I just found two story outlines, both about 10 pages of notes, that I exerted a great deal of effort into trying to flesh out for potential novels. I hadn’t reviewed them for a while and now with fresh eyes I see they could not possibly be anymore autobiographical. For most of us, this should be avoided at all costs. Yes, I realize some great writing has been produced this way, and it may work for some, but for most of us it just doesn’t.
It is really upsetting that I put that must effort into storylines that can’t be used. I still have others. I still have various notes and pages of notes that are certainly not autobiographical and I can now turn my attention to those with a greater sense of control and enthusiasm that at least I didn’t make that mistake.
Writing novels is more difficult for me than any other type of writing medium. I am not a natural novelist. I was much better at it when I was younger. I do understand that the primary key to writing is just to stop what you are doing and sit down and write and the process will create itself. I do have enough experience to know that this includes novels as well.
Still, there is some part of my brain that takes offense to working on a novel. Like there is a still small voice telling me that the medium is not for me. That doesn’t stop the ideas from coming to me or stop me from getting drawn into outlines and plot development. I have some good ideas, but most of those ideas are spoiled by too much self-investment. Self-referential stewardship will get the best of you every time. Though it is interesting that this still works for poetry and does not ruin a poem. It makes it more interesting and dynamic.
It has been said that the person who writes about their own experiences is in the process writing about their own time. That sounds great, true, and faithful on the surface, but it doesn’t hold up unconditionally.