Write-In Schedule for April
Plus a few thoughts on structure
“You don’t know—you can’t know—whether the bricks you’ve laid on top will be supported by the bricks at the bottom.” ― Dani Shapiro, Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life
Already a couple of days into April and more than a little under the weather, I found myself looking for a little inspiration to kick off the month. I often turn to my bookshelves on days like these, and I randomly grabbed Dani Shapiro’s Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life. I opened it on a whim to one of the sections I’d tabbed during my MFA journey (way back when). And there it was, bold as brass: STRUCTURE.
It just so happens that structure is something I think about quite often. It’s certainly something my clients hear about on a regular basis. I’m a firm believer in plotting, but I’m also aware that it doesn’t work for everyone. And lately, I’ve been wondering if perhaps it’s the language of constraint that tends to make writers choke up when being asked about plot points and beat sheets and character arcs. Upon rereading this section, it appears that Shapiro believes that’s the case. And, so, just like that, I have my answer. Or at least one version.
Isn’t chance funny like that?
When a friend was having a difficult time, mired in the middle of a book that refused to follow a carefully plotted outline, Shapiro “began to see a red flag waving.” Perhaps I should be more like Shapiro, but I’m more like a bull. I see red, and I charge ahead anyway.
Outlines offer us an illusion that we are in control, that we know where we’re going. And while this may be comforting, it is also antithetical to the process of making work that lives and breathes. If we are painting by numbers, how can we give birth to something new? Jorie Graham also describes Mark Strand’s poems on canvas in this way: “The columns swerve, making these abstract paintings, as in: what makes the shape move is the mind making mistakes, or taking change on, or trying out variations until the right one appears and stills the mind.” (Shapiro, Still Writing, p. 114)
As someone who has had so little control most of my life, I covet the idea of having it. Even if an outline is an illusion, I find comfort within constraints of my own making. However, I’m also adept at changing the course once a new shape starts to emerge. I think this is often where writers get stuck. You have to be willing to let go of your original ideas. You have to be willing to burn it all down and start over. And that’s not always an easy thing to do.
Shapiro continues:
The mind making mistakes. This is what makes the shape move. Such a magnificent idea, and one to hold on to, that the mistakes themselves are what make the work alive. Structure may emerge in the middle, even may announce itself once we’re in over our heads, in the thick of it, having relinquished control. Then, then, the architecture begins to whisper to us. It isn’t always pleasant, when the true structure reveals itself, because it often means a lot more work. You may need to shore up the foundation, or perhaps you’ll have to build an entirely new one. (Still Writing, p. 115)
As someone who finally found success when I started using structure, I found it amusing to find myself resisting advice I’d flagged more than a decade ago. But then I thought about it a little more. And I think the answer was there all along. Whether working as an Architect or a Gardener, a Plotter or a Pantser, I think the truth of the matter lies in the concept of shape.
If you are creating something real, structure will reveal itself to you eventually. Look—there’s the vista. You lay the bricks. Moments connect. History and heritage ripple through the present. A voice emerges like a strain of music. And then—through the fog—a shape. It may not be what you expected. It may not even be what you hoped for. But it will be yours. (Shapiro, Still Writing, p. 117)
This month I will be exploring structure and shape in a series of short essays. I’ve gathered quite a bit of material over the years, but I’m always looking for new and alternative approaches. Feel free to chime in.
Also, speaking of structure, the Storied Imaginarium write-ins will be changing a bit to accommodate the SEASON OF THE SERPENT, which is already well underway. (How time flies!) In April, we will be meeting at our regularly scheduled times on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Seeing as there is now a workshop on Thursday evenings, those write-ins will shift to the same time on Wednesdays.
For those of you unfamiliar with the write-ins, these productivity sessions are a perk for paid subscribers. You can join us for as little as $10 a month. It’s a wonderful and supportive community. Feel free to join us.
Write-In Schedule
Tuesdays: April 7, 14, 21, 28; 10 am-11:15 MST/ noon-1:15 pm EST
Wednesdays: April 8, 15, 22, 29; 5-6:15 pm MST/ 7-8:15 pm EST
Saturdays: April 4, 11, 18, 25; 2-3:15 pm MST/ 4-5:15 pm EST
To find the correct translation for your time zone, visit https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/. If you join us for them all, you will have TWELVE solid hours of scheduled writing time with the support of our wonderful community. I hope to see you there!
Schedule
Tuesdays: April 7, 14, 21, 28; 10 am-11:15 MST/ noon-1:15 pm EST
Wednesdays: April 8, 15, 22, 29; 5-6:15 pm MST/ 7-8:15 pm EST
Saturdays: April 4, 11, 18, 25; 2-3:15 pm MST/ 4-5:15 pm EST
Zoom Meeting Link
Topic: Storied Imaginarium Write-In Link
Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86452295793?pwd=4TOIQu4b1xTzjc3m1afDLJmHLISKLY.1
Meeting ID: 864 5229 5793
Passcode: 487794