In my recent post here about character development, I touched on the idea of “giving permission.”
Tania Hershman wrote about this a short while ago here and her post really made me think. She was
teaching an Arvon course, and said that an important idea came up in discussion, namely:
Permission to write about anything you want, in any style you want. And where does that permission come from?
It is amazing how often we need to be given permission to think or work in a new way. We live in a world full of rules and so we have become used to the idea that there are rules around everything. But the more I think about it the more I realise that the assumption that there are always rules is not only limiting, but often dangerous. What are we not allowed to think? What are we not allowed to say or write? What boundaries do we set up for ourselves that don’t necessarily need to be there?
In a discussion with Tania about flash fiction, a form which she is a master of, I remember asking “Can I really leave all that out?” and “Can I really leave things so open-ended?” And I know that there are other times, especially when writing poetry, when I have wondered “Can I let go of the form here?” and “Can I set the line breaks up this way?” It amazes me how often I need to be given permission. The question of why is important to think about. And so is the question of how.
How do we give ourselves permission to write in a different way? Where does that permission come from?
For me, I think much of it has to do with self-confidence, or rather the lack thereof. Can I really try something different? Am I skilled enough to pull it off?
All of these questions are important and difficult. Do you often feel the need for permission? Where do you get it from? Please leave comments about it. I’d really like to know.
It’s such an interesting topic, isn’t it? I’m so glad to have sparked this discussion! I think I only get permission when I see other people doing things I’ve never contemplated – or thought I was “allowed” to do. I can almost see every instance where I read something and thought, Wow, if he/she can do that, maybe I can? For me, self-confidence without some kind of material proof that someone else had tried it successfully first isn’t enough, or hasn’t been until now. We will see! Perhaps I can’t even imagine doing certain things until I see them…!
This is why I still lament the passing of magazines like New Worlds and Bananas. They were not afraid to allow contributors to experiment with everything, not afraid to print things that may not have been completely successful but which showed a process and which was, for me, extremely liberating. I know there are magazines a bit like that now, but they don’t have anything like the circulation or central position that such magazines had back in the past.
Ah, Graeme, I’m lamenting right beside you. Alas, I’m afraid those days are long gone, and it’s a loss to everyone – the writers who improve their craft by being able to take those risks, and the readers who are now awash in celebrity bios and shelves full of risk averse writing. Thank God for small presses.
Hello Sue
Tania is very strong the way she challenges this kind of stuff in her writing. Good on you Tania, if you read this. Recently I wrote some stories about my family. I grew up in Ireland and my parents still live there, so I did readings of those stories in the area where they were set, which meant my parents could be there. Through this I discovered a few local “rules” or norms about who’s expected to write on that turf. I guess it’s not quite what you are talking about (permission to experiment) but it’s what came up for me about permission.
Lane
Thanks for commenting, Lane! Yes, I think what you are talking about is the flip side of the same coin. Or even more, it’s those sorts of societal rules which leak into everything we do and think, including our writing. That must have been so frustrating, though.
Great blog! Do you have any helpful hints for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option?
There are so many options out there that I’m totally confused .. Any recommendations? Bless you!
my website – Online Graduate Certificates
Both wordpress and blogger are so easy to use, there really is no need to pay to set up a site with them. And if you trawl though the blog list on my site you’ll find lots of people giving great advice. Good luck!