Writing as Escape
It's well known that Nora started writing as an outlet when her sons were small and she was stuck at home in a blizzard. She needed the escape for her own sanity. I know another writer, a stay-at-home mom who writes quite prolifically because she needs to go to another place where she is in control. I wouldn't say I started writing as an escape, but it has been one on occasion.
When my grandmother was sick last summer, I wrote every day. People were surprised that I could put any energy into my story when she was dying.
I needed it, though. I needed to have some control over something, and I had control in my story, over who lived and died. I needed the escape to be found in the waters of Belize, to counteract the hours spent in the hospital.
Another reason I had to write was that I hated my day job. I was at a terrible school with a principal one of my friends dubbed Princibitch. Despite my many applications to many other school districts, I felt my only escape was to sell a book, get published, get out. If I had gotten the two rejections from this summer LAST summer, I would have been a basket case.
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- I'm a mom, a wife, a teacher and a writer. I have five cats and a dog to keep me company. I love bookstores and libraries and Netflix - movies are my greatest weakness.
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13 comments:
VERY interesting, Mary. I think you're onto something. When my children were an infant and toddler, I wrote EVERY day - without fail.
Now with PTA, Scouts and about a dozen meetings, sometimes it seems like it comes last.
That sounds like a time crunch to me, Jill.
I got some written this morning - I'm mostly addressing concerns the critique group had. I have to rewrite the next scene. I can't wait to write NEW stuff again!
During the last month's of my mother's illness, I didn't write very much but I was reading. And I have to say thank you to all the romance novelists out there for providing me with those wonderful books.
I guess that's one of the reasons I want to be published: I'd like to pass it on.
Do I write to escape? Hmm. I do write to be in another person's head, in another place, where I can experience something I wouldn't normally be able to do. Is that escape, or just safe adventuring? I don't know. Good questions, Mar.
JoAnn
I began to writing because I've always loved movies, books and a good story. I never thought of it as escaping but a very good point!
Sometimes it's a way to forget about the stress in your life. =)
2 rejections? Is that all? I could wallpaper my bathroom with rejections. Keep going ...
Michele, I read a lot, too. I actually would go to the nursing home early in the morning, sit with Gigi and read. Very peaceful time.
Safe adventuring, I like that, JoAnn. Where is my dose of Damien today?? It's Thursday!
Kelly, amen on the stress!
Jill, two rejections in a month, on revised fulls, one of which had been there for 54 weeks. Believe me, if I'd saved them all, I could paper my house! Got another one today, in fact.
Poopy on today's rejection, Mary. These people SO don't know what they're missing.
I don't know if I write to escape, but I've definitely read to escape during bad times. I agree with Michele about wanting to give some of that back.
Thanks, Trish. It was an agent form letter R. I'm not ripped up about it.
I've always loved writing, to escape boredom or just for myself. Writing books opens up new worlds, doesn't it?
I definitely write for escape. And bad years keep me going, but good years at school inspire me too. So glad you're at a better school this year.
Michelle, you're on the money! Writing opens up worlds we wouldn't be able to know just by reading, since we have to get so much deeper into the story. I love that!
Mary Beth, sounds like you're having a pretty good year, too. Yes, good years inspire me, but they drain me, too. Today I'm going to start centers - I am so not a center person. I like order. We'll see how this works!
(((Mary))) on the rejection. What you're saying about writing makes complete sense to me :)
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