Writing is a teacher
Hi friends,
Before I get to the newsletter, here are some upcoming events I’d love to see you at:
Virtual discussion with From the Source Bookclub
A collaboration between the Rockland County Pride Center and the Valley Cottage Library
Open to everyone!
Wednesday, November 15, 7:00 p.m.
Participants will discuss Endpapers at 7:00 and I’ll join at 8:00.
Registration is required: https://valleycottage.librarycalendar.com/event/source-book-club-jennifer-savran-kelly-author-endpapers-6050
Conversation with Holly M. Wendt about their wonderful debut novel Heading North*
Buffalo Street Books, Ithaca, NY
Sunday, November 19, 4:00 p.m.
*And find Holly’s wonderful newsletter here.
AWP 2024 Virtual Panel: Writing the Resonant Recent Past
With Sarah McCraw Crow, Daisy Alpert Florin, Ava Homa, and Karen Dukess
Recording available February 7–13, 2024
(For registered conference attendees, in person and virtual)
Writers set their novels in the recent past (late 20th, early 21st centuries) for many reasons—to understand social change, to give voice to long-ignored voices, even to enhance plotting (no cell phones!). But what makes such novels resonate with the present? How can focusing on the recent past give us a clearer lens on our current era? And what considerations should writers keep in mind when writing about a time period that’s familiar, but also irrevocably different?
October was a whirlwind. Since I last wrote, I got sick—again! I also took my son for his first college visit, made a slap-dash Sexy Corn costume for Halloween, recorded an AWP panel (see above), and finally figured out how to get to the end of my novel-in-progress (woo hoo!). It’s this last bit I want to write about here. I’ve been agonizing for months, because I’ve known how the book should end for a while now, but I haven’t been able to see how to get my characters where they need to be.
I tried some of my usual tricks. Taking walks, making notes, talking it through with friends. But the way kept refusing to show it itself. And then I had a quick Zoom with my friend Kate and I said I thought I needed to try two things: 1) stop overcomplicating it (I was definitely overcomplicating it) and 2) trust that everything I needed to know to find the ending had been there all along, in what I’ve already written.
The next morning, I sat down with my notebook and my two-part plan, and fifteen minutes later there it was: the way to the end. I was ecstactic.
More importantly, I’d been right on both counts, so I wanted to share this approach with you in case it might be helpful for something you’re stuck on.
I wish I had more to say about this, but it really was that simple. Once I cleared the mental debris and allowed myself to simply observe what I’d already established about my characters and their story, the way became clear. I didn’t need to make them—or me—bend over backward to introduce new, complicated plot points. I just needed to let them be who I’d designed them to be, and they showed me the way.
This morning, as I recorded the virtual panel for AWP with these four wise and talented writers, I was reminded that so much of the content of a novel—or any work really—comes from what we’ve already written. Many of the themes that the five of us explore in our stories changed, grew, or developed layers as we wrote. In a lot of ways, writing is not only a process or a journey but a teacher. If you open your mind to it, what new ideas or challenges might it have to offer?
I hope you’re all well and enjoying the start of November. And if you’re doing NaNoWriMo, much power to you. Happy writing, friends.
Yours,
Jen
I'm re-writing my manuscript and have opened myself begrudgingly to the idea that my current ending may be forced, not organic to the story. After reading your post, I feel better about allowing the characters and the story to tell me the ending, whether it be similar or very different to where I took the story in the last draft.
Needed to hear this--been searching for an ending, with the suspicion it's already sort of there. Will take your good juju and advice and keep plugging!