Ask the Author: Robin Layne
Answered Questions (4)
Robin Layne
The mystery of an ordinary young woman becoming secretly married to Jesus Christ while recovering from a car accident. How much of what happened, or seemed to happen, was genuine spiritual revelation... and how much of it confusion from the varied medications given at the hospital? What would the future hold? Would my faith hold against betrayal by friends and discouragement by naysayers in my own church? Could my relationship with God keep me sane? Or was that relationship a symptom of mental illness? I've worked on and off on a memoir entitled "Jesus My Bridegroom" that describes adventures and misadventures from my 24th year through my 39th--a journey seeking logical understanding of mystical experiences of a romance deeper than symbolism.
Robin Layne
If you have a fire for writing, you probably have good stories to tell. Definitely feed them. But before you get too far, I suggest you make sure you know the mechanics of writing, too, so that people will be able to clearly understand and enjoy what you put on those imaginative pages. Take some college courses in grammar, because today it's apparently not taught while you're growing up. Learn the difference between past tense, present tense, and so on. Learn how to structure your writing. Learn how to use punctuation properly, to your advantage. Believe it or not, there are rules to writing in the English language (and all other languages), and your manuscripts will stand out amid the submissions that traditional publishers get if you use those rules. The rules preserve communication; yes, it's okay to break them from time to time, but only for an intended effect. You need to know them before you can break them.
If you think I'm wrong, consider what a house would look like if it's made with crooked boards of the wrong lengths and nails pounded in haphazardly; it's not likely to even stand up, and supposing it does, it'll look horrible and leak. So it is with written stories. Trust me, knowing how to write will NOT hamper your creativity; it will help it to soar.
If you can't be bothered with those "pesky details," be prepared to find a decent editor to work with you on your books. It'll cost you money, but it will be well worth it.
Today a lot of books get published, and even become bestsellers, without being functionally literate, I admit. But careful readers and editors hold those in derision. It's much better to write a good story WELL; it's my feeling that it has a chance to be well-loved for many years to come if it has that kind of work put into it.
Other advice, which you're likely to hear from other authors: Write often. Practice makes better and better, although you will never feel for long that anything you've written is perfect. Remember that whatever happens to you in your life, "It's all copy"--meaning, it adds depth and breadth to your writing, whether you write personal experience, fiction, or opinion.
Enjoy.
If you think I'm wrong, consider what a house would look like if it's made with crooked boards of the wrong lengths and nails pounded in haphazardly; it's not likely to even stand up, and supposing it does, it'll look horrible and leak. So it is with written stories. Trust me, knowing how to write will NOT hamper your creativity; it will help it to soar.
If you can't be bothered with those "pesky details," be prepared to find a decent editor to work with you on your books. It'll cost you money, but it will be well worth it.
Today a lot of books get published, and even become bestsellers, without being functionally literate, I admit. But careful readers and editors hold those in derision. It's much better to write a good story WELL; it's my feeling that it has a chance to be well-loved for many years to come if it has that kind of work put into it.
Other advice, which you're likely to hear from other authors: Write often. Practice makes better and better, although you will never feel for long that anything you've written is perfect. Remember that whatever happens to you in your life, "It's all copy"--meaning, it adds depth and breadth to your writing, whether you write personal experience, fiction, or opinion.
Enjoy.
Robin Layne
I'm always nibbling away at my YA series, "AVS: The Anti-Vampirism Society," whether it be brainstorming sections that need improvement, filling in, or fresh ideas for plotting books that come past the first two; working on projects that further develop or reveal my characters; or writing new scenes. Most recently, I am returning to a series of interviews of my vampires on my Wordpress blog, part of a project called "The Vampire Lover's Blog Award," sponsored by Francis Franklin here on Goodreads. I'm also working on an article about my adventures as a Salvation Army bell ringer, to submit to the War Cry, a magazine of the Salvation Army. I often write to various prompts in a weekly writing group I facilitate--short pieces about my life, thoughts, and fiction. One recent prompt came from the Writer's Digest website: "Have your main character write you a letter." I had Mary Lodge, the leader of the AVS, write to me, I wrote back with questions I would like her to answer so I can know her better. She started her second letter, but some of my questions aren't ready to be answered yet. This week, I also started the second of my Turtle Soup zines; for more information on that, see my answer to "What was your idea for your latest book?"
Robin Layne
My most recent printed booklet, or "zine," is the first issue of "Turtle Soup: On Finding My Voice." I wanted to continue the food metaphor theme I started with my first zine, "A Character Sandwich," (which was named after its structure--short pieces about fictional characters sandwiched between slices about myself).
When I was still living at home, my family belonged to a camping club called the Road Turtles. My dad got a chuckle out a verse in Song of Songs, which reads in the King James Version, "The voice of the turtle is heard in the land." Commenting that turtles didn't have voices, he suggested the Road Turtles have a newsletter called "The Voice of the Turtle." Such newsletter was never made, but the concept stuck with me after all these years. Over the past decade or so, I have noticed a difficulty speaking up (or even "writing up") when I want to or should, and I identified the cause as past abuse and the expectation of future abuse. I made it a personal project to find my voice amidst the forces trying to silence me. I noticed that other people had similar problems. The turtle represents many things. I took on the private nickname in the 1980s when I bore heavy physical and psychological burdens.
Even the soup has a metaphorical meaning, which will be revealed in a future issue.
I originally thought I would cover the subject in a single zine that would include both prose and poetry (including the poem "Face Without a Voice," which was specially recognized by Write Around Portland). The files I collected soon grew numerous enough to form a book. I decided to make a series of zines, like many zinesters do, and come out with a new one each year. I recently started on Issue 2, and will finish it in time for the Portland Zine Symposium, which is July 9 and 10 this year. The event is free and features many tables and workshops.
My zines are available for sale, although, not being full books, they are not orderable on Goodreads or Amazon. Just write me if you're interested. Each illustrated issue of "Turtle Soup" is is $5 apiece, including postage if your address is in the U.S. ("A Character Sandwich" is a stand-alone zine and is also $5 if you get it by mail.)
When I was still living at home, my family belonged to a camping club called the Road Turtles. My dad got a chuckle out a verse in Song of Songs, which reads in the King James Version, "The voice of the turtle is heard in the land." Commenting that turtles didn't have voices, he suggested the Road Turtles have a newsletter called "The Voice of the Turtle." Such newsletter was never made, but the concept stuck with me after all these years. Over the past decade or so, I have noticed a difficulty speaking up (or even "writing up") when I want to or should, and I identified the cause as past abuse and the expectation of future abuse. I made it a personal project to find my voice amidst the forces trying to silence me. I noticed that other people had similar problems. The turtle represents many things. I took on the private nickname in the 1980s when I bore heavy physical and psychological burdens.
Even the soup has a metaphorical meaning, which will be revealed in a future issue.
I originally thought I would cover the subject in a single zine that would include both prose and poetry (including the poem "Face Without a Voice," which was specially recognized by Write Around Portland). The files I collected soon grew numerous enough to form a book. I decided to make a series of zines, like many zinesters do, and come out with a new one each year. I recently started on Issue 2, and will finish it in time for the Portland Zine Symposium, which is July 9 and 10 this year. The event is free and features many tables and workshops.
My zines are available for sale, although, not being full books, they are not orderable on Goodreads or Amazon. Just write me if you're interested. Each illustrated issue of "Turtle Soup" is is $5 apiece, including postage if your address is in the U.S. ("A Character Sandwich" is a stand-alone zine and is also $5 if you get it by mail.)
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