I suppose I tend to write around death issues a lot. I haven’t really stopped to consider this before, though my themes are usually around sadness, illness or emotional dysfunction. I have experienced many bereavements in my family on a personal level and my background was in nursing, so I have dealt with death a lot and have been privileged to pass many people over into the next life.
I also write about subjects some people are uncomfortable with and themes around prejudice because it eats at me personally! I was told by someone (who recently read my novel), that I ‘thrust homeopathy down people’s throats’ and my ‘it’s your opinion that drug companies make millions’ to which I found totally unfair as I am both a homeopath and an ex-nurse. My novel is about the conflict of careers between friends, so obviously it is part of the theme! However, I did take the comments on board and checked through all the scenes.
I have also been told that I am excellent at writing erotic scenes. This would not be a preferred choice for me to write erotica!
I totally understand the self-handicapping. I struggle to see myself as a good writer, alas I try!

I really want to leverage what my mom used to call “black irish humor”… I’m such a new writer I don’t even consider hiding it. I’m 47 and new to the craft — I want my writing to have meaning, teach important life lessons without being preachy or obvious, and help people see the humor in the inevitable darkness of life. Wish me luck. 🙂

Back in middle school, we had to describe our bedroom. I described it as you would see it if you walked in the door (which I told readers was on the south side of the east wall). You would naturally see things in a clockwise direction, so that’s the way I described the furnishings in it. The classmate who got my paper raised their hand when the teacher asked who had a hard time understanding the description.

And if you asked me to describe it today, I’d describe it the EXACT SAME WAY.

Hello again Joan, the feedback I remember, because it’s been a while since I was in a workshop, was either, this is soul autobiography, this is like Annie Dillard, which is pretty fine with me although I might like to be more real than Annie Dillard sometimes seems, or it’s, this is not useful commercially, which I get, but frustrates me. The same thing that makes it soul autobiography could also make it not very commercial. I have the luxury of not needing to sell to survive, so my take is, I’m going to write the best damn soul autobiography I can, and if it’s not commercial, so be it. Sometimes I think of writing fiction, like mysteries, but that’s not particularly me as a writer, and I think that may come from trying to be commercial.
On the self handicapping, I have totally done that throughout my writing life, and I hope I can overcome it now that I don’t have the excuse of not having time.
Thanks, this was helpful.

What kind of a writer am I ? I don’t know. I write poetry I guess that makes me a poet but that doesn’t answer the question. There are a few distinct voices in there. They are all mine, there may be a constant voice I can’t see. As it stands now I want the self perceived chorus. I like my poetry a lot more when I read a few poems rather than 1 in isolation, it is not a theme or style that holds them together, I’m not sure what it is.

At the moment I spend more time thinking about potential poems than I do writing. I tell myself that is work of a sort. My body of work is small (I resisted the word tiny). I read the comments here between writing when prompted and posting – I feel like a fraud. I have only been published once (3 poems) in a small local anthology.

I want to retain my poets licence for all sorts of reasons one being it is fun when rhythm holds hands with the story/character and runs off with the truth. There are personal truths in my poetry, there are also observations and times spent writing while wearing borrowed coats.

I want my poetry to be heard and seen, my dark secret with that may be I want evidence I exist.

Feed back I have had –

*You have an immediacy.
*You have rhythm
*Now I feel I know you better (this one makes me uncomfortable)
*That’s hilarious
*I like your cutting stuff better.
*Undefined gasps.
*You have a way with words.
*You are a writer
*I have been greeted with silence.
*Once I got a standing ovation.

Joan, you are addressing the process of being a writer, which none of the writing books I have do.
For what kind of writer are you, my graphic novel is localized in remote western Canada along the Pacific Ocean. Place or geography is important and totally affects our lives. My second novella also puts major importance on location, and is set in Newfoundland. If the location were changed, the story would not be the same.
No, I am not a literary writer, and the type of books we had to read in college bored me. I want the emotions that arise as people interact in families and in communities. I am not humorous, but do inject humor to balance negative emotions. Human relationships interest me, and I seek to write about caring humans, and promote the best in how people interact while showing how the worst harms a community.
Thanks for making us think about who we are as writers.

Joan,
Thank you for these videos! I just stumbled across this series and I’m so glad to have discovered what you are doing for us strugglers! You have given me back that itch to get my words onto a page.

As for what kind of writer I am, I unfortunately couldn’t tell you. I have what feels like a baker’s dozen novels running around in my head. I’ve written a couple short stories I’m proud of and lately, I’ve been working on a couple of children’s picture books (no doubt inspired by my young kiddos).

I feel like I’m a creative writer at heart but I’ve only made money writing non-fiction articles in various periodicals. I don’t mind that work, but I’d rather be writing something that’s more meaningful to relieve that itch.

I appreciate your idea to rephrase if our writing is any good to is our writing the best writing we can do. I think that will help. My doubts do keep me from pursuing my creative writing. I have so little free time that I am one of those writers who wonders if it is worth the time it would take. Sacrifices would have to be made. When I think of how those sacrifices would involve other members of my family, I really start to doubt if what’s in my head will ever realistically be what I can get onto the page.

Ok, I’ll get off the theapist’s sofa now and just say I’m looking forward to the last video and any advice is appreciated. Thanks again!

P.S. You mentioned researching time management strategies for writers. If you are still interested in sharing that information, I’m all ears!