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From: Candice Bamber -at- CSF on 08/05/97 10:21 AM
To: techwr-l -at- listserv -dot- okstate -dot- edu
cc:
Subject: Re: Writing novels too?
I've always considered myself lucky that as a tw, I get paid well to do
what I would do all day anyway - write!
I've published a number of things - a book of poetry and another on the way
(giving birth metaphor deliberate :^^) ), lots of poems in journals and
magazines, a bunch short stories, essays, reviews. And I'm the Managing
Editor of a small "literary" journal.
My dream is that 10 years from now (when I'm forty) I'll be making a good
living writing novels - good novels (which I haven't entirely defined
yet!). I'm working on finding a publisher for my first novel and planning
my second. My creative process combines discipline with "letting it flow" -
on one hand, I believe that there is much to be learned about technique -
whether from reading books or talking to other writers or going to a
writing group or working with a mentor. On the other hand, one must be
unafraid of the creative impulse, and willing to welcome something into the
book that wasn't in the original plan.
My greatest learning experience as a creative writer was during the years I
spent in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) as a participant in the "Stroll of
Poets" Society. The society is dedicated to supporting live performance of
the creative word. The performances sponsored by the Stroll were extremely
popular (Edmonton is a real "arts" town) and ranged from coffee house
readings to street readings to participating in the Fringe (theatre)
festival to performing at corporate luncheons to an actual Poetry festival,
where over a hundred poets performed in a day long series at several
venues). I had many many opportunities to read my poems and stories for a
LIVE audience - the physical presence of the audience, their spontaneous
and immediate reactions to each word and thought, as I uttered it, taught
me more about writing than any class or book ever could.
Reading for live audiences had an impact on my techwriting as well. The
lesson went in - I never forget that I'm writing for real live people with
needs, desires and problems of their own.
This is such a great life! Happy Tuesday everyone!
Candace
cbamber -at- castek -dot- com
************************************************************************
Candace Bamber
now thankfully at: "Whatever you can do or dream,
Castek Software Factory Begin it.
Toronto, ON, Canada Boldness has genius, magic and power in it."
416-777-2550 X 331 --- Goethe
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