Pat Conroy and Me

By Tina Murray, Ph.D.

"What do you do?" renowned Southern writer Pat Conroy asked me during his book-signing event at the Miami Book Fair, years ago. Mr. Conroy was about to sign a copy of his latest novel, which I had just purchased.

"Well, I'm trying to be a writer," I replied, my voice feeble  and apologetic.

He contemplated me.

The two of us were not alone. Fans stood in line nearby to meet-and-greet the famous author. However, that is how I remember the event--as if, suddenly, Mr. Conroy and I  had been set apart from physical reality and isolated by a single spotlight. His response to my whine was immediate and definite.

"You say, 'I am a writer.'" he ordered, signing.

I was astonished.

"I am a writer," I said tentatively. Comprehending, I repeated the words, with conviction. "I am a writer."

He closed the book and handed it to me. He waved an index finger in my direction. "Never let anyone tell you you can't do it," he said. "Not anyone," he said emphatically.

I nodded, agape. He went on.

"Not your family, your friends, your boyfriend--" He reeled off a laundry list of potential saboteurs. 

"No one."

I think I thanked him. I hope I did. Dazed, I had wandered off, drifting back into the milling throng of book enthusiasts. Absorbing what had occurred  I wandered, as evening fell, warm and humid.

Something dramatic and significant had happened in my life.  That night, my body rode home on the Metrorail, but my head remained in the ozone. Pat Conroy had changed my life.

He had given me the keys to tenacity. Nothing is more crucial to the writing life than tenacity. A writer may possess great talent, be a stellar craftsperson, and approach artistry, but none of it matters if  the writer's work is left unfinished. Tenacity matters.

He had given me the keys to Tena City, as it were, or to Tina City. He had unlocked my resolve.

Since that conversation, I have written three novels, each published by ArcheBooks. My latest novel, A BIG FAN OF YOURS, is Volume Three of my series, "Starlight on the Gulf."  The  series, which also includes Volumes One and Two, A CHANCE TO SAY YES and A WILD DREAM OF LOVE, did not write itself, I promise you. These novels exist because of Pat Conroy's kind words.

His righteous insight gave me permission to persevere, permission I had denied myself, from an early age, in various pursuits. Often, I had taken the advice of naysayers. Worse, I had talked myself out of goals.

Now I know I do not have to give in, bow down, or buckle under to negativity, no matter its source.

Neither do you, writer.

I am a grateful for the opportunity to pass along Pat Conroy's advice to a host of Southern writers. I believe he would have wanted it that way.

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Tina Murray, Ph.D. has ventured her way into the publishing world after years spent in a wide range of pursuits. Insight gained, especially as an actress and artist, subsequently enhanced by degrees in art education, education, art and drama from the the Florida State University and the University of Miami, has fed her imagination for her debut romance novel A Chance to Say Yes. Now she enjoys the sunny shores of paradise as she prepares the sequel in her movie-star dynasty. Website http://tinamurrayauthor.com/index.html

       

Why Dissect a Novel?

By MaryAnn Diorio, Ph.D.,

Modeling, as I define it, is the process of analyzing a novel for the purpose of writing one oneself.

I’d like to share with you the reason I think that writers should learn how critically and objectively to analyze the work of other published novelists.

It’s one thing to read a novel; it’s quite another to dissect it. Whereas simple reading provides entertainment, dissecting a novel provides an understanding of how that novel was constructed. And knowing how a novel is constructed is crucial to writing one. I call this dissection process modeling.

We will focus on modeling as we explore why it is important for fiction writers to develop the critical and objective analytical skills essential to understanding how to write fiction. Here are some key reasons:

1. Structural Understanding. We analyze in order to understand. When I was a little girl, I enjoyed taking things apart and then putting them back together again. I wanted to understand not only the individual parts but also how those parts fit together and worked together. The same is true of novel analysis. We take a novel apart to understand its individual parts (characters, plot, theme, etc.) and to understand how those parts fit together and work together. It takes this kind of understanding to write a story.

2. Language Understanding. Modeling gives the writer an understanding of the author’s use of language. This use includes literary devices such as metaphor, simile, synecdoche, and personification, among others. Because fiction employs a host of literary devices that create a particular effect, knowing how to analyze a work of fiction helps the writer focus on those language devices that will enhance her own fiction writing and render it more powerful and memorable.

3. Character Formation. Characters drive fiction and are its raison d’être. As we analyze an author’s characters, we observe whether a character is strong or weak and why. We note how the author used dialogue, backstory, pacing, and tension to create his character. As we learn what another author did to create powerful characters, we are better able to create powerful characters of our own.

4. Theme Recognition. Another reason to learn how critically and objectively to analyze a published author’s work is to understand how an author weaves theme into his fiction. Theme is organic to a novel. It grows from the inside out and often emerges without the author’s conscious awareness. As you write your own novels, you may know your theme when you start, but sometimes the theme will not become evident until the novel is finished.

It is a well-known fact that we learn by doing. Dissecting a novel is halfway between reading one and writing one. But how you handle that halfway point can make all the difference in your reaching your final destination.

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Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is a widely published, award-winning author of books for children and adults. She writes riveting, compelling fiction that deals with the deepest issues of the human heart. Her latest novel, Return to Bella Terra, is Book 3 in The Italian Chronicles Trilogy. MaryAnn and her husband Dom have been married for 48 years and reside in New Jersey. They are the blessed parents of two wonderful adult daughters and grandparents to five rambunctious grandchildren. You may learn more about MaryAnn and her writing at http://www.maryanndiorio.com.My Websites: http://www.maryanndiorio.com   http://www.maryanndiorioministries.com   My Blog: http://www.maryanndiorio.com/blog