Courage? I prefer a paycheck, an assignment, and a deadline, in that order. In my 20s I wrote a lot of shift logs and progress notes. Those are very human, humane, humanizing documents that require discernment based on reporting of facts, preferably without pathological judgment. The pay is decent, the assignment and deadline are clear. In my 30s I shifted to writing editorials, opinion pieces, feature stories and arts reviews, still paid, still on assignment and on deadline. Now in my 60s, my current prose writing as a teacher is much the same. I also write music at work for my ensembles, with a concert date burning a hole in the calendar.
When I write poetry, the paycheck isn’t money. The assignment is 'get this ferment out of me,' the deadline is 'now,' the paycheck is simply 'pressure release.' I’m afflicted with a poem when I show up in person and listen to a message that spurs a response which possesses me to distraction. If and only if I’m debilitated for normal pursuits, I surrender and expel what the Muses have dumped into me. The penciled exorcism is massacred, the surviving bits are retched up in public.
For some reason these poems don't fake showing up, and neither can I.
Courage is great. As a source of inspiration, though, I prefer habit and money. Money as inspiration spurs both fear of lack and courage to act. Money, fear, and courage keep me going.
Those are all great motivators. I wasn’t thinking of courage as a motivator, but it’s an interesting take on it. Money is partly the motivator for the publishing side of things, at least in fiction. If I’m waiting for money in poetry, I’m waiting forever!
I love the drama of Red Smith's quote, "Just sit down at the typewriter, open a vein and bleed," but writing that just bleeds on me isn't satisfying. I think as a writer I need to be willing to do that, but I want to be surprised when I read and when I write. The courage I need is to write without steering to safety.
Also there's a difference in the courage you need to draft and the courage you need to publish. I need to be willing to go anywhere when I draft, but I have different responsibilities to the reader and myself when I publish. "That was brave" is not a compliment I want to hear about my writing. "That was wise" would be better. "That was surprising." would be good. "That was brave, wise and surprising" would be great. Of course, I've never heard that, but I imagine that would feel pretty good.
That's a great distinction, Jack: "write without steering to safety." I think that's a better guide than the "open a vein" which I've heard for so long. As for "brave, wise and surprising," one piece of your work that has lingered with me in that way is your poem about the miscarriage. So powerful. There are others, but that's always the first that comes to mind. Thanks for reading--and thinking!--with me.
Courage? I prefer a paycheck, an assignment, and a deadline, in that order. In my 20s I wrote a lot of shift logs and progress notes. Those are very human, humane, humanizing documents that require discernment based on reporting of facts, preferably without pathological judgment. The pay is decent, the assignment and deadline are clear. In my 30s I shifted to writing editorials, opinion pieces, feature stories and arts reviews, still paid, still on assignment and on deadline. Now in my 60s, my current prose writing as a teacher is much the same. I also write music at work for my ensembles, with a concert date burning a hole in the calendar.
When I write poetry, the paycheck isn’t money. The assignment is 'get this ferment out of me,' the deadline is 'now,' the paycheck is simply 'pressure release.' I’m afflicted with a poem when I show up in person and listen to a message that spurs a response which possesses me to distraction. If and only if I’m debilitated for normal pursuits, I surrender and expel what the Muses have dumped into me. The penciled exorcism is massacred, the surviving bits are retched up in public.
For some reason these poems don't fake showing up, and neither can I.
Courage is great. As a source of inspiration, though, I prefer habit and money. Money as inspiration spurs both fear of lack and courage to act. Money, fear, and courage keep me going.
Those are all great motivators. I wasn’t thinking of courage as a motivator, but it’s an interesting take on it. Money is partly the motivator for the publishing side of things, at least in fiction. If I’m waiting for money in poetry, I’m waiting forever!
I love the drama of Red Smith's quote, "Just sit down at the typewriter, open a vein and bleed," but writing that just bleeds on me isn't satisfying. I think as a writer I need to be willing to do that, but I want to be surprised when I read and when I write. The courage I need is to write without steering to safety.
Also there's a difference in the courage you need to draft and the courage you need to publish. I need to be willing to go anywhere when I draft, but I have different responsibilities to the reader and myself when I publish. "That was brave" is not a compliment I want to hear about my writing. "That was wise" would be better. "That was surprising." would be good. "That was brave, wise and surprising" would be great. Of course, I've never heard that, but I imagine that would feel pretty good.
Thanks, Laurel, for making me think.
That's a great distinction, Jack: "write without steering to safety." I think that's a better guide than the "open a vein" which I've heard for so long. As for "brave, wise and surprising," one piece of your work that has lingered with me in that way is your poem about the miscarriage. So powerful. There are others, but that's always the first that comes to mind. Thanks for reading--and thinking!--with me.
Thanks, Laurel. Thanks for posting!