I've been a parent 11 years now and married 19 and I'm amazed sometimes to think how different my life feels today than it did in and around those personal transitions. Then I think about how differently I feel about things today than I did a year ago, and it's just as astounding. I'm getting better at trusting the kinds of raw feelings that demand to be processed through my writing, because there's a satisfaction in shedding those feelings, and giving them a vessel to live (or die) in.
Thank you for the insights on your writing process. I'm waiting for my next novel bug to bite. I hope I can approach it with as much honesty, and with the same willingness to allow it to shift and evolve, as you have.
Thank you for reading, Meg, and for the kind words---they mean a lot! It is crazy how much a year can change. Hoping the next project announces itself to you soon.
I think perhaps your novel is going to be published at the exact right time—in the early days of a book world reckoning about identity. What must have been scary for you to write is going to be lauded for precisely the reasons why it's scary. I'd guess you'll be vilfied in certain corners, as well.
I love this idea of the shedding skin. The snake might be wearing fur! I’m thinking about this idea of bottling a transition time right now as my immediate upheaval gets a bit more distant and some of the daily urgency is fading. I’m so glad I got things down when they still felt immediate, even if they were rough and I have no idea what they might become with more distance. At the same time, it’s super vulnerable to write from that immediate place before you full understand how it’s going to unfold. Happy drafting!
Thank you for reading, Liz! And yes, I think your project is a perfect example. Lots of vulnerability, but that is precisely why it connects with so many people and feels resonant. Happy writing to you, too. Hope all is well.
I feel this, because to craft the novel I'm querying I had to remember what it was like to be 25, and in a completely different place, as a 41-43 year-old, lame AF dad. The places I got bottlenecked were always the scariest things to remember.
Lucky for me, I have a lot of the Eggers philosophy in me already.
Excellent piece, Andrew.
I've been a parent 11 years now and married 19 and I'm amazed sometimes to think how different my life feels today than it did in and around those personal transitions. Then I think about how differently I feel about things today than I did a year ago, and it's just as astounding. I'm getting better at trusting the kinds of raw feelings that demand to be processed through my writing, because there's a satisfaction in shedding those feelings, and giving them a vessel to live (or die) in.
Thank you for the insights on your writing process. I'm waiting for my next novel bug to bite. I hope I can approach it with as much honesty, and with the same willingness to allow it to shift and evolve, as you have.
Thank you for reading, Meg, and for the kind words---they mean a lot! It is crazy how much a year can change. Hoping the next project announces itself to you soon.
Great piece. Also really enjoyed Daniel Oppenheimer’s. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Thanks for reading, Christian!
I think perhaps your novel is going to be published at the exact right time—in the early days of a book world reckoning about identity. What must have been scary for you to write is going to be lauded for precisely the reasons why it's scary. I'd guess you'll be vilfied in certain corners, as well.
Man, I’ll take that predication any day--the good and the bad. We shall see. Thanks for reading, Sherman. Means a lot.
I love this idea of the shedding skin. The snake might be wearing fur! I’m thinking about this idea of bottling a transition time right now as my immediate upheaval gets a bit more distant and some of the daily urgency is fading. I’m so glad I got things down when they still felt immediate, even if they were rough and I have no idea what they might become with more distance. At the same time, it’s super vulnerable to write from that immediate place before you full understand how it’s going to unfold. Happy drafting!
Thank you for reading, Liz! And yes, I think your project is a perfect example. Lots of vulnerability, but that is precisely why it connects with so many people and feels resonant. Happy writing to you, too. Hope all is well.
I feel this, because to craft the novel I'm querying I had to remember what it was like to be 25, and in a completely different place, as a 41-43 year-old, lame AF dad. The places I got bottlenecked were always the scariest things to remember.
Lucky for me, I have a lot of the Eggers philosophy in me already.
Another great post.
That you do. Thank you, Amran!