Katrin's Newsletter #36: SPRING! Emerging from the cocoon

This brief missive is a way for me to make connections with people interested in art and creativity (sign up here). I'm an author and editor, always on the lookout for inspiration. 

When I started writing my "Ibiza Book," (take a vote on a real title, below!) I kept telling myself to JUST KEEP GOING because I knew that once I had a decent draft I'd reach the fun part: revision. That's when I knew my evil inner critic would desperately need a rest, and I'd be able to indulge in some joyful creativity. 

I was so moved by George Saunders' writing book "A Swim in a Pond in the Rain," in which he analyzes some of the Russian greats (Chekov, Tolstoy, Gogol, Turgenev) from the point of view of craft. He addresses this issue of "revision" in a way that will surely seem crazy to non-writers, and perfectly understandable to writers; it's about returning again and again and AGAIN to each sentence and tweaking until your gut says, yes...there it is....

It made me think about my friend Tim Tzouliadis, who wrote a beautiful and devastating book set in Russia but died before it was fully edited. I hope his novel finds an audience once day. 

"An artist works outside the realm of strict logic. Simply knowing one's intention and then executing it does not make good art. Artists know this." George Saunders, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

It just so happens that two bearded men moved me this month: the second was Oliver Sacks, (via Maria Popova's amazing Brain Pickings). I love this picture because it shows how deeply Sacks paid attention to life, taking notes everywhere and anywhere.

"It’s strange, the psychology of being a writer. But I suppose it’s better not to be merely facile — the blocks, the feelings of paralysis, the time when language itself seems dead, these all help me in the end, I think, because when the “quickenings” do come they are all the more energetic by contrast."

I need your help! "My Ibiza Book" is not a great title. What do you think of these two options below (and yes, the sea and fire and trouble are all part of this story)?

How would you rate the title FIRE IN THE SEA
lowest 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   highest
Sorry, voting is closed.

How would you rate the title THE CLIFFS ARE BURNING
lowest 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   highest
Sorry, voting is closed.  
 

I've just given this third draft to a couple of beta readers, and it occurred to me--why not see if any of my newsletter subscribers might like to be part of this process? 

If you're interested in reading an early draft of this novel-in-progress, please email me here!

It would be an electronic version and I'll pick one or two readers (too many gets too complicated at this stage). I'd love to know what you think. Thanks, in advance, for your interest :)