This weekend I attended a writing convention and I learnt a few things. Not just about the speakers, but about myself.
It was the Deal Noir event, the second of these I have attended, and this time I went with no thought about learning to write a crime novel. It’s not that I have given up the idea forever but that I am not pursuing it now.
I think one of the panellists summed up my feelings when he said each book is a year of his life, and (to paraphrase) he can’t spend a year on something he doesn’t love.
That was the first thing I picked up: I am not in love with any of the ideas I have been developing.
Another panellist was saying that writers have the choice to stay in the middle lane or to veer off down quiet roads where no-one else is going. I love the idea of the unexpected route but that was the second thing I realised: I have been working in the middle of the road since finishing the family tree novel.
Maybe that’s why I am not in love with the ideas: they don’t speak to me with enough gusto.
I write because I love to write, and I don’t want my life to be without writing, but I need to think before I write, to understand why something is or is not working effectively. Whether something is too safe, too middle of the road.
I have worked on changing things since new year but I wonder if I am just tinkering around the edges. I need to be more bold, more reflective, more brave. Only by challenging myself can I expect to push my own boundaries.
But it wasn’t all self-examination. I also got lots of practical ideas and inspiration, some good giggles, new books, and a personal pep talk to keep going. Everyone has a different writing story but as I said to some of the writers as they signed their books, I want to enjoy the journey.
Maybe focussing on poetry for a while is just what I need, to get me into a more reflective writing style. It might rub off on my prose!
Happy writing,
EJ
🙂