by Catherine L. Tully
I know from experience that many freelancers dabble in writing fiction. I’ve done it. Joe has done it. Many other non-fiction writers I know have done it.
Do you?
Now I don’t mean you have to be trying to sell it. Nor do I mean you have to do it on a regular basis. I”m just curious as to how many of you out there have opened a document or taken out a piece of paper and a pen and written something imaginary. And if so…what?
Some years back I wrote a bit of flash fiction. (Everything I write comes out short. That just seems to be the way it goes.) It’s very hard for me to translate my imagination into words. And it takes a lot of time. I have all the respect in the world for those who do this well, and I’m not sure I’d count myself among them.
I know for many writers it serves as a release. A way to really express their innermost feelings–kind of like poetry. So if you’d indulge me…I’d love it if you could share a little about any fiction you have written. You don’t have to share the piece, just tell me what type you’ve done. Perhaps you have a novel in the works? Or you like to write short stories? Or maybe you don’t write fiction per se, but love to journal or write poems about how you feel…
Do tell…I’m sure I can’t be the only one.
Catherine,
I’m so happy to see this on the FZ blog. From time to time, I feel the sudden urge to flex my creativity muscles and I recently decided to write some just-for-fun fiction. It’s been about a hundred years since I attempted fiction, but it’s a fun challenge. It also feels good to write with no rules and no guidelines. I don’t put any pressure on myself to write this fun fiction so the project comes out very naturally and helps me “reset” myself as a writer. It’s like a writing vacation where you can be as rebellious as you please. Great post!
I started out writing fiction, and some say it’s hard enough to believe my nonfiction. Still, there’s definitely something to be said for writing about something other than one’s own life and experiences when it comes to creative writing. (Also, it’s sometimes advisable to “fictionalize” things when writing about your own life. Most of D. H. Lawrence’s work was biography veiled just thinly enough to prevent liable suits!)
I’ve been working on the same detective story for 6 years now. I’ve got about 120 pages in, yet I write sporadically on it. I have written fictional very short stories based on real things, but otherwise I just can’t stay mentally committed for long.
I know what you mean. I’d like to write fiction but I do so much other writing that I don’t think I could maintain the pace….