April Writing Prompt: Why We Write
My journey in figuring out why I don't really love Joan Didion
I’ve been trying to read more of Joan Didion’s non-fiction writing lately.
Admittedly, I’ve been posing it as a personal challenge to myself. I don’t always connect with Joan’s non-fiction the way I do with other writers, and couldn’t quite place why. I have read a few of her essays in my writing courses, and tried out some of her books recommended to me by friends. I even watched her Netflix documentary in bed. Okay, only half of it. Still, I’ve had a hard time finding something of hers I really enjoyed.
Does Joan intimidate me? Maybe. Her erudite language and skillful use of description is certainly alarming, sometimes even cold. But me? I am soft goo. A lover of the lyrical essay and the layering hermit crab. The weird, juicy detail (a Cheerio being pressed into a knee and leaving behind the imprint of an “O”), and the vulnerability of a surprisingly fragmented form. I love reading creative non-fiction that does not have all the answers, and takes me with them to explore. Those are my creative non-fiction favourites.
Not that Joan cares. For one, she is now a ghost (and probably a very classy one). She’s also an internationally recognized, award-winning writer, after all. She does not need my praise or approval, much less my silent nodding as I turn the page.
…yet. I wanted to challenge myself to engage more with her writing and keep going until I found something I resonated with. I love to pick at my wounds. My journey turned into a prompt I’d like to share with you below.
The essay is, “Why I Write”. Here is the link, to read free online:
https://genius.com/Joan-didion-why-i-write-annotated
WRITING PROMPT:
Why do you write? Mary Karr says: “to dream; to connect with other human beings; to record; to clarify; to visit the dead.” (I love this answer.)
Susan Orlean writes, “because I love learning about the world. I love telling stories and I love the actual experience of making sentences.”
Today, free-write an exploration of why you write. Perhaps this will turn into your own Didion-inspired essay, or serve as a simple affirmation that you can tack above your writing desk to stay motivated. Maybe it will become a thank-you letter to the person who encouraged you to keep going. Or, it could turn into a character profile for a mechanic-turned-best-selling-author-named-Darryl in your next short story.
Go ahead. Compose your “why”. Then, see how it blooms.
xx Britt