Creativity is Not Martyrdom: Part II

Writing Workshops

“We artists know, creating is as solitary as you make it. I may need hours alone getting the words onto the page, but once they’re there, they can only be edited to a certain point. I’ve found it’s impossible to take myself far enough out of a piece to see what doesn’t make sense, catch any dropped details, and stumble over clumsy sentences. The way someone else reads my work is entirely different than the way it sounds in my head. As writers, we’re so close to what we’re trying to say—it always makes sense to us. We need readers to give us their interpretations, and help us see from the other side of the page…”

Essay for Paris Lit Up about writer’s workshops, communal editing, and the benefits of collaboration.

Read full text here.

Creativity is Not Martyrdom: Part I

“When I first moved to Paris, I found a library near my apartment and vowed to write there every day. I’d quit my job and my new one was to finish my novel, get it published, and be a real writer. At gorgeous historical libraries, bags, food and even water are forbidden, and I’d bury my distracting cellphone and computer in their mandatory lockers before submerging myself in a silent reading room.

I’d write by hand in notebooks for hours, break for lunch, take out my laptop, WiFi pre-turned off, and type up my morning’s work. Most days, I’d leave feeling exhausted and vaguely hopeless, though I told myself the more down-trodden I felt, the more I accomplished…”

Essay for Paris Lit Up about creativity, community, and the joy of collaboration.

Read full text here.