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April 18, 2003
CAROLYN SEE SPEAKS TO SOUTHWEST MANUSCRIPTERS
Interview by Alan Cook
Carolyn See has finally written in book form the rules she has been preaching
to writers for many years. Making a Literary Life comes from her own experience
in a family of "failed writers." Carolyn, herself, is a successful
writer; she has written nine books and also writes book reviews for the
Washington Post. In addition, she is a professor of English at UCLA.
She kept us laughing as she told us how her father, one of the failed
writers, became a successful writer at the age of 69 after he saw some
hardcore pornography Carolyn was reviewing as an expert witness in pornography
trials. He said he could write it better and subsequently published 73
volumes. However, her first husband gave up on writing, saying, "I
have enough intelligence to know I have a mediocre mind."
The archetypes of some of her fictional characters are the people in her
family who have caused her the most trouble. John Espey, who was her partner
for 28 years, is not one of them.
Carolyn's rules are designed not only to get us to write successfully,
but in addition to live a normal life and not drive our relatives crazy.
The rules come in two recipes: the 18-hour chili (named after her father's
recipe) and the 18-minute chili. The first rule for either one is to have
fun. In addition, for the 18-minute chili:
1. Write 1,000 words a day, five days a week, for life. Or do two hours
of revision.
2. Write one charming note a day that does not ask a favor. The note can
be to another writer, an agent, an editor or someone who needs help.
Even if we have gotten into the habit of writing, the charming note is
where most of us fall down.
For the 18-hour chili, add the following to rules one and two:
3. Take an outside excursion weekly to a writing class, a conference or
a book signing by a live author.
4. Start where you are; your life is a genre. It may be grand opera, soap
opera, madcap comedy or action/adventure. Use it in your writing.
5. Pretend to be a writer. Ask yourself, "If I were a writer, what
would I do and where would I go?" Then do it and go there.
6. Make a list of what a writer like you might want. Carolyn's daughter,
Lisa, another successful writer, put a personal assistant high on her
list of wants. Other wants might be fame, fortune and respect. Travel
with an entourage and have snapshots of yourself taken living the good
life.
7. Try a little white magic in the form of affirmations. Examples are
"Everybody buys good fiction" and "I always have good ideas."
Perhaps the best affirmation when you're writing is "I see it, I
feel it, I know it, I've got it."
8. Make rejection a process. This is very important. Within minutes of
receiving a rejection, write a charming note in reply, saying something
like, "Thank you for your bracing rejection. I will be sending you
more material shortly." This not only takes the sting out of the
rejection for you, it also makes the editor feel queasy as he wonders,
"What did she mean by that?" Use the mindset of the philandering
seducer: I'm ready when you are.
Have fun and search for love and truth. And remember that writing is a
game; it's not serious.
Carolyn See Interviews-
Stories
Online:
Web Del Sol
WriterAdvice
Wigglefish
LA Weekly
Santa Monica Mirror
Newsday