Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Get Out of Your Way by Terri Austin

First of all, a big thanks to Wendy for letting me hop on her blog and yak at all of you.    

I started writing when my kids were very young—both to escape mountains of laundry, but also to keep my sanity.  After all, there’s only so much Barney a person can take and remain unmedicated.  But there was one problem.  There were too many voices in my head.  And I don’t mean my characters’ voices, because that’s a good thing.  No, I heard my mother’s voice—I knew she’d disapprove of anything above a G rating, my pastor’s voice—he’d question my saggy morals, and even—gasp—what if my kids someday saw that Mommy wrote all kinds of naughty words and shook their little heads in disappointment?  I was my own worst enemy and I censored myself constantly.

Eventually, my kids started school and I was in full time Mom mode.  I told myself there was no time for writing.  I also had a couple of foot surgeries thrown in for fun.  But I always thought someday…someday I’d go back to it.  I jotted my ideas down in a journal and wished I had more time.

Now, my kids are pretty much grown—at least chronologically.  So I decided to take the NaNoWriMo challenge and start writing again.  For real this time.  No censoring voices, no holding back.  No fear.

It felt strange, this new freedom.  I used dirty words with abandon and chortled the whole time.  I wrote about sexy bad guys and missing potheads and a harajuku loli-inspired girl.  The self-imposed rules were out the window and I loved every liberating minute of it.  Occasionally, I would stop and ask myself, should I write that?  Then I would ignore myself and continue.  And if my book didn’t sell, at least I had written what I wanted.

But who was I kidding?  Of course I wanted it to sell.  I wanted everyone (except my mother and pastor) to read my book and laugh along with the kooky characters I’d let myself create.  And it turns out that my eighteen-year-old son—who wasn’t at all shocked by four-letter words and sizzling sexual tension—was my biggest cheerleader.
 
I guess if I had one piece of advice to offer it would be stay true to who you are as a writer.  Let the characters speak for themselves and don’t hold back because of what people might think.  Remember—no fear.    

I’m so glad I got out of my own way and freed myself to write the crazy that was in my head.  Turns out my editor loved my characters as much as I did.  Diners, Dives and Dead Ends is coming out July 17th from HeneryPress.

Now I just have to break the news to my mom.

7 comments:

  1. Loved the post Terri!I think you discussed the feeling that every writer has about their work. We are our worse critic.

    I know I have felt this way but my own work.
    When I write a murder scene from the villain's POV and re-read it afterwards, "Man, am I really that twisted? Where did that come from?" And if it shocks me, it will shock my Aunts and Uncles. But, I know my character is that twisted, and that's where it came from.

    Great post and I can't wait for your book to come out!

    Diane Kratz

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  2. Thanks, Diane. Sometimes you have to get past feeling exposed and own what you've written.

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  3. Great post, Terri! Thanks for writing this. It's something I struggle with, maybe because my girls are still 9 & 6. (On the other hand, the romances I get from my mom border on erotic, but she says she skips those parts. Yeah, right). I have no problem writing violence. I have no problem with cursing. But the bedroom scenes intimidate me. Thanks for your words, they were very helpful!

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    1. You're welcome! It's a hurdle you have to jump. I love when people say, "So, you write about sex all day, huh?" Um no, not *all* day.

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  4. "...used dirty words with abandon..." LOL! A mother's dream. On the rare occasion I was in a mall without kids, I would wander through the stores with breakables, just because I could!

    Enjoyed your post, Terri, and I'm sure I'll enjoy your book. Good luck breaking news to your mom.

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    1. Thanks, Sherry. I made need a tipple before I do.

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    2. Maybe your mother should have the tipple first.

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