Hi guys, I'm Una LaMarche.
I'm a Wesleyan alumn, 2002, and I'm also a writer.
I'm actually reading what I'm saying right now off of a document that I wrote in
advance, because I'm better at articulating my points and
sticking to what I'm trying to say when it's on paper.
So, forgive me.
Anyway, I've written four novels for young adults and one comic memoir essay
collection and I also freelance for the New York Times and the Huffington Post and
various other websites and newspapers and magazines.
So first of all I want to congratulate you on taking this class and
getting to the point where you are,
which as I understand it, is kind of close to the end.
You have a creative project that you're getting ready to polish and turn in,
and I just want to say first of all as a disclaimer that
nothing you write will ever feel completely finished.
And that's normal.
So your job is to just get it to the best
place that you can possibly get it and
then release it into the world and
then go do something nice for yourself.
I'm here to give you advice.
I think, though, that no one piece of writing advice is going to work for
everyone, so I also by way of disclaimer, want to say that some things that I
say might resonate for you, some won't, and that's also okay.
Part of our jobs of figuring out how we write is to figure out
how we work best, what we need,
what applies to us, what doesn't apply to us and that's a long process.
So you're just starting out and so feel free to take what works for
you and dismiss what doesn't.
So, yes every writer works very differently.
I am pretty type A.
I've met some writers who will write the ends of their books first,
which I think is crazy, or write them totally out of order or
write all the dialogue and then fill in the rest.
That does not work for me.
I am an outline girl.
I like to lay out a blueprint, sort of a trail of bread crumbs for
myself before I start.
I find I'm very chipper and confident before I start writing a novel.
So to figure out all of the things that I want to say,
all the plot plans, how the story's going to unfold really helps,
because then once I'm really in it, I have that lifeline to come back to..
Because as you guys probably know, once you're actively working on
a piece of creative writing, it's really hard to get perspective on it.
In fact, one of the things that you may be asking yourself, I know that I ask
myself about almost everything that I write is, is this terrible?
Is this still worst thing that a human being has ever produced?
Probably not, [LAUGH] but you're always going to have that of doubt, and probably
many moments where you just think my gosh, do I need to set my computer on fire,
just walk away slowly like I'm in action movie and never come back to this?
You should definitely not set your computer on fire, I do recommend that.