By Namiko Golden
Writers are lovers of words, and I should say, they love written words in particular. Words are the tools they use to describe their thoughts/stories, elaborate on and refine their craft. They weigh the texture, color and density of the words so that they can express the images they want to create as precisely as possible. The vocabulary and style of writing tell us a lot about the authors.
I am currently reading a book titled, Stone Diaries, written by an award winning Canadian author, Carol Shields. She has such rich vocabulary and I often have to stop and look up words in a dictionary. The book is about an ordinary woman in somewhat extraordinary circumstances. We probably can say the same about most of us (I mean ordinary people in somewhat extraordinary circumstances,) but what is
fascinating is the story the author weaves about this ordinary woman with truths, theories and conjectures. It is amazing to read cynicism and sincerity jostling for space and wit, and it makes me feel that it must be painful to be such a gifted writer. The book is a gem.
The books are a magic that transports us to different cultures, experiences and thoughts, and I enjoy them as entertainment, as a source of information or inspiration for myself. When I read them, I find myself searching for the person behind the creation. Sometimes when I am intrigued by the story or the craftsmanship of the book, I even go looking for a biography, or better still, an autobiography by the author about his or her life.
Many authors have been brave enough to expose their daily and innermost thoughts in their stories as well as their autobiographies, and I often am impressed with their courage and candor in their self-disclosure. I am interested in learning how they had coped with life’s challenges, the joys and sorrows, loves, fears, failures and anguish in their lives. Of course, there are times when authors are neurotic or obsessed or too convoluted in their writing, and then their writings would fail to inspire me. If I had enjoyed their books, however, their self-disclosure would add to my appreciation of them.
There is an author, Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874 – 1942,) who wrote Anne of Green Gables series. Her books became quite popular, especially with young generations. Her writings were colorful, eventful, humorous as well as poignant and lovely. Maud, herself, however, had a stressful marriage and financial hardships as well as a devastating loss of her best friend. She had written the fanciful and engaging stories as a means not only to earn a living but also to escape her stressful life.
Maud Montgomery had written a lengthy and detailed diary which spanned many decades from age 14 to a few years before her death. In those volumes of self disclosure (although this was highly self-censored), she wrote about her incredibly busy life as a minister’s wife, being the center of the community she lived in, and the demands of the motherhood. She also wrote about her husband’s mental illness and her efforts to hide the problem from the prying eyes of the people and to smooth over difficult situations. I had to take my hat off to her for managing to make time in her busy life to write all those books. Of course, aside from the financial gain her writing brought to her, she truly enjoyed writing itself.
Writing comes from our mind, and therefore, even if it is a fiction, it reveals something of the person who wrote it. I like that individuality in writing. The literature reveals the character and the complexity of the writer, and that is a real draw to me to search and enjoy whenever and whatever I read. Conversely, I am sure that whatever I write would reflect who I am, and sometimes it is a daunting thought. Whenever I feel that perhaps I am revealing too much of myself to the world, however, I must tell myself not to mind it.
People in general are busy with their own thoughts and lives, and even if they came across a book or article which might be shocking or revealing at the time, it would soon be forgotten. The writings that leave lasting impressions, therefore, must have more than average depth and meaning in them. If I want to keep the readers interested in my writing (never mind the lasting impressions), I must write from my heart.
Never copy someone else’s style, either. There are writers who can cut through to the bone with the stark, crude and revealing, for instance, but if that is not your style, don’t copy it. Copying other people’s style never works anyway. An effort to improve your own writing, would that count? I hope so. By increasing your vocabulary and learning ways to zero in on who you are and what you want to describe must count over the years. I keep hoping that is so anyway.
One thing I try to be careful, and that is if and when my story involves other people. I would not want to embarrass or inconvenience anyone with my own writing, and so if I am writing about other people, I either get their permission or change the names and circumstances a little to protect their identity. This is simply a common-sense courtesy.
So, there you have it; even in my small world of writing, there are times when I struggle to reveal or not to reveal, and I think that is part and parcel of the challenges and joys of writing.