E.X.R. PAN

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“Fairy-tale characters are silhouettes, mentioned simply because they are there. They are not given many emotions—perhaps one, such as happy or sad—and they are not in psychological conflict. In a traditional fairy tale, a child who has escaped an incestuous advance does not become a grown-up neurotic. This absence of depth, this flatness, violates a technical rule writers are often taught in beginning writing classes: that a character’s psychological depth is crucial to a story. In a fairy tale, however, this flatness functions beautifully; it allows depth of response in the reader.”

Kate Bernheimer (via mttbll)

(via mttbll)

Practice.

It’s been a while since I’ve written a personal post on here, hasn’t it?

I recently started practicing yoga again. And by practicing I mean going to the studio as much as possible. It’s been a huge change in my life but it’s become very necessary. The most interesting part is that it has transformed the way I think about writing.

I practice yoga. I practice writing. I practice reading, even.

The same way that I am building my strength and flexibility and peace bit by bit, day by day — that’s how I am building my writing. And obviously because I go to yoga practice so much now I have less time to write, but in a way that is teaching me patience. I can’t abandon all else for the sake of my writing. Maintaining a healthy body and mind is just as—if not more—important. It’s easy for me to forget that.

I’m doing Camp NaNoWriMo again this month. Why is it that Camp NaNoWriMo is always so much quieter, and never as exciting as NaNoWriMo in November? I set a goal of 75,000 words this time. In November I passed 87,000, but this month it feels like I’ll have to fight to even hit 70,000. We’ll see what happens.

I’m on the eleventh draft of this novel. It has changed so much with every rewrite. Being able to look back and see all those different iterations is reassuring and encouraging. And yet this latest draft is still as terrifying and agonizing as anything ever is. At least I can hold onto the certainty that that anxiety will never go away? Ha.

Seven drafts ago I converted the entire story to first person, and today I texted my mentor to tell him I’m thinking about converting it back to third person and does that sound insane? He said no, it didn’t sound crazy at all. I knew it didn’t really sound insane; perhaps only insane in the thought of the number of words and pages there are to be changed and completely rewritten. But I asked him anyway, because I needed him to say it.

What would we writers do without our mentors, our cheerleaders?

We have to practice being brave, but sometimes we need the help.

Practice, practice, practice.

BPoFD Podcast #8: GAME OF THRONES»

In Episode #8 of the BPoFD Podcast, managing editor Carmen Petaccio sits down with the Editor-in-Chief of Bodega Magazine, Emily X.R. Pan, to discuss George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series and its HBO adaptation, Game of Thrones. Highlights include the origin story of Emily’s Game of Thrones fandom, ruminations on the fliest sigil in Westeros, and an investigation into Jon Snow’s true parentage. And be sure to listen through to the end, when Emily and Carmen perform a special live rendition of the Game of Thrones theme song! Special thanks again to Emily for her time, fellowship, and conversation.

To listen, click below.

Episode #8: Emily X.R. Pan

“The main thing is this: I don’t want to repeat myself. I’m trying to be a literary artist. And, really, who knows what that means? But I’m pretty sure that it means at least this: you don’t settle for anything but the very best you’re capable of doing. For me, that means pushing my narratives to be different, insisting that I try something new, working to explore familiar territories in new ways and to invent new forms each time I sit down to write.”

Robert Boswell (via mttbll)

(via mttbll)

SandyHatesBooks: In Praise of the Undiscriminating Reader»

sandyhatesbooks:

It’s no secret that we’re Serious Readers over here at powerHouse. Our tastes run from the erudite to the indie-quirky to Brooklyn’s literati and then back to the erudite—we’re the kind of people who wouldn’t think twice about taking Middlemarch to the beach. Or a Melville House novella (…

One of my favorite Yeats quotes, in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day: “Let us go forth, the tellers of tales, and seize whatever prey the heart long for, and have no fear. Everything exists, everything is true, and the earth is only a little dust under our feet.” ― W.B. Yeats

One of my favorite Yeats quotes, in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day:

“Let us go forth, the tellers of tales, and seize whatever prey the heart long for, and have no fear. Everything exists, everything is true, and the earth is only a little dust under our feet.”

― W.B. Yeats

Novelists Talk About First Drafts»

Dear Writing Teacher,

I am a published fiction writer who is about to start writing a new novel. You would think, since I’ve already done this before, that I knew what I was doing. But I don’t. I am lost. Where do I start? What do I need to know about my story and my characters before I begin? What should I just figure out as I go? Suddenly, the idea of writing that first draft seems impossible, and I am terrified.

I’d greatly appreciate any guidance you could offer me!

Sincerely,
Facing the Blank Page