I'm older than you. But I've gone back, on and off, to piano, lessons and playing. I'll never be good, I wouldn't play for others, so not social, it's just for my pleasure and I guess education and enrichment. I'm now reading a lot and also craft books to get to where I can write what I need to say effectively. (I've read that Alice Munro was frustrated with her writing ability at the beginning, so, encouraging, but I have less time).
So, overnight I'm thinking: what's the distinction between self-help, self-education, self-enrichment?
Exactly! What is the distinction between those things? Is there one? Why do people disparage self-help, but not self-education?
Thanks for telling me about Alice Munro, that is very encouraging. What craft books are you reading? I've read a number of them myself. For fiction, I really like The Gotham Writers Workshop: Writing Fiction, and Steering the Craft by Ursula Le Guin.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing: self-help is disparaged yet it really is another way to educate oneself. It could be a degree of misogyny which, despite the gains of women professionally, remains with us. (Humans love excuses to look down on the "other," but that's another 'story.') Anyway, when it's called self-help, it's targeted to women, and seen as less serious.
On craft books: Of course I came to George's substack bc I read "A Swim..." His strength, I felt, was story structure.
I liked Ursula LeGuin's book, as well.
If you haven't read "Reading Like a Writer," by Francine Prose, I highly recommend it.
I just reread John Gardner's "The Art of Fiction." It's, somehow, heavy going but it meant more to me now, so I guess I'm learning something. I've also been reading books of essays that analyze various lit works, most useful if you've read the work, but sometimes also useful for suggestions of what to read next. (If you want, I'll tell you which ones).
Right now, though, I'm back on Alice Munro--trying to read her like a writer--reread every story and analyze what she does. It's daunting because I don't see I could ever be close to as good as her, but, in content and style, she's my aspiration.
I've also read that she taught herself to write by reading (she left college after 2 years, pretty much by necessity). Ishiguro, among my favorite novelists, is formally educated, but he has said that he learned to write unreliable narrators (or narrators who don't know as much as the reader does) by modeling what Bronte did in Jane Eyre. So conscious reading, for technique....
I'll look at the Gotham Writers Workshop. I didn't know they had a craft book. Thank you.
Oh, that's right, you're the one who recommended that I read Ishiguro. I'm sorry for not recognizing you, at first. I read The Remains of the Day, and I thought that he captured the butler's voice so perfectly. You were right, Ishiguro really gives great lessons in POV and voice.
It helped me rewrite a story that was failing because of POV and voice issues. Also, an interview with Jack Grapes on Youtube about what he calls Method Writing. It's based on the idea of Method Acting. That has helped me a lot, too. Of course, we can't forget George! He's such a good teacher.
I love to read and analyze stories. I create spreadsheets where I keep track of various aspects of each story. I do that for my own, too, so I can get a handle on what's going on.
I'm so happy you commented here so I could talk to you again. I know that you've mentioned that you're learning about technique, but have you started writing? If so, what are you writing? Are you publishing it? Please feel free to email me: amyyukivickers@gmail.com
Interesting post: my thoughts in response are going in a number of different directions. I need to think about it more. But one point you hit on: before the pandemic I'd been taking yoga classes--I tried a few establishments and teachers, of course some were better, for me, than others. I went two or sometimes three times a week and, for a while, I considered become a certified teacher. I knew, though, that I was doing this as much for the community as for the fitness. Since the pandemic I exercise at home, more rigorously than I ever did in the yoga class. And since the "community" was tenuous, I don't miss it.
Thanks for your comment, Ellen. You make a good point. I mostly do yoga at home, too, and generally speaking, I prefer to do my most vigorous workouts alone. I also love attending dance classes and being with other people there, but I'm not good at dance, nor do I expect to ever be good at it. I wonder if there's a connection.
I'm older than you. But I've gone back, on and off, to piano, lessons and playing. I'll never be good, I wouldn't play for others, so not social, it's just for my pleasure and I guess education and enrichment. I'm now reading a lot and also craft books to get to where I can write what I need to say effectively. (I've read that Alice Munro was frustrated with her writing ability at the beginning, so, encouraging, but I have less time).
So, overnight I'm thinking: what's the distinction between self-help, self-education, self-enrichment?
Exactly! What is the distinction between those things? Is there one? Why do people disparage self-help, but not self-education?
Thanks for telling me about Alice Munro, that is very encouraging. What craft books are you reading? I've read a number of them myself. For fiction, I really like The Gotham Writers Workshop: Writing Fiction, and Steering the Craft by Ursula Le Guin.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing: self-help is disparaged yet it really is another way to educate oneself. It could be a degree of misogyny which, despite the gains of women professionally, remains with us. (Humans love excuses to look down on the "other," but that's another 'story.') Anyway, when it's called self-help, it's targeted to women, and seen as less serious.
On craft books: Of course I came to George's substack bc I read "A Swim..." His strength, I felt, was story structure.
I liked Ursula LeGuin's book, as well.
If you haven't read "Reading Like a Writer," by Francine Prose, I highly recommend it.
I just reread John Gardner's "The Art of Fiction." It's, somehow, heavy going but it meant more to me now, so I guess I'm learning something. I've also been reading books of essays that analyze various lit works, most useful if you've read the work, but sometimes also useful for suggestions of what to read next. (If you want, I'll tell you which ones).
Right now, though, I'm back on Alice Munro--trying to read her like a writer--reread every story and analyze what she does. It's daunting because I don't see I could ever be close to as good as her, but, in content and style, she's my aspiration.
I've also read that she taught herself to write by reading (she left college after 2 years, pretty much by necessity). Ishiguro, among my favorite novelists, is formally educated, but he has said that he learned to write unreliable narrators (or narrators who don't know as much as the reader does) by modeling what Bronte did in Jane Eyre. So conscious reading, for technique....
I'll look at the Gotham Writers Workshop. I didn't know they had a craft book. Thank you.
Oh, that's right, you're the one who recommended that I read Ishiguro. I'm sorry for not recognizing you, at first. I read The Remains of the Day, and I thought that he captured the butler's voice so perfectly. You were right, Ishiguro really gives great lessons in POV and voice.
It helped me rewrite a story that was failing because of POV and voice issues. Also, an interview with Jack Grapes on Youtube about what he calls Method Writing. It's based on the idea of Method Acting. That has helped me a lot, too. Of course, we can't forget George! He's such a good teacher.
I love to read and analyze stories. I create spreadsheets where I keep track of various aspects of each story. I do that for my own, too, so I can get a handle on what's going on.
I'm so happy you commented here so I could talk to you again. I know that you've mentioned that you're learning about technique, but have you started writing? If so, what are you writing? Are you publishing it? Please feel free to email me: amyyukivickers@gmail.com
Hi Amy,
Interesting post: my thoughts in response are going in a number of different directions. I need to think about it more. But one point you hit on: before the pandemic I'd been taking yoga classes--I tried a few establishments and teachers, of course some were better, for me, than others. I went two or sometimes three times a week and, for a while, I considered become a certified teacher. I knew, though, that I was doing this as much for the community as for the fitness. Since the pandemic I exercise at home, more rigorously than I ever did in the yoga class. And since the "community" was tenuous, I don't miss it.
I'll give your post further thought.
Thanks for your comment, Ellen. You make a good point. I mostly do yoga at home, too, and generally speaking, I prefer to do my most vigorous workouts alone. I also love attending dance classes and being with other people there, but I'm not good at dance, nor do I expect to ever be good at it. I wonder if there's a connection.