My family members are ever-present observers of my creative process. Often, when I complain about feeling blocked on a project or feeling doubt about whether I can complete a project, they nod knowingly.
“Oh, that stage,” they say. “You’ve been here before.”
At that point, I typically rant, explaining how this time is different. How they don’t know what they’re talking about – until I think it through.
Each time I face doubt, it feels like a fresh, impossible challenge. So I spent the last few weeks pondering the role of doubt in my creative process. Upon reflection, I’ve noticed two main stages where doubt can creep in.
Restless Stage
First, there’s the restless stage. I may have writer’s block. I may say that I have nothing to write about. I may worry that I’ll never have another “good” idea.
If I do have a writing idea, I may procrastinate. I want to write, but all I seem to do is complain about writing and how hard it is. I may compare myself to other writers and idealize their creative processes.
The good news is that this stage usually precedes a time of focus, when I dive into a new project, commit to it, and write madly.
Wavering Stage
At some point in a project, maybe mid-way, I may lose focus and doubt myself. How will I end this book? What if I can’t actually write it? What if I fail?
The good news is that this stage usually precedes a leap of courage, where I dive back into the project, taking risks, exploring ideas, and immersing myself in it once again. (See my post Stuck in the Messy Middle? My Tips for Completing a First Draft for suggestions on how to handle this stage.)
I must admit that my family is right. I’ve hit similar stages of doubt on many of my projects.
Identifying these stages is a good first step to understanding them. Doubt seems to have some role in my creative process, and perhaps this is true for other writers too. I suppose that a healthy dose of skepticism helps me to evaluate a work-in-progress. It helps me to think harder and search deeper than I would otherwise have done. I ask questions that I don’t know the answers to. I expose the vulnerable side of my creative self. I explore the uncomfortable.
That’s when writing feels hard. When I can become blocked. Yet doubt seems to have value in the creative growth of a project.
Maybe I need to embrace doubt with an open mind. Maybe I’m lucky to have my family around to remind me of that, over and over again.
Probably the coolest place I’ve ever run writing workshops, I wrote with grade 4 to 8 students right next to Chris Hadfield’s spacesuit, the first Canada Arm, and northern bush planes.
MASC does excellent, important work, and they do it so well. I was honoured to be part of it, and to share stories with the kids and teens.
Just to give you a glimpse into the fine writing that happened during the week, here are two great lines from my workshops:
On loneliness: “He was nothing more than nothing in a school that had everything.”
Describing the conditions that lead to belly-aching laughter between friends: “High on Cheeto dust, Coca-Cola and sunshine. When even a brownie recipe can make you laugh.”
I now have a few manuscripts from kids and teens to critique, which I’m happy to do. It’s great to have the opportunity to encourage keen writers to continue to develop their skills after the conference is over.
Hey, Toronto teen artists and writers! Check out the great events at the Toronto Public Library on March Break, including an open mic and workshops on photography, anime, cartooning, writing, and more. For a full listing, go here.
After you perfect your artwork, photography and writing, you can submit it to the TPL’s Young Voices Magazine. The submission deadline is Tuesday April 5, 2016. Work submitted after the 2016 deadline will be considered for the 2017 issue of Young Voices Magazine.
All submissions are reviewed by an editorial board consisting of teen artists and writers working with professional artists and writers, including me. If your work is selected for publication, you’ll be notified by the TPL. Good luck, and I look forward to reading your entries!
Do you want to see what the editorial board selected in 2015? To read last year’s magazine, go here.
Friday, December 4, 2015
14432 Rd 38, Sharbot Lake, ON K0H 2P0
Grades 7 to 10
Two readings of Punch Like a Girl to help raise awareness about violence against women and remember the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre on December 6, 1989.
WordPlay Writing Workshops
Monday, December 14 and Wednesday, December 16, 2015
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Toronto Public Library, Cedarbrae Branch
Ages 13 to 19
Who says writing isn’t fun? With fresh and inspiring story-starters, you’ll explore new characters and create captivating scenes. Spark your imagination and enjoyment of words while learning creative writing techniques in this hands-on workshop.
How to Create a Believable OtherWorld
Monday, December 21, 2015
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Toronto Public Library, Agincourt Branch
Ages 13 to 19
Whether you write about unicorns or alien planets, an imaginary world needs rules and structure in order to be believable. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a fully imagined fantasy or science-fiction world and the characters who live there.
Writing from Real Life: Writing Workshops for Teens
Saturday, February 20, 2016
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Toronto Public Library, Cedarbrae Branch
Ages 13 to 19 Register here
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Milton Public Library, Main Branch
Ages 12 to 17
Learn to create stories from real-life details. Explore how childhood memories, overheard conversations or even family history can be turned into great writing. Explore creative writing techniques and get constructive feedback on your writing!
April 19, 20, 21, 2016
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, ON K1K 2X5
The MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Conference turns 25 this year! If you are a student in grades four to eight with a passion for writing and illustration, you won’t want to miss this exciting day of hands-on creative workshops with some of Canada’s finest children’s authors and book illustrators.
I’ve been a guest editor of Young Voices Magazine – the Toronto Public library’s magazine of teen writing and art – since 2007, and it never gets old. Last night, I helped to celebrate the 50th year of publication; so maybe the magazine is old, but the celebration is young, vibrant, and enthusiastic.
Just think about it! Fifty years of publishing great writing and art by teens! How many magazines can boast that? For a glimpse of the first edition of the magazine, click here.
The launch featured a message from Poet Laureate of Toronto, George Elliot Clarke, who said, “Toronto’s young writers and artists will continue to praise beauty and critique wrongs, starting right here, in 2015, and continuing right on to 2065 and beyond!”
It’s my pleasure to read submissions by Toronto teens with my group of teen volunteers. It’s an even greater pleasure seeing the newly published teens on stage, reading from their pieces and sharing the inspiration for their works of art. Like the cover artist for the 2015 magazine, who talked about how an incident in grade 7, in which a classmate was struggling with gender, inspired her piece about pride in oneself and self-acceptance.
Young Voices 2015
Out of respect for the youth, I can’t take photos or videos of the launch, but let me tell you that there was a lot of talent in that room. I love meeting proud family members, and shaking the hands of the writers and artists of tomorrow.
So please, if you know Toronto teens who love to create, steer them toward this magazine. Anyone can pick up a copy of the 2015 magazine at any branch of the Toronto Public Library. And submission guidelines for the 2016 magazine are here. As a bonus, Toronto teens can now get their writing critiqued by E-writer-in-residence Eve Silver. To follow, Eve’s post, go here. Write on!
I believe that an author’s first priority is integrity to the story. We must listen to our characters and take them where they demand to go. Yet we cannot deny the immense influence authors wield over their audiences. For children’s authors, this influence is particularly potent. The youth of today become the caretakers of tomorrow.
My latest novel, Punch Like a Girl, addresses a topical issue head on. In it, 17-year-old Tori develops a hero complex, trying to rescue others whether they want it or not, in order to avoid facing her own fears of sexual assault. At publication, numerous high-profile incidents involving sexual assault were in the headlines, bringing the issue to the forefront of traditional and social media, and pushing for a public conversation that is long overdue. For readers, I hoped my book would spark open discussion on what a healthy relationship looks like. I didn’t anticipate the very personal conversations I’d have with readers – in writing and face to face.
I’ve had teen girls ask me what to do about a friend who is in an unhealthy relationship. I’ve had inspiring conversations with survivors of domestic or dating abuse. I’ve had a teacher approach me to meet personally with a gifted young writer who wrote about her story of survival. These conversations show what a huge impact a book can have on readers. Enough to open their minds to a new worldview. Enough to make much-needed cultural shifts in our society, now and in the future.
For me, writing Punch Like a Girl was a way to understand the trauma and recovery process from the inside. It was about the building of a hero from the ashes of a victim, which is Tori’s journey. But it’s also becoming a talking point, sparking conversations about violence against girls and women. Tori and I have both learned about the power of community and how to punch back.
After interaction with readers, I’ve come to a few conclusions. Not only do we need to be good stewards of our earth in order to pass it on to future generations, we need to be good stewards of our youth. For authors, this means we need to recognize that, in creating content for children and youth, we have a social responsibility. I’m not advocating didactic, preachy, or moralistic lessons, since this doesn’t maintain the integrity of the story. However, social responsibility can affect our choice of story idea, the diversity of our characters, the actions our characters take, the changes they go through, and how we interact with readers during readings and workshops as well as online. As cultural critic Henry Giroux says, although creators want to make great art, we also have a responsibility to create a world in which great art can thrive.
