engle, I sound like L'Engle. It's not that it's a bad thing to sound like those writers. I mean, let's face it: they are amazing! But the problem I'm finding is that this new piece I'm writing does not yet have a tone or a voice of it's own. So, before reading any further, I would like to write a bit more and try to gain my own tone and direction for it. I don't know if that makes sense. I feel lost in a sea of my own thoughts...
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just write non-fiction like you are telling a story. if you're funny, be funny. if you're firm, be firm. if you prefer poetic prose, use flowery language and longer sentences. just put stories (that are true) down on paper and see how they come out. that's how i found my voice. now, i have a very defined voice in which i write and it is very clearly my writing.
ReplyDeletewould love to chat some time about non-fiction. i am working on a piece myself and heard an amazing piece of non-fiction at school last week. the writer read from it for about 30 minutes and it changed my view of non-fiction writing completely. he was originally a poet and wrote a piece of non-fiction after the death of his sister. it's called "sleep in me" by jon pineda. it's beautiful.
-adam steele
Yes, I find myself trying to make it into an overly- serious tone, since that is what most of my non-fiction reading has been...It's weird to transition genres. I like the idea of just being yourself, no matter what you are writing. Thanks. And yes, we will discuss further... :)
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