I think the anecdote I mentioned the other day in class might be a good topic to explore in writing for class. However with this topic as well as others, the trouble I have is what I'm going to say about it. Telling the story itself I am not as worried about. Certainly I would want to do drafts and rework the material into its best form, but I'm much more concerned with why, or to what end. I've tried to work in creative nonfiction before, and at those times I was mainly focused on the storytelling element. It was my goal to run a thread through events as best I could to make them read like a coherent story with a beginning and an end and hopefully some type of a plot. And as much as they were reflective and I hope emotionally resonant with the reader, I worry those two criteria, while valuable to me, still fall short of what might be called a "point" or a purpose.
In telling the story of the time my dad almost drowned himself to save a $25 oar, I could talk about my dad's peculiarities, my relationship with my dad, his relationship with the beach and the sea and the difficulty he has had reconciling his advancing age with his previously held notion of that relationship. I could talk about my own feelings about the ocean, I could speak self-depricatingly about my own "heroism" or I could be falsely modest and transparently self-aggrandizing about what a big deal I thought it was that I jumped into the ocean to save my dad from an as-yet unknown danger. I could talk about what an idiot my brother is, because when I told him "stay here, and if I'm not back in 5 minutes, go for help" he waited 4 minutes and took a surfboard and came in after me. Or I could talk about how much I love him for doing that. I could talk about both of those things or a dozen of them together. As for now I'm uncertain about anchoring any anecdote in a "why." I worry about my affectation in general, so in trying to drive home a specific point, I am especially wary of sounding contrived and insincere and compromising the whole piece.
I completely understand your worry if it will have purpose. I think we all have these personal dreams and stories to tell that we feel strongly about. Often I wonder, is this only interesting, valuable, and point-orientated to me?
ReplyDeleteMatt,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Christina. Some memories or stories we want to tell seem so important to us but we wonder if they will resonate with others. I think this story is important to you and I think others will find it interesting and compelling. But that is also up to how you write it. But you seem very invested in writing a good story so I have faith in you. Good luck with your writing!
I understand the worry, but I think once you write a draft, something will emerge from it. I also really like the the play off, "The Old Man and the Sea" title! I go crazy for things like that haha! I think the inventive writing blog due next class might help with this, if you're not feeling it after that blog, maybe change stories? I apologize if this is the least helpful comment ever D:!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for all of your supportive comments, I really appreciate them. I'm gonna try and make it work.
ReplyDelete