Nekudat Mifneh 2: Enjoyable Writers' Conference

What an unimaginative title for a blog post about creative writing! From a person who used to be a copywriter, to boot. Couldn't I think of anything niftier?
- Sure I could. But, quite a while back, I decide to avoid unwarranted wisecracks, and concentrate on making my message plain and simple. So here's my message: The writers' conference I attended on November 11th, 2015 at the ZOA House in Tel Aviv, was a huge success: well planned and executed, well attended, enjoyable, and helpful. That's the bottom line; now for the details.

People got there bright and early, considering the heavy traffic into Tel Aviv in the morning. I got there at 08:30 as recommended, and dozens were already milling around, drinking coffee and helping themselves to a neat collection of cute cookies. (Yes, they were as tasty as they were cute-looking.)

In her opening words, Racheli Lavi commented on how gratifying it is to see so many faces -- about 180 of them -- about twice as many as last year, at the first conference. The name Nekudat Mifneh, meaning turning point, is a forward-looking, optimistic choice, communicating a positive and encouraging attitude. Racheli hopes (I'm not quoting her, this is my impression) that this conference will make a difference in aspiring-writers' lives, infusing them hope, belief in themselves, and determination. Her approach does not rely on "New-Age" motivational techniques; it is down-to-earth, practical, accessible, and as clear as a coloful elephant. Which is an allusion to those time- and energy-guzzling tasks we undertake just because we don't know how to say No.

Racheli Lavi on stage. Photo by Peleg Alkalai

Next was keynote speaker Meirav Oz, who recounted her own experience of writing and publishing a book. In her case, she came from the advertising world, and had helpful connections. But Meirav's creativity, her relentless drive, organizational skills, and sheer spunk and determination are the force that got her where she wanted. Her romantic-comedy novel, One Wrong Move, was translated into English and is available on Amazon, in case you're interested. Though this talk was interesting and entertaining, I can't say it encouraged me. It made me feel you must be a veritable bulldozer to translate your ideas into a published novel and see the project through.

Coffee break, followed by difficult choices. Track 1 offered 2 talks: How to attract kids to poetry; and advanced writing techniques. Track 2 was a workshop on creating [fictional] worlds. Track 3 offered two talks focusing on the process of publishing a book. Actually, Track 3 interested me the most, even though I know a thing or two about the process, thanks to a few friends who've been through it and shared their experiences with me. However, sadly, it's just not relevant to me at this point, since I have no manuscript ready for publication. On the other hand, I'd heard about Roni Gelbish the writer and workshop leader, who presented, or rather led,  Track 2. But the subject matter sounded daunting. After all, to write a fantasy or sci-fi novel, one had to use one's imagination. And I was pretty sure I had none. Nonetheless, this is the workshop I attended. And am glad I did.

Roni Gelbish's workshop. Photo by Peleg Alkalai

Roni described a few basic guidelines on how to approach such a novel, encouraged everyone to add their 2 cents' worth, then gave us a few short writing assignments which we completed on the spot, read out loud, and received feedback. (Yes, I know that's how a workshop works; it's just that it's been a long time since I attended or led one.) Roni's feedback was positive and encouraging, and helped us zero in on the essence of our ideas; she sort of pointed her flashlight at the possibilities inherent in them. The atmosphere in "class" was easygoing and non-competitive, and though not everyone took the opportunity to speak up, those who did were pleased with the response. As for me -- I discovered that I wasn't a total washout when it came to imagination. What a relief for a would-be writer!

Lunch break. I chose not to leave the building and just got a sandwich and coffee at the small upstairs bar. That turned into a good opportunity to talk to and get to know a few people. See, at ITA conferences I know many of the regulars. But here, I hardly knew a soul.

Lunch break is also the time to confront difficult decisions: there were three tracks, each with two separate lectures. Track 1 offered a talk about "the emotional truth" in writing, whatever that meant; and a talk about the [indisputable!] value of editing and re-writing. Track 2 included a talk about enjoyable horror (i.e. how to write a horror-thriller); and how to write a seven-volume saga. Track 3 tried to answer the elusive question of how to find time for our writing; and Jumpstarter - raising funds for art & cultural projects, and more.

I'm glad I chose Adi Meir Siso's talk, about how to make time for writing, or generally manage your time effectively. Don't roll your eyes at me! I know you think you've heard it all before. But I found Adi very persuasive, and have already implemented two of her suggestions. "If so," you might say, "how come this blog post has taken you a whole week to write and post?!"  - Well, what can I say. Better late than never?.. Last winter, after the 2015 ITA conference, I managed to post only about the first day out of three... I still have the first draft about the 2nd day, but didn't get even as far as a draft about the 3rd day. Isn't it lucky the ITA keeps precious info in their archives! By the way: For Hebrew readers, I recommend Adi's Hebrew website; the English one is accessible but not quite finished, as I write.

Next, I left the room and switched to the second part of Track 2, the one about writing a seven-volume series. Seems a bit pretentious for beginners? Possibly. But then it has the advantage of making use of an already-created world. Once you've put so much effort into creating something like Middle-Earth, Foundation, Hogwarts, or "just" a quirky county called Midsomer , why stop at one novel? Or two? Or three?...  I hope most listeners enjoyed the talk. I tried to listen, but couldn't figure out what the lecturer was talking about. His lecture was heavily based on A Song of Ice and Fire, which I haven't read, nor have I watched the series Game of Thrones. So I took a break until the penultimate session -- Problems in the writing process, with writer Eshkol Nevo. Nevo is a good speaker -- articulate, accessible, friendly. Makes you feel that, as difficult as writing is, it is an achievable feat. If he writes as well as he speaks, I think that's a good enough reason to actually get my hands on one of his novels. He spoke of the connection (and differences) between creative writing and real life; about planning one's story as opposed to improvising or letting the characters move the plot along; about dealing with writer's block; and about the inevitable writer's loneliness.

Unfortunately, I had to leave at the Questions & Answers stage. Grandmotherly duties and all that. And so I missed the last part of the conference -- the summing up and the freebies. Still -- it was a day well-spent. Stimulating, thought-provoking, inspiring, and helpful. Well done, Racheli Lavi. Looking forward to the next conference. Ta-ta for now.

Books I started reading but never finished

My old high-school friend S. recently posted this cartoon on Facebook that touched a nerve: Hey, this is just what I've been meaning to write about! 

See, there’s this very-good-book that I've been wanting to read for ages and have finally picked up. Since my copy is a paperback and the print is rather small, I downloaded it onto Kindaleh. My eldest also has a paperback copy on her bookshelves, so when I’m on Savta Duty (i.e. babysitting – silly term, since not much sitting gets done) and Baby Yos is asleep, bless him, I can continue where I left off even if I've neglected to slip Kindaleh into my already-too-heavy shoulder-bag.
It is superbly written, but scary and depressing as all hell: The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth. And I don’t want scary and depressing. I want either light, witty and entertaining; or illuminating and awe-inspiring, or brain-teasing. So on the one hand I keep going back to The Plot and reading another page or two; on the other hand I’m constantly on the lookout for something light and entertaining to serve as a counter measure. At this rate, it’ll either take me forever to finish The Plot, or else it’ll join the list of books I started reading but never finished.

Some compulsive readers can’t bear to do that. They’ll grin and bear it, wade through the book for better and for worse, the less-compulsive skipping a bit here & there or peeking at the last page/s to see how it all turns out. I know a young woman who will not read a book if she finds out her fave character gets offed by the author. A man I know has no compunctions about skipping whole chapters to find out whether it’s worth pursuing to the bitter(?) end. And I? I give up, put the troublesome book back on the shelf, and add it to my list.

The list, I’m afraid, is too long to include here. Might scare you off or bore you to tears. It includes both classics and books that were bestsellers in their heyday, not always justifiably. Below is a partial list, with a short note of my first impressions at the time, often including the reason for dropping the book:

Virginia Woolf: To the Lighthouse

Requires quiet and concentration... like “good literature” I studied at university.

Having started reading Virginia Woolf's biography by Hermione Lee I thought I might find Lighthouse more interesting in terms of identifying elements taken from her own life. Not that it makes any difference to the novel itself or my enjoyment of it; but as a would-be writer, it's helpful to see the extent to which good writers draw on their own lives.

BTW – never finished reading the biography either. All those trivial details drove me crazy. Reached p.81/755 (ignoring the Index & Notes). I adore Virginia Woolf. Wouldn’t I be better off just reading her writings instead of the writings about her?...

Daniel Goleman: Emotional Intelligence

Extremely annoying. Too much repetition, too much stating of the obvious. Remember: Always count to 10 (or 20, or more) before doing or saying anything stupid. Got it? You're good to go.

Wally Lamb: She’s Come Undone

Yes, I know a protagonist doesn’t have to be charming in order for a novel to be good. But the protagonist is so off-putting that I can’t force myself to continue reading. I heard it has a happy end. Jolly good.

Carolyn Heilbrun: The Last Gift of Time

Heilbrun’s (a.k.a. Amanda Cross) novels all have an agenda, they’re very “academic”. Unlike the mysteries, this one’s non-fiction. I lost patience with it because I couldn’t identify with its premises. The writer doesn’t succeed in making her insights about women relevant to a wide range of women. Virginia Woolf talked about “a room” of one’s own, which, in practical terms, is difficult enough; Heilbrun talks about a house of her own… (Poor woman committed suicide in Oct 2003).

Peter Hoeg: The Borderliners. I liked Smilla’s Sense of Snow despite its flaws, so I thought I might like this one, too. But there was something creepy about it. Reminds me of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go.

Rebecca Wells: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

Couldn't finish. The characters were not "rounded" enough, it was difficult to distinguish between them and remember who's who. Also, the writer tries too hard and ends up tripping over excessive verbs and superfluous, pointless descriptions of actions.

Graham Greene: The End of the Affair

Despite my adoration of Graham Greene, I didn't finish this one; it was beautiful and touching and engaging, until I learnt that the woman gives up her love because of a promise made to God. Lost interest. After seeing the movie, I tried getting back to the book. However, I was still annoyed that God punishes her by death(!) for her transgression. What's her main transgression, going back on her word to Him, or committing adultery? Will reading the book provide an answer?

Other GGs I didn’t finish: Stamboul Train (early novel, not very good); Monsignor Quixote (too much politics and religion); A Burnt Out Case – Reached page 189 out of 208, and couldn't continue. I saw where the plot was headed, and it breaks my heart. Of course, I could be mistaken – Graham Greene has been known to fool and surprise me with a twist of the plot… But I can see Querry falling into the trap, being ensnared by malicious gossip…; TheComedians – Started in English, got confused with the time line, so switched to the Hebrew – old translation by Amatzia Porat – which annoys me no end. Even allowing for conventions in translation during the 1960s (not to mention earlier), it is still bad, contains inexcusable inaccuracies and high register which make the clear GG text nearly unintelligible.

Margaret Atwood: The Blind Assassin

Complex. Too early to tell. But already a few shrewd observations. Never went back to it. What do you say, folks, is it worth it?

Lynne Truss: Talk to the Hand

Truss makes some very important points, only she’s so in love with words that her words sometimes cloud the very issue she’s trying to make. But that is probably considered her unique style; take that away from her, and her observations seem a bit bare. I’d hoped to continue, but never did; she made her point: people are rude. So?

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Enough for one day, eh?