What I do all day
I have spent the day researching women authors who interest me, specifically, Shirley Jackson and Dorothy Parker.
Shirley Jackson most notably wrote the book "The Haunting of Hill House" and the short story "The Lottery". Dorothy Parker was a humorist in the 20's and quite a character. She's been one of my heroes for as long as I can remember.
I wonder if it's an omen that both women died of heart failure? Jackson died at the age of 48 in her sleep; Parker lived much longer, into her 70's. I imagine the contributing culprits in both cases were the then-fashionable habits of smoking and drinking combined with a writer's sedentary lifestyle. Good thing I quit smoking!
In an intro to one of the Shirley Jackson sites, the writer (not Jackson), explains how she came to be a fan. She says at the age of 14 she was a loner, ugly, anti-social, and a bitch. As such, she felt an affinity for the female characters Jackson creates in her stories. Which struck a nerve in me.
I believe every woman has felt this way about herself at some point in time, if we're being honest about it. And if we're being really honest, every woman has - in actuality - been all of those things.
I've always thought I would write a fluffy romance or adventure novel, but that's not where my heart is. My heart is in exploring women and their relationships with each other. It's a complicated and multi-faceted subject. And so much more interesting to invent characters with depth.
So, women it is, in all our glory, wickedness, and pain.
My peek today into the life of Dorothy Parker delivered a new favorite quote: When asked to create a sentence using the word "horticulture," she replied - "You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think."
I love it.
Shirley Jackson most notably wrote the book "The Haunting of Hill House" and the short story "The Lottery". Dorothy Parker was a humorist in the 20's and quite a character. She's been one of my heroes for as long as I can remember.
I wonder if it's an omen that both women died of heart failure? Jackson died at the age of 48 in her sleep; Parker lived much longer, into her 70's. I imagine the contributing culprits in both cases were the then-fashionable habits of smoking and drinking combined with a writer's sedentary lifestyle. Good thing I quit smoking!
In an intro to one of the Shirley Jackson sites, the writer (not Jackson), explains how she came to be a fan. She says at the age of 14 she was a loner, ugly, anti-social, and a bitch. As such, she felt an affinity for the female characters Jackson creates in her stories. Which struck a nerve in me.
I believe every woman has felt this way about herself at some point in time, if we're being honest about it. And if we're being really honest, every woman has - in actuality - been all of those things.
I've always thought I would write a fluffy romance or adventure novel, but that's not where my heart is. My heart is in exploring women and their relationships with each other. It's a complicated and multi-faceted subject. And so much more interesting to invent characters with depth.
So, women it is, in all our glory, wickedness, and pain.
My peek today into the life of Dorothy Parker delivered a new favorite quote: When asked to create a sentence using the word "horticulture," she replied - "You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think."
I love it.
posted by Cas at 1:28 PM
6 Comments:
All right!!! You've got a plan!!!
This is progress ;)
Now get your ass busy writing so I can sell your dirty secrets to a tabloid and buy myself a new truck!
Love ya!
J.
Well Well Well she is around... You 2 lunch HOES.. dont' invite me see how you are.. I will sell everyones dirty little secrets...
NOT NOT
seriously, i hope you get in life everything you love and deserve.
LOVE YOU BOTH
I'm with the other - having a plan is a good thing - it gives you direction and therefore a starting place. You have the basis, now just get out there and do it - write away - but if you are scared to jump in right now, you can always wait for six months and participate in NaNoWriMo - NaNo for short - where the task is to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days (this comes out to about 1667 words a day or roughly 6-1/2 pages typed - very doable within a couple of hours of time to accomplish at least that amount of words and then some) - either way, you have friends who are supporting your writing career and now it's up to you to get your story written - E :)
"The Lottery," if it is the same story I'm thinking about, is awesome. A quaint, little town with a shocking secret and the young man going back to his roots that discovers the secret.
There was no lunch... she's a tease... got me all worked up for nothing...
However, a few weeks ago there was an incident that involved several beers, 1 cop, and a lot of groping...
J.
DAMN!!! Did you take pictures.. if not can I take pictures next time.....please....
don't get me all worked up like that for nothing...
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