Greetings, fellow writers! Here's something a former PW student wants to share with you. Jessica is planning to immerse herself in the intense write-a-novel- in-a-month event that goes on every November. I say, whatever it takes to get yourself over the threshold of inertia! DC Begin forwarded message: > From: Jessica Cox <[log in to unmask]> > Date: October 8, 2008 11:15:53 PM CDT > To: "Chester, Deborah A." <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: RE: About the stories... > > Wanted to let you know: I’m doing NANOWRIMO (however you spell it) > next month. > > I’d like to tell your students something, if you think it will help > them. > > I think it would’ve helped me to hear this. > > You will not magically find the time to write after college. > Time will fly as never before in your life when you leave this > campus. Looking back, you will wonder how you ever had this much > free time... when whole hours seemed to drift like lazy summer > days. Cherish this gift, and use the days well. You will not see > their like again. > > You will never be more free than you are right now. > As graduation looms, you will see the corridors of commerce open to > you. You may find yourself in a dark suit, winding clockwork > patterns beneath marble pillars. Or you may drift into chaotic > markets, where life’s rhythms shift endlessly in a whirlwind of > color and sound. > > One day, you start to hear music over the noise of the crowd. You > look up, and see leaves dancing on every tree. Stars wheel > overhead, and you realize there are other worlds than these. > > And you will want to write. > > What’s more, you will decide to finish something. > To call it into existence. Because the thought of silencing that > beautiful song becomes a act of criminal negligence. Because you > cannot bear the shame leaving a blank page when you have seen > masterpieces of beauty and truth. > > For those of you wish to truly dedicated their life to this art, > that decision will begin today. > > Those of you who wish to succeed, will not stop until the work is > done. > I thought of cheating with this – not sending it till after I > finished NANOWRIMO. It’s probably more advisable to succeed first > before boldly painting myself into a corner like I’ve just done. > > I guess that’s why the crazy heroes always make a speech. For that > extra boost of motivation; knowing they’ll be laughed out of town > if they fail. It will mean they conned someone into believing in > them and let that person down. > > I don’t intend to do that. > I’m writing with a buddy, and we intend to kick each other’s ass if > we don’t write. (Michelle, take notes) I think it’s better this > way. I can imagine ahead of time the sting of becoming a hypocrite > should I fail. It’s on the page in black and white. I have someone > to remind me if I fail. I need that. > > Try it: let your classmates know you’re joining NANOWRIMO this month. > Let them know you’re serious. Let yourself know you’re serious. Let > them kick your ass if you start to decide otherwise. ;-). Because > if you’re not serious, what are you doing here? You want a > vacation, visit Tahiti. You’re here to learn to write, dammit. > > Ps. READ the books Chester assigns. > This is the exception to the rule you became familiar with after > several semesters in college: > “Will there be a test on it? Then I don’t need to read it, do I?” > > Normally higher education involves somebody you do not know, > teaching you about something you do not want to know. Instead, you > have the privilege of studying under a woman who imparts secrets of > the most ancient magic known to man. > > You’ve done well by choosing this class. Do yourself another favor > and listen. > > Listen and write. > > Today. > ~~~ > > That ended up longer than I anticipated. Well, I hope you’re not > annoyed with this little vignette. > > I guess that’s the trial of all mentors who take on foolish > students; you risk being subjected to their work hereafter. But > then you also have the compliment of knowing they value your > opinion, and always will. > > Best wishes, > > ~Jessica > > From: Deborah Chester [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 12:57 PM > To: Jessica Cox > Subject: Re: About the stories... > > You're welcome. Good luck! > DC > > > On Mar 25, 2008, at 12:16 AM, Jessica Cox wrote: > > > Deborah, > > *smiles* Reliable good advice gives such comfort. Especially when > you know you need it. “Go” is very crucial advice. > > Few people hold the power of inspiring others to act on their > dreams. You have that gift, and I greatly appreciate it. > > Best wishes, > > ~Jessica > > > > From: Deborah Chester [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 12:09 PM > To: Jessica Cox > Subject: Re: About the stories... > > Jessica, > If you're fortunate to get a book idea that burns your bones, then > not writing it is a crime against the talent you were born with. > Not writing it is a dismissal of all the hard work you poured into > training your abilities so that you could harness that talent. > > What do pain and sacrifice matter? Count not the effort or the > cost. Look to the result. > > I think you knew what I'd tell you, didn't you? > > Regards, > Deborah > > > > On Mar 11, 2008, at 12:26 AM, Jessica Cox wrote: > > > Deborah, > > I hope this finds you well. I haven’t checked in for quite a while. > In case memory fails, this is Jessica; the writing student who > always searched your candy jar for dark chocolate. The one talking > and laughing with Liz and Michelle during your Novel and Category > Fiction lectures. > > I have a simple question for you. It’s about the stories. > > Is it worth it? > > In our talks, you mentioned a lot of sacrifices you’ve made for > your art. Seclusion. Many hard hours for relatively small return. > Pouring your heart out like water to call those characters and > worlds into being. > > I thought by taking a business writing route, I could make a living > writing without sacrificing so much of my life for a story. > > It’s worked pretty well so far. But now I’ve got a story that’s > starting to burn in my bones. Damn thing won’t shut up. And it’s > not an easy story either; it’s going to require a bit of pain on my > part to write it. Nothing gained without sacrifice, as they say. > > So my well-preserved binder of notes from Novel is starting to call > to me. I thought I would ask someone who knows. > > Is it worth it? > > Because it will cost me to write the kind of story that’s shaping > in my head. And I wonder if I can even pull it off. > > ~Jessica > > Deborah Chester > John Crain Presidential Professor > Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication > 395 W. Lindsey Street > Norman, OK 73019 > (405) 325-4192 > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > > > > > Deborah Chester > John Crain Presidential Professor > Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication > 395 W. Lindsey Street > Norman, OK 73019 > (405) 325-4192 > [log in to unmask] > > > > Deborah Chester John Crain Presidential Professor Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication 395 W. Lindsey Street Norman, OK 73019 (405) 325-4192 [log in to unmask]