THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ACADEMY
  • Home
    • THOH KidLit Creative Retreat
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • Mastering Graphic Novels
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship

The Creator in Solitude by Marsha Diane Arnold

12/13/2013

4 Comments

 
Sometimes what you’re reading and listening to conspire against you...or for you, telling you what you should focus on, what your next story should be, or in this instance, what your next blog should be about. That’s what’s happened to me over the past week.

Maya Gonzalez’ blog last Friday was the beginning. Maya wrote of how Pam Grout, author of E-Squared, took a writing seminar to improve her writing prospects. “But instead of learning plot treatments or creating strategies to get an agent, the entire workshop centered on her inner world and addressing herself. And this changed absolutely everything”

Then I came across Susan Cain’s Ted talk, a beacon for introverts and solitary book-lovers everywhere. She reminds us that Dr. Seuss did his amazing work alone in a bell tower office behind his house, away from the madding crowds. “Introverts feel at their most alive and their most switched on and their most capable when they are in quieter, more low key environments.”

Picture
Seth Godin’s email arrived a day later. “The sound of a small bell during a dark night is louder than the din of traffic outside your window during rush hour. Surprise and differentiation have far more impact than noise does.”

Today I discovered Alex Mar’s hysterical, or should I say horrifying, New York Times essay, One Hundred Seconds of Solitude, where he writes about the challenges of woodsy artist colonies and wonders how to “manufacture the kind of truly blank, mind-clearing, inspiration-inducing procrastination that existed before the advent of the Internet.” 

So at this time of year, when it’s our nature to move inward, I’ve been called to write about the solitude we all need, but especially the solitude creators need.

I’ve been lucky for most of my life to live in a place that nourishes me daily. Solitude is easy to find here. 
But you can also find solitude in a city or an apartment. On the roof of a Brooklyn row house. Near a fireplace or a lit candle. At your desk viewing a photo of your favorite wildscape. Or simply by closing your eyes.

The quiet allows us to arrive in our place. There we are away from the constant gaze of others, away from their cries for attention. There we can learn to know ourselves. And we must know ourselves first, or we do ourselves and our readers a disservice.

Some writers insist they can write brilliant words with a hubbub around them. But could they write even more brilliant words in the embrace of quiet?  Words not just for a moment’s entertainment, but words that move deeply into our minds and hearts.

So may I suggest that today you do not need to socialize on Facebook, nor post a brilliant tweet, nor plan your writer platform. Consider instead a walk in the park or the woods. If you can’t find a park or woods, hug a tree or kiss a blade of grass. Look out your window at the sky. Light a candle and watch its glow.

Pablo Picasso told us, “Without great solitude no serious work is possible.” Go find the solitude you need to create your best story, your best character, your best work.

Picture
There’s another aspect to a writer’s solitude.  It’s the relatively new idea that writers do their best work by being in critique groups or even writing a book together. As Susan Cain says, “We have a belief system right now that I call the new group think, which holds that all creativity and all productivity comes from a very oddly gregarious place.”

Critique groups can be wonderful. I’m in two myself. They are especially wonderful when you’re just learning your craft. But once we’ve done that, beware. If you’re not careful it’s easy for your individuality and style to be misshapen by suggestions from a critique group. And what of the new fad of writers writing books together, following the team approach so popular in business? I’ve written a picture book with a friend and, though it was an interesting endeavor, I doubt I’ll do it again. Emily Dickinson, after all, didn’t become a prolific, insightful poet by working on a team.

Don’t worry. I’m not asking you to be a recluse like Emily. Next month, we’ll begin our outward reach once more and I’ll have lots for you to think about and do surrounding picture books and great characters. But for this moment, may I suggest a bit of solitude. Take your lead from the brilliant inventor Nikola Tesla: “Originality thrives in seclusion, free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind.” 

PictureSolitude on the African plain.
Called a “born storyteller” by the media, Marsha Diane Arnold wrote the award-winning “homegrown treasures” column prior to penning eleven award-winning picture books.  Marsha recently contracted with Neal Porter Books for two new picture books and Kate O'Sullivan of Houghton Mifflin for another, coming out in 2016. She grew up on a Kansas farm, but today creates imaginative worlds and wacky characters in northern California surrounded by her garden, deer, hummingbirds, turkeys, oaks, and redwoods. Marsha's course Writing Wonderful Character-Driven Picture Books has helped many published and aspiring writers to write stronger characters. You may read about her books, school and Skype visits, and life at www.marshadianearnold.com. 

4 Comments
Charlotte Dixon
12/13/2013 04:18:31 am

I need that solitude to keep my thoughts trained on my projects. It is sometimes hard to find quiet and I appreciate the many ways you have described in this post. Thank you, Marsha :)

Reply
Cynthia Reeg link
12/13/2013 04:32:51 am

Although sometimes on a noisy airplane suspended above earth, I'll find the muse and write. But on a daily basis I turn to the classical music station and let the words flow in my quiet office. Well, generally quiet , if I ignore the cat and dog interruptions. Thanks for the

Reply
Teresa Robeson link
12/13/2013 04:57:27 am

Excellent piece, Marsha! Might I add that from your photos, your home looks like paradise?

As an introvert, this really speaks to me. I'm not a team player not because I'm not a pleasant person but because I can't think creatively with too many people and too much noise around me.

Looking forward to your next post!

Reply
Mary Nida Smith link
12/13/2013 06:15:51 am

Thanks Marsha. I love peace and quiet, but it doesn't appears as often as I would like. I do the best I can with interruptions - stop and go writing.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Meet the Friday Blogonauts

    First Fridays will feature Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer , man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    Second Fridays will feature  awesome multi-award winning author Marsha Diane Arnold who will be writing about character-driven and/or nature-based books and/or anything she likes :)

    Third Fridays
    will feature independent Aladdin/Simon & Shuster editor Emma Sector who has helped bring many books into the world.

    Fourth Fridays will feature the great Christine Taylor-Butler who has published over 70 award-winning fiction and non-fiction and nonfiction books including the acclaimed new middle grade series - The Lost Tribes.

    Fifth Fridays will feature the fabulous Carl Angel award-winning multi-published Illustrator and graphic designer.


    Join our Tribe

    and receive 7 Steps to Creative Happiness, access to free webinars, and lots more!

    Your email addresses are always safe and respected with us.
     
     

    Follow our Blog!

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    January 2019
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Art Technique
    Authorartist
    Author Platform
    Author Visits
    Bitsy Kemper
    Book Marketing
    Books For Children
    COPPA
    Creative Flow
    Digital Books
    Diversity In Children's Books
    First Voice Multicultural Children's Books
    Illustrating Your Own Story
    Independent Publishing
    Magic In Books
    Marketing
    Maya Gonzalez
    Middle Grade Novels
    Picture Books
    Picture Books And Death
    Print-on-demand
    School Visits
    Self-publishing
    Understory
    Writer Platform
    Writing
    Writing Exercise
    Writing For Children

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Picture
Discover
Why Us?
Courses
Blogfish
Book Shoppe
About Us
Meet the Academy Faculty
Community
Contact Us

Privacy Policy
Join Us
Social Media
Join our Community and receive a fabulous free gift, yummy newsletters, scholarship info, contests, and more!

Like us on Facebook 
Join our interactive FB Group  
Find us on Twitter 
Follow us on ​Instagram  
Look for us on Pinterest
​
Watch us on YouTube
© 2012-2021  All content on this website is copyrighted. Sorry, all courses are non-refundable.
  • Home
    • THOH KidLit Creative Retreat
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • Mastering Graphic Novels
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship