So I've had a lot of drama over the past six months with my soccer team. At
times it has felt like living in a bad clichéd sports movie. There's been
secret meetings, hostile take overs, and definitely a few villians (in my
opinion anyway). All my friends think I should write a book about it.But just because I think it's interesting, doesn't mean other people would.
You often hear the saying - write what you know, but that doesn't mean we should tell our life story event for event (at least not when writing a novel). My life is actually really boring (work, carpool, kids sports, laundry) with a few stressful moments tossed in, not enough to write a novel (unless I embellished). One day I might write my soccer book, drawing on the experiences I've had over the past six months. But I think I’ll wait until I’m old enough to be able to laugh at everything that's happened and right now I'm not quite there.
How about you? Have you ever thought about writing a book about an event in your life?
15 comments:
I've played soccer my whole and in college but have yet to include it in a book! some day. I think sports books are tough sells.
I did play on a women's indoor league for a bit. And even though I stayed out of it, I could see a culture of gossiping and team splits, that sort of thing.
I have thought about writing a book about an event. Horseback riding. Trail riding to be exact. I just don't know where to begin. I guess I could begin by reading books like this.
I think you should write a book about soccer too. But you're right. You need to be able to laugh at it all. (((hugs)))
Ha, yes, sometimes it takes distance to be able to laugh at things in your life. I've only vaguely written about things from my life--general topics like moving in the middle of high school, or having relationship diffs with parents or siblings.
I know just what you mean about waiting for perspective. Someday I'd like to write about growing up with a mentally ill parent. But even though my dad's been dead 8 years, I still don't feel emotionally ready to go back to that part of my life. But I know that someday I will, and like you say, it will be fictionalized. My concern is the potential to cause strain in relationships with living family members.
I've written parts of events from my life and then mashed them together. That book will be out around Christmas.
Although I've experienced some interesting things, mostly comical, I couldn't bring myself to write about it. I'm sure we all experience interesting things to share. I do love hearing about them, though.
In a way, everything I write is based on some event in my life. In may only be one scene in the novel, but it's what sparks the idea and I write around it. I think you should go for it!
i actually don't see why you couldn't write a book about an event in your life! reality makes for the best drama! at the very least, you can draw upon your experiences and use that in your writing :)
I'm reading Edgar Sawtelle and it's about a boy who breeds and trains dogs, and came from the author's real life as a boy. Who would have thought that would make a best seller?
The thing is to take what you know, and then create the conflict and tension that make that interesting. You could do it!
But sometimes time and distance from an event is a good thing! :)
Yeah to your writing a book - what with secret meetings and hostile takeovers this would make a great read.
A teaching assistant, if I were to write a book I think I'd write one on all the funny things that the children have said.
All the time! Sometimes the life seems crazier than fiction. I've definitely taken scenes from friends lives and my own and inserted them into what I write. I just change a few things.
wow. That sounds like some kind of good book you've got cooking there! I have sort of thought about writing about events in my life, but that can get tricky. Instead, maybe write about lessons learned from events I've lived through. Sort of metaphorically speaking... Good luck with the soccer! :D
It's funny, I just read that author Anne LaMott (Bird by Bird) got a reject on her first book from a publisher saying something like, "Just because it happened to you doesn't make it interesting." I teach a memoir class, and my take on it is that you can evaluate an event for dramatic potential fairly easily. Does it have lots of conflict? Does it speak to (more or less) universal themes, longings, fears? If so, go for it!
Oh yeah...real life stuff always creeps into my life in some form or another.
into my writing I mean
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