Tuesday, November 9, 2010

On Writerlyness

I don't want to write a new post today. I'm not feeling very writerly. All my jokes lately come in 140 characters or less so I'm finding it daunting to write anything of any substantive length at all that interests me, let alone might interest the chimera that is my darling readers of the Great and Powerful Internet.

And while I struggle to make myself write a rambling post about nothing whatsoever, you all are busy kicking writer ass at NaNoWriMo. And no offense to your novel-writing awesomeness, but I fucking hate NaNoWriMo. Because that means most of my fave-oh-rite bloggers are busy writing their novels and I'm left to fill my time with actual productivity.

Like I want to do that.

But no worries about jealousy. I'm sure your novels will be awesome and be published and you'll take me with you on your book tours to manage your schedules, because I'm much better at being an organized, anal retentive planner than a novelist.

You're a good writer, you say! You should try it!

To which I say, I don't wanna! in my whiniest voice imaginable.

Because I will most likely never write a novel. I'm just not a fiction writer. I guess I could pound something out (hehe. pound.) if I truly tried or was forced to. But it wouldn't be good. Why? Because I wouldn't enjoy it. Because I would hate every character and plot point and the denouement would be disastrous if I even got to the denouement before killing off all the characters in some poorly planned way because I was sick of them all and just had to make the damn thing stop somehow. 

The thing is, dear Internet, I don't like writing fiction. And that's the first step, isn't it, wanting to tell a story?

I love novels. And novellas. And short stories. And poems. And any kind of prose I can ingest as fast as my brain will process. I was a literature major. I have always been and will always be a bookworm. So I have much love for the writer. And those of you who can weave a glorious tale that worms its magical way into my soul have a special place in my heart. Your gifts do not go un-lauded here today.

But I would like to commit literary sacrilege and say that the novel isn't the pinnacle of the writing world.

Gasp! What? The horror! The horror! (Please tell me you know what book that's from.)

It's a good one. It is. And the creative medium which garners the most dollars, to be sure.

Nevertheless, why do we only see ourselves as good writers if we've published a novel? Why is that? Are not other forms of writing just as challenging? Just as moving? Just as poetic and soulful and gently told with expert crafting of phrase or subtle rhetoric?

Does not the nonfiction writer still mold together an eclectic cast of characters in which to tell a different kind of story? Does not the essayist craft a piece of artful prose in order to move a reader, to stir a reader to think, to emote, to react? Does not the poet carefully cobble words of movement to create something powerful in its effusive lyric or free form rhythms? Does not the comic incite guffaws? Does not the journalist, the columnist, the reviewer, the blogger write?

Are we not all writers simply by the act of writing? By utilizing our mastery of language? By taking words and fashioning them into something new and interesting or funny or powerful?

Sigh. Yes, I got a little carried away. I apologize profusely.

So no, I will not be writing a novel. Perhaps one day I will publish a collection of essays or poems. Or maybe one day my memoirs. Maybe I'll get paid to write a column. Or maybe I'll one day make actual dollars off of my blog.

Or maybe I'll become a smelly pirate hooker. Who writes on the side, of course.



This post participates in:
header 150x150
You were all major asshats last week and no one wrote a Word Up, Yo! post to help me get promoted in the Nerd Mafia. I'm pretty sure my current rank is Hit Man right now, so if I were you, you'd be fabulous, (obv) AND you'd not want to make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

But not to worry, you have the rest of this week to try again. Write a recruitment post this week and get me promoted!

To have a post count in the recruitment challenge it must:
1. Use this week’s word.
2. Link up to Word Up, Yo!
3. Mention the name and/or blog of the person who recruited them (that's ME, bitches!) on one of the blogs of the Dons:


This week's word:
Eclectic
 

18 comments mean you love me:

Nichole said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Okay, I'm one of those idiots who signed up to do NaNoWriMo. And yes, I'm pounding (hee hee) out the words, but let me tell you, I won't be publishing this disaster anytime soon.

I don't write fiction either. I'm actually doing a memoir and it reads like a journal. Ick.

I'm eager for this month to end...I miss my blog and my bloggy friends. Damn NaNo.

Lori @ In Pursuit of It All said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I'm still trying to get on board with "Writerlyness" being a word.

I think I'm good with it, but I have to say it over and over and make sure I don't sprain anything.

Writerlyness. Writerlyness. Writerlyness.

Ok. All good.

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Nichole- I'm sure it's better than you think. and you're still posting your blog which is, frankly, damn impressive!

Lori- haha! I'm awful in that I'm constantly making up words. does it count that I know I'm making them up? :D

Anonymous said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Great post! I recently finished school and the only things I ever produced were research papers and a thesis that no one will ever read or care about (except for me and the three people who were on my committee). I did the research and then painstakingly translated primary sources into coherent and (occasionally) intelligent, structured sentences. So I guess you could call me a writer, but only the researchy "everything I write is to back up one damn sentence" kind.

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

if you worked hard on that paper, then yes, I say you're a writer. I never even finished my thesis. scrapped it.

Ali said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I'm attempting to write my NaNoWriMo and also keep up the blog. I may or may not be successful, but at least I'm trying to entertain you. :0)

Porn on Thursday! (or earlier!)

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

yes it is all about me, isn't it? porn! yay!

KLZ said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I think it's a sprint/marathon thing. Sprinting well takes lots of skill but marathons most people don't even try. Including me.

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

yes, good point. marathons seem painful.

Liz said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Writerly is an awesome word. And I, too, miss our #NaNoWriMo girls.

Me no likey fiction, too.

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Liz, that comment made me literally LOL. lova ya hard, woman!

Megan (Best of Fates) said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Novels are my least favorite kind of books - so I never think of those authors as superior to others!

(Which might just be because I also don't like writing fiction!)

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Megan- that's awesome. which books are your faves? :D

Alyson -- Common Sense, Dancing said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I applaud the use of writerlyness, as I applaud any word that has a somewhat-unexpected Y in it. Nyce work.

As for NaNoWriMo, I must say that although I love novels, I don't wish to write one. (In the same way that I love Beef Wellington and yet have no desire to make one.) I prefer to consume, thank you.

(And NaNoWriMo is causing my teenager to mumble and grumble to herself more than usual this month. Something about word counts and being hopelessly behind.)

Let us put our feet up and wait for those novelist to return to us.

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Alyson- thank you! thankyouverymuch!

:D I love the way you put that. you prefer to consume. I might steal that in future.

let's hope these crazies all write awesome novels so we have something good to read.

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

ooh yeah. sorry about that. hey, this is the mafia. not much different than the Times, except we have better quality writes. heyo!

alonewithcats said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

NaNoWriMo just sounds like it's an iPod. I'd be fine with it if it were an iPod. I like iPods. But I utterly fail at fiction, which is why I went into journalism. This way, I can be lazy and the stories come to me.

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

exactly my point! I mostly like to write about what other people write. my overinflated opinions.

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