Huff and Puff, then Write

Our final year in Senior English was led by a stern teacher. He had us run across the field and back again, then said, “Now, write about your experience—how you feel.” Between short breaths we did. And, I learned an important lesson—you can’t beat experience. Good writers have lived the moment and mature writers have lived more. Hemingway is a good example and there are many others. Like many writers, Robin Palmer’s first novel was autobiographical. Also like many writers, her first novel was not published. Since that first manuscript, she’s published 10 books. Yet it wasn’t until her forthcoming novel The Corner of Bitter and Sweet—the story of a sixteen-year-old girl dealing with her mother’s alcoholism and subsequent recovery—that she decided to dip back into my own experience. Determined not to repeat the same mistakes, she made certain to keep four tips in mind. Here are the three I relate to:

1. Don’t use your work as a weapon to settle scores and get back at people.

2. Put distance between you and the experience so that you can be objective.

3. Be an advocate for your characters – even the so-called villains.

Side Note: The Fabelmans is based on the true story of Steven Spielberg’s childhood, growing up as an aspiring filmmaker. Spielberg, in addition to directing, co-wrote the screenplay with Tony Kushner. Spielberg based the character of Sammy Fabelman (played by Gabriel LaBelle) on himself.

Skip to toolbar