It’s been a while since I wrote Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity & Writing. Some (big) things have changed in my life. Some remain the same.
It can be hard to share one’s writing from the past, due to the bigger changes, but this book will probably always be one of my favorites.
And people still write to me about Rumors: how the book alters their lives. One woman even went to get an entire Masters degree in Creative Nonfiction, after her father gifted the book to her.
I’m going to put the whole title here over time, for paid subscribers. If you want to talk about the writing and publishing principles with me, I’d be happy to hear your ideas, questions, and concerns about your writing life. I’m a publisher, so you might find that helpful. Or we can just enjoy the stories together. Either way, I’m game.
1 Rumors • How it Begins
I am trying to have a conversation about writing. About how I can’t write anymore. Or at least how I can’t seem to write anything sustained. My older daughter Sara is trying to listen in, as is her way these days.
“Can you find me some water?” I ask. I’ve been sitting at this picnic for hours and really could use a cup of something simple to drink. I could also use a few minutes alone with my friend Anne, to work out this question of writing and creativity and what seems to be standing in my way.
Before I can form another thought, Sara is back. “There are rumors of water,” she says. “But I couldn’t find any.”
“Rumors of water,” I answer. “Now that’s a good book title.”
“It could be about you and your daughters,” says Anne. “How you’re raising them to be so creative.”
I turn this thought around in my mind. “I don’t feel like I’ve finished living that enough,” I say, knowing this is both true and not true at all.
I have been trying to write while raising my girls. I have been struggling. There are days I feel wildly creative; there are weeks when I feel ground down and completely spent. I am trying to show my girls that creativity is theirs for the taking. Sometimes it seems to be. Sometimes I feel the road is so long they will never get where they’re trying to go.
There are so many things standing in my way this morning, I can hardly begin. Yet I’ve heard there are rumors of water. Maybe that is enough.
As always,
L.L.
The fun thing about the title of the book is that it literally propelled me to *write the book.* I just couldn't pass up "Rumors of Water"! :)
At any given time, I imagine there are, as you say, many "rumors" and "stirrings." In this case, I first began pursuing the idea, to see if it had more to it, by writing a blog post on Saturday, July 31, 2010, called "Ten Reasons to Write (or Not) a Book About Writing." (I will republish that post here for your pleasure, Bethany. Right after I finish this comment up.)
With books, in any case, the key is going to be marketability. I didn't want to spend time on a project no one would be interested in. So, I tested the, um, waters. ;-) More on that in a minute.
So, maybe one thing to do is to ask what your "key" is. What are you hoping to either gain or give to the world (or, both)—as a result of following the rumor? Then, based on what your key is, it doesn't hurt to test around it before committing a little bit more to the organization process. And, of course, nothing is ever really lost. If you spend more time on something and it doesn't achieve your key, well, you still learned and grew in the process; you *experienced* something that intrigued or touched you, and isn't that wonderful?
Okay, so that blog post I wrote? Besides many people in my audience saying things like "pre-ordered" and "I would buy it," Jane Friedman—THE amazing JANE FRIEDMAN—who was not yet on her own, but still was the publisher at Writer's Digest found that blog post and dropped this into the comment box:
"Found your post through Twitter (@ficwriter). I work at Writer's Digest, and understand the dilemma! But if you decide you want to do it, we'd love to see your proposal."
Okay, seriously? How could I *not* write the book? I wrote it the following spring. Then I contacted Jane, who by then was on her own, and it became the beginning of our long publishing relationship (her publishing my posts at her place, starting with an excerpt of... Rumors of Water :).
One never knows where a rumor goes. ;-)
"There are days I feel wildly creative; there are weeks when I feel ground down and completely spent."
Thanks for sharing about these fluctuations in creative energy. I think it's normal to not always *feel* creative, or even motivated to become creative.
And I just love the book's namesake and your thinking here. "Yet I’ve heard there are rumors of water. Maybe that is enough."
Yes, I relate to that sort of "rumor" or hint of something stirring. I like your adding the hopeful possibility here of, perhaps that is all that is needed to take a step. At that point I'm usually game, but the falling off happens if I am having trouble keeping my path a bit organized, as I'm trying to gain clarity about which rumor to pursue. There can feel at times like there are either too many different hints, rumors, stirrings, and the challenge is trying to hang on to one thread long enough for it to materialize.
I love this whole book and look forward to hearing more here. Thanks for being willing to share and discuss. :)