Huge congrats, Sarah... I've ordered and eagerly await both books. So excited to read your essay and poems. And loved the framing of the importance of forgetting as a key part of the creative process. The agricultural process of the fallow field is parallel, but there are so many other metaphors in nature. As always, a huge treat to read you and receive what you so generously offer us readers!
My last essay took me starting it, setting it aside for four months and then taking three weeks to really form it. I always feel like I used to write faster when I was younger but maybe I was just more confidently incorrect about what I was writing?
Simmer is a great word! For any crossword or other gamers, it is amazing how one can be temporarily stumped, take time off, and return to realize the answers were "right in front of you." Writing can be akin to a enjoying small sips of tea, solitude stroll in nature, and falling asleep to beautiful music and then dreaming of words, stories real and unreal, and then finding one's pen by the bedside.
I want to buy that book Someone Like Me! Is there just a UK version for now?
And I’d love your thoughts/ advice/ questions on this: I have noticed that I’m sometimes afraid / hesitant to go back to look at old drafts because I’m afraid it will pull me right back into where I was then vs where I am now. As a result I often have multiple mindmaps or drafts for the same topic because I always want to capture the most “updated” view but it means that I’m sometimes going in circles instead of spirals where I’m deepening / clarifying.
In other words I see the value in forgetting but I’m then strangely afraid to remember?!
There's an earlier Australian version, but this upcoming UK one is the new and expanded edition.
I love your question and it makes SO much sense. It feels like the kind of thing we could easily spend an hour exploring together, but I'll share a few immediate thoughts:
1) What you're saying / afraid of feels so reasonable to me, and makes 100% sense.
2) Has that experience, of getting pulled back into some previous state as a result of your own writing, ever happened? Has it ever been a neutral experience? Like, "oh, I see where I was then, and I'm noticing I'm not there now."? Has it ever explicitly been a negative experience? I want to understand the origin of this fear--not because I don't believe it, but because I bet there's good info there.
3) I feel like what you're describing, and what you're worried about happening, is in part the "stickiness" of autism. I could try to say more about that, if you wanted. Maybe you know what I mean?
4) I have a dear friend & fellow writer who sometimes rewrites projects from memory [shocked emoji face!]. I wonder if this could be an interesting experiment for you: rather than returning to the older drafts, just trying to rewrite what you recall...
5) I wonder if there's a way, when you return to an older draft, if you can approach it through the mindset of, "I am reading someone else's words now..." I do feel like that's part of the gift of setting drafts down. You get to re-approach them as if they didn't just burst forth out of your own word-womb, and you try to look at them like familiar strangers. I wonder if there's a writer you really admire (like for me I often conjure Rebecca Solnit), and you could approach the draft and think, "I am reading [Rebecca Solnit's] words..." and then notice what you notice that way. Like, oh, I really like this part; oh, she should explain more what she means here, etc. It is just sort of a perspective trick, but it feels more possible on the other side of time. I'd be curious to know what happens when you try.
1) Oh how good it feels to hear "what you're saying / feeling feels reasonable and makes sense". I know we both know that but it is worth repeating. Thank you.
2)I am going to reflect on that question!
3) It is a term that I think you've used but I don't know / remember what you mean by stickiness. I would love to hear more about what that means to you.
4) this is what I tend to do. I start "fresh" while also knowing that it's not completely fresh but a selection of ideas has come to the surface; but of course it could be I'm forgetting about aspects of an earlier draft that I do want to incorporate but I'm hesitant to go back.
5) ...but first I'm going to spend some time today looking at a previous version of something to see what comes up with distance with your perspective trick.
and then... You know what I think this is about? Self trust. like: shit, of course it is.
I agree with allowing the ideas and writing flows so much better for me when I allow myself to forget. Great line Sarah: "This forgetting part is essential!"
I have found this so be much better for my poetry writing on Nature. Most of my poetry posts are 1-3 weeks behind the actual experience of my hike in Nature. I may write a rough outline of what I did and saw and do some minor photo editing, but I typically do not write the sijo poem until at least a week after the actual hike. I like that idea of forgetting and agreed, it is essential!
"Time (or its drunk cousin, Urgency)"
Love this line!
And congratulations; your work is in the world!
Thank you, drew!
This appeared at the right time for me, thanks for writing Sarah.
Huge congrats, Sarah... I've ordered and eagerly await both books. So excited to read your essay and poems. And loved the framing of the importance of forgetting as a key part of the creative process. The agricultural process of the fallow field is parallel, but there are so many other metaphors in nature. As always, a huge treat to read you and receive what you so generously offer us readers!
Thank you SO much, Gail! Your endorsement always means a lot to me.
My last essay took me starting it, setting it aside for four months and then taking three weeks to really form it. I always feel like I used to write faster when I was younger but maybe I was just more confidently incorrect about what I was writing?
Regardless, a well-timed reminder.
Wow "confidently incorrect" is a great description of being young 😅
ps Happy Birthday Mom!!
Thank you for bird songs this morning!
Simmer is a great word! For any crossword or other gamers, it is amazing how one can be temporarily stumped, take time off, and return to realize the answers were "right in front of you." Writing can be akin to a enjoying small sips of tea, solitude stroll in nature, and falling asleep to beautiful music and then dreaming of words, stories real and unreal, and then finding one's pen by the bedside.
That's so true, Bill! That happens to me all the time when I'm playing the NYT games :D
I want to buy that book Someone Like Me! Is there just a UK version for now?
And I’d love your thoughts/ advice/ questions on this: I have noticed that I’m sometimes afraid / hesitant to go back to look at old drafts because I’m afraid it will pull me right back into where I was then vs where I am now. As a result I often have multiple mindmaps or drafts for the same topic because I always want to capture the most “updated” view but it means that I’m sometimes going in circles instead of spirals where I’m deepening / clarifying.
In other words I see the value in forgetting but I’m then strangely afraid to remember?!
Is this making sense?! Any thoughts?
There's an earlier Australian version, but this upcoming UK one is the new and expanded edition.
I love your question and it makes SO much sense. It feels like the kind of thing we could easily spend an hour exploring together, but I'll share a few immediate thoughts:
1) What you're saying / afraid of feels so reasonable to me, and makes 100% sense.
2) Has that experience, of getting pulled back into some previous state as a result of your own writing, ever happened? Has it ever been a neutral experience? Like, "oh, I see where I was then, and I'm noticing I'm not there now."? Has it ever explicitly been a negative experience? I want to understand the origin of this fear--not because I don't believe it, but because I bet there's good info there.
3) I feel like what you're describing, and what you're worried about happening, is in part the "stickiness" of autism. I could try to say more about that, if you wanted. Maybe you know what I mean?
4) I have a dear friend & fellow writer who sometimes rewrites projects from memory [shocked emoji face!]. I wonder if this could be an interesting experiment for you: rather than returning to the older drafts, just trying to rewrite what you recall...
5) I wonder if there's a way, when you return to an older draft, if you can approach it through the mindset of, "I am reading someone else's words now..." I do feel like that's part of the gift of setting drafts down. You get to re-approach them as if they didn't just burst forth out of your own word-womb, and you try to look at them like familiar strangers. I wonder if there's a writer you really admire (like for me I often conjure Rebecca Solnit), and you could approach the draft and think, "I am reading [Rebecca Solnit's] words..." and then notice what you notice that way. Like, oh, I really like this part; oh, she should explain more what she means here, etc. It is just sort of a perspective trick, but it feels more possible on the other side of time. I'd be curious to know what happens when you try.
1) Oh how good it feels to hear "what you're saying / feeling feels reasonable and makes sense". I know we both know that but it is worth repeating. Thank you.
2)I am going to reflect on that question!
3) It is a term that I think you've used but I don't know / remember what you mean by stickiness. I would love to hear more about what that means to you.
4) this is what I tend to do. I start "fresh" while also knowing that it's not completely fresh but a selection of ideas has come to the surface; but of course it could be I'm forgetting about aspects of an earlier draft that I do want to incorporate but I'm hesitant to go back.
5) ...but first I'm going to spend some time today looking at a previous version of something to see what comes up with distance with your perspective trick.
and then... You know what I think this is about? Self trust. like: shit, of course it is.
Self-trust! Yes! And if you discover any interesting things re: #2 and feel like sharing, you know that I'm all ears...
Love this interesting thought process 😍 and the happy birthday note to your mom 🥰
From Carlos
I think forgetting is so important because it helps you remember
I agree with allowing the ideas and writing flows so much better for me when I allow myself to forget. Great line Sarah: "This forgetting part is essential!"
I have found this so be much better for my poetry writing on Nature. Most of my poetry posts are 1-3 weeks behind the actual experience of my hike in Nature. I may write a rough outline of what I did and saw and do some minor photo editing, but I typically do not write the sijo poem until at least a week after the actual hike. I like that idea of forgetting and agreed, it is essential!
That timeline makes so much sense to me, Neil! Glad this one resonated with you <3