A how-I-write essay series by Ava Clary

1. Stealing, sharing and other writing advice

Steal like artist is a wonderful little book by Austin Kleon about artistic endeavors and inspirations. I was going to steal his title, but changed my mind. Instead, I’m going to share it. I hope he doesn’t mind.

If you google the title ‘how to steal like an artist’ it comes up with a handy list from his website:

“Number 6. The secret: Do good work and share it with people.”

I especially like this. I like the idea of sharing your work, sharing your ideas, and spreading it all around the internet. Go on, my lovelies, spread your wings. Fly far and wide.

For too long I haven’t shared anything. My stories have been languishing on my computer, hidden from the world, but I’ve decided to let them go. It’s a little scary, but isn’t it also a beautiful thing? When something going viral, first hundreds, then thousands, then perhaps millions of people see it. They marvel, laugh, cry or roll their eyes at the same thing.

But there is also a large part of the internet that feels invisible too. Me? I’m mostly invisible, but that doesn’t mean I am.

Part of being a writer is taking the scary step of showing other people your work. You let them critique it, you hope to sell it to an agent or editor, or just have someone buy it straight from you. Before I can sell it though, I have to share it.

Step 1: Share

By the way, I have sharing buttons on the bottom of this post. Go on, use them. Please. It sounds rather desperate when I write that, but it would really help me out if you do.

Sharing is almost like stealing. Especially when it comes to more intangible ideas. I don’t like to think I’m stealing good ideas from anyone. Or stealing writing techniques; not when I’m just trying to learn them myself. In the end I’m just trying to express myself; give you my perspective on the world.

I’m listening to a book by Amy Poehler, which has a wonderful opening preface about writing. My favorite quote so far is about the writing process. This deserves its own essay, but I’ll put it here for you now.

“And then you just do it. You just dig in and write it. You use your body. You lean over the computer and stretch and pace. . . you do it because the doing of it is the thing. The doing is the thing.” from ‘writing is hard: a preface’, Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Confession: I started listening to her audio book, because I hoped to pick up some good ideas, about comedy in particular, and I hoped those ideas would float around in my subconscious before popping out like kernels of popcorn. Then suddenly I’d write funny jokes and funny situations in my own stories. Isn’t that how you learn to write comedy?

Doesn’t all writing work like that? You’re struggling to come up with something and then you have one of those little Ahha! moments and you have no idea where it comes from, but its funny, so that’s what matters.

I’ve read articles about scientific studies about comedy and they remind me a little bit of scientific studies about writing. It doesn’t quite work to analysis a joke or a story, and break down the components. Oh, a joke is made up of a funny verb and a funny noise? Well, that sounds so easy. It’s not.

You need something else. Something is missing when you try to use a formula to write jokes or a story.

That something is what I’m looking for.

So, yes, I’ll admit it, I was trying to steal a little as I listen to Amy Poehler. I just want a smidgen of her brilliance. I also like listening to her voice as she reads to me – or rather performs – even though the book is making me impatient. (That must mean I’m enjoying it and want to read faster. You can’t really listen faster.)

How does a writer steal? Well, over the years, I’ve tried to read as many books as possible. Mostly my favorite kinds, YA and fantasy books with a bit of romance: Diana Wynne Jones, Frances Hardinge, Catherynne Valente, Tamora Pierce, Patricia Wrede, Fuyumi Ono, JK Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, China Miéville. And on and on the list goes. I read non-fiction, mythology, folklore, fairy tales, sometimes a biography, mystery, historical fiction, science fiction, Japanese light novels (a guilty pleasure). I read and read hoping to fill up my head with so many stories that I can’t quite remember where an idea came from. Who inspired me? Did I make that up all by myself? I can’t have. Where did it come from?

That’s my goal, and perhaps excuse for reading so many books all the time.  It’s research. I swear, that’s all.

I plan to keep on sharing writing tips here. This first one rambled in all sorts of directions. I’m still learning how to be a better writer.

Here’s are the first few tips I’ve given myself:

• Share like an artist
• Share your art/your words/your story with everyone
• Read everything

If you’ve found any delicious books lately, please share them with me. I need something new for my kindle.

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currently reading: King Rat by China Miéville
currently on my Kindle: Take off Your Pants by Libbie Hawker
currently listening to: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

currently writing: Fairy Doctor Returns, book 2