Picking Yer Brains

[alycewilson]

Here's a little question for all of my friends but especially for those who were following my LJ Idol run (both this season and previous seasons). What sort of writing would you like to see more of from me? Now that I don't have a weekly deadline, I'd like to make sure that I keep my writing productivity up

Comments

[notodette]

I have to be able to finish the whole thing without my eyes glazing over. I like to see originality. If a premise is borrowed, it has to be spot on for me to really appreciate it.

You won the whole hell week for me with your ridiculous what-the-hell-even-is-this piece. You nailed it. Had me completely enthralled.

[alycewilson]

Thank you! I was really proud of that piece: the risks I took and what I felt was the payoff. Your pointing it out as a highlight of the season is a good reminder that it's worth taking risks.

[alycewilson]

Length is something I've been highly conscious of lately, especially for online writing.

I hear you about the cutesy entries. Both of those were written because I was at an impasse for ideas, and I think it showed.

It's good to hear there's an interest in my poetry! I have two full-length manuscripts I've been lazy about sending out, but I'm thinking I really ought to start moving on that. I'll also share more poetry in friends-only posts (because then I can pretend they're unpublished), and if I participate in LJI Season 9, will do some poetic entries.

BTW, I really liked your poetry, as well. It was amazing and encouraging to me that at least three people who had written poetry made it into the Top 6 this year!

[xo_kizzy_xo]

I too appreciate not having my eyes glaze over something.

Real life stories resonate with me more than anything else. That's not to say I don't appreciate fiction because I do, but the story has to resonate with me on some level, no matter the emotion it may invoke within me.

Originality? Of course! Don't make a linear piece linear, for example. Twist it in some way. Make me, the reader, see what you're saying in a light that I never would have considered.

ETA: I love your essays. I love your pieces about KFP. And I agree that you should perhaps explore poetry a bit more.

[alycewilson]

Surprisingly, it was fiction that seemed to do especially well in LJI last season, which was one reason I expanded my repertoire. It's an area I'd like to explore further, both for my own personal growth and because I see a lot more opportunities out there for fiction than for poetry

I'm glad you like my essays, because it's something I pride myself on doing well. Nice to know I can trust my instincts.

KFP is very inspirational!

[ecosopher]

I liked your nonfiction, and also the poetry.

In general, I like both nonfiction and fiction, but I probably go for the former, more. And I like humour. Anything too dramatic is... I guess I just like stuff to be light hearted a bit more.

I'm going to attempt to write more fiction this time. And also, I want to try and take more risks. As you mentioned above, taking risks is a good thing -- especially when there's really nothing to lose and everthing to gain by doing so.

[alycewilson]

I'm beginning to see a trend here! Sounds like I might be on the right path by working on another creative nonfiction book, although I'd like to see if I can get some fiction published somewhere.

Humor is my specialty, but I've discovered that it's better to aim for a gentle/subtle/wry sort of humor than to try for laugh-out-loud stuff. It's the same sort of thing we learned from improv class: if you just go for a joke, you end up leaving people flat. You've got to have the humor come from something more essential.

I'd like to see fiction from you, if only because I don't think you've done very much. I really love your parenting essays, and the way you always broaden them into more universal concerns.

[whipchick]

For Idol pieces (and writing in general) - fiction has to be better than non-fiction for me to enjoy it as much. That is, I will cut someone slack on voice or craft or structure if they are saying something brave or funny and true, because I think "bearing witness" elevates a non-fiction piece and means it may not need to be as sharp and well-crafted as a fiction piece

[alycewilson]

I will cut someone slack on voice or craft or structure if they are saying something brave or funny and trueA big yes on this! It reminds me of something a freelance photographer taught me when I was working as a reporter for a small local newspaper. He said that sometimes, just getting the moment of "white light" is more important than having it be the perfect picture. Get people in a natural moment, or capture something as it's happening, and it will resonate

[whipchick]

Yeah, I totally get the "this wasn't the best I could do but it's the best I've got by deadline" feeling!

Once Upon a Time - which was the memories throughout life piece - felt more like a series of episodes or incidents.

I really liked the concept for How To Throw a Hawaiian Party, and how it tied into the fifties perfect housewife thing, but wanted more resolution.

The one about the husband leaving and the double rainbow puzzle had such a strong idea, but seemed like it could be told with more structure and drive.

Ones where I thought you really nailed it were the pregnancy piece for Appropriation and the epistolary piece about the Gobstoppers candy.

[alycewilson]

Once Upon a Time - which was the memories throughout life piece - felt more like a series of episodes or incidents.

It was, and I was highly aware of it at the time. I wish there had been a better way of blending the idea of the mosaic with a written piece. If I had it to do again, I would probably go more lyrical with it and less literal.

I really liked the concept for How To Throw a Hawaiian Party, and how it tied into the fifties perfect housewife thing, but wanted more resolution.

This was the very thing that I was worried about that week: would it be strong enough as a stand-alone piece. Really, it was written to set up lawchicky's piece, and that's probably what happened.

The one about the husband leaving and the double rainbow puzzle had such a strong idea, but seemed like it could be told with more structure and drive.

I can see that. Again, that idea was primarily a visual one (the jigsaw puzzle), and I didn't spend as much time on the written component.

Ones where I thought you really nailed it were the pregnancy piece for