By Joanne Lozar Glenn
I returned from the HippoCamp Creative
Nonfiction Conference late Sunday night. It was inspiring, at times
overwhelming, and most of all a nurturing conference that offered
thoughtful---and practical---perspectives on craft and on the writing life.
Here are some takeaways, organized as uncommon solutions to
common writing problems. I hope you find at least one you can put into practice
right away!
When you fear telling
your truth is a betrayal: "I can tell you the morality of a book lies
in its motivation. Compassion is a writer's greatest asset, our greatest guard
against betrayal. May your truth be forgiving...that is the only way it will
not betray." --Beth Kephart,
"No Truth Like the Real Truth"
When you're having trouble understanding an
object / place / character: Try doodling/drawing it from every angle, up
close and far away, and make notes. See both light and shadow. --Rebecca Fish Ewan, "Drawing for
Wordies"
When you worry that
your life/story is too "quiet" or conflict-free to be interesting:
Think of conflict as a trajectory rather than a problem to be solved...what is
it that calls for change and creates movement through the story? --Kate Meadows, "The Quiet Memoir"
When you're stuck:
Think in terms of three sections. They don't have to make chronological sense.
Strive for emotional sense. --Abigail Thomas, Keynote
When you're having trouble staying focused on a book-length
project: Write yourself a long elaborate subtitle that includes all the key
points you intend to cover, and keep it close as you revise. As the story takes
shape, write really detailed chapter summaries so you can keep track of what's
happening. --Lisa Romeo,
"Reconstruction: Transforming Essays into a Narrative Memoir
Manuscript"
When you're finding
it hard to be productive: Try the Pomodoro technique. Tell yourself you
only have to work on X for 25 minutes. Set a timer. Go! Take a break, rinse,
and repeat. --Jodi Sh. Doff, "The Virtual
Writers Room"
When you realize
there's a gap between the kind of writing you like and what you want your work
to look like: Realize you'll grow into this process---as long as you do the
volumes of work required to get there.
--Amma Marfo, "Cultivating Creativity in Your Craft"
More about Hippocamp: http://hippocamp2018.hippocampusmagazine.com/
ABOUT JOANNE LOZAR
GLENN
Writer-editor-educator Joanne Lozar Glenn leads writing
groups and destination writing retreats. She is a fellow of the Ohio Writing
Project, a certified AWA facilitator, and a co-author of Memoir Your
Way: Tell Your Story Through Writing, Recipes, Quilts, Graphic Novels, and More
(Skyhorse, 2016). Her work has been published in Beautiful Things (River Teeth), Peregrine, Hippocampus, Brevity,
and other print and online journals.