Make Something Terrible
By Yuvi Zalkow | April 24, 2021 |
I recently got some insight into my creative process from my kid’s music teacher… who is now also my music teacher… even though I previously had no skill or interest in music. But he’s really more of a creative mentor. The work we do goes from making music to making videos to managing time better, and it even informs my writing process. So I wanted to share with you some of the ideas I’ve gotten from his teaching style that have helped me with my writing life. Now I know right from the start that some people might feel that the title, “Make Something Terrible,” rubs them the wrong way. But, for me, the “terrible” part has a disarming effect that can cause me to stumble my way into making something good. I touch on a few other ideas I’ve gotten from him, like the way I pay attention to where my creative energy lies, and how I look for ways to show up at the virtual writing table again and again…
I’m curious if you buy into these lessons. I’d love to hear what lessons about writing you’ve learned from other areas of your life. Like maybe how sewing your own COVID masks has taught you how to more effectively stitch your characters into your stories… Or, perhaps something less contrived than that... 😜
Yuvi Zalkow is the author of the novel I Only Cry with Emoticons (Red Hen, 2022) as well as A Brilliant Novel in the Works. His stories and essays have been published in Catapult, Narrative Magazine, Carve Magazine, Rosebud, The Los Angeles Review, and others. Yuvi received an MFA from Antioch University. He uses his poor drawing skills to make YouTube videos and mobile apps that ooze with his worries and anxiety.
Thank you for this, Yuvi!
I’ve learned a lot about writing from being the parent of teen girls.
How to fail, often. How to develop a very thick skin and some equanimity. And how to stay open and curious.
When I am willing to see from another perspective–to be surprised–I’m a better mom, writer, editor and advocate.
Thanks for the feedback, Lisa! Yeah, I bet raising teenage girls provides much wisdom for the creative process, and for life in general!… (My kid is almost entering the teen years and I’m excited and tErRiFieD! 😜)
Loved it! Great idea. Good inspiration. Now, I’m going to apply it.
Thanks, Lynn!
Yuvi, your music teacher is spot on. I don’t take lessons any more but I found that practice indeed makes perfect. And doing more of it terribly actually ends up making me better. If I just focus on one thing, I can blow it. But working on multiple things–chants, polyphony, hymns–somehow cross pollinates. And with the writing as well.
So funny thing. My husband’s been working from home and mentioned that I should write another novel and I felt exactly how you portray your arms falling off. I blubbered about how I don’t actually know how to write one. That first one happened by accident. I’m more of a short-story picture-booky gal. But I have the title for the follow-up to my first novel, BOUND. It shall be FOUND. Hehe. Now, off to chant my way into it. Thanks Yuvi.
Thanks for the feedback, Vijaya! Love the second book title!… Yeah, that arms-fall-off drawing is a common feeling in me too… 😜 I love your take on working on multiple things… that also helps me. Enjoy the writing, whatever you decide to work on!…
Love this, Yuvi. I’m going to try to home in on “where the energy is” in my wip — and, just as importantly for this ditherer, where I spend energy unwisely.
Looking forward to your next video, and your next novel!
Thanks so much (for everything!), Therese! Yeah, I definitely can ignore or forget where my energy is sometimes… Since you’ve had a few books out in the world, you probably know that there are occasions when you have to ignore the energy and just do the thing you gotta do, but I do like the idea of following the energy to start a project especially… Take care!
More Yuvi, please! Loved this
Thanks, Maggie! Hope you’re doing well.
We always want more Yuvi, right?
I love this post, Yuvi. And am looking forward to reading your novel.
During the pandemic, I started baking because too stressed with everything happening this past year; I couldn’t write. The other day I decided to try making a lemon meringue pie from scratch. On my first attempt, the filling wouldn’t solidify. The meringue looked beautiful, but when I cut into it, it was a soggy liquid mess. My grandson said it tasted good when he slurped up the filling with a straw. I tried baking another last night. The filling solidified, and it tasted good, but the almond crust needs work. I’m making the third attempt today. Wish me luck.
. A funny thing happened with my baking this past year. I got an idea to write a story about a woman who is a professional baker. I wrote the first draft in two weeks. I’m on the third draft now. And you know what? The third draft isn’t as terrible as the second and first. I love the story because my protagonist bakes so much better than me.
Maybe my lemon meringue pie will turn out pretty good this time around; maybe I’ll bake something terrible. But I got a story out of baking.
I think I’m going to make *make something terrible* my new motto. It takes the fear out of the endeavor. Thanks.
That’s all fabulous to hear, Bernadette! I love both the meringue story and the story about making a story out of it! Wish you the best!
Bernadette, lemon meringue pies were my mother’s specialty. I grew up working beside her as she tutored me in all the required steps, but I reached the age of fifteen without ever making an entire pie, only its components: crust, or filling, or meringue. One day, just when she had promised six pies to a July 4th community picnic, she became ill—not seriously, but unable to cook. So I made all six pies and took them to the picnic. Which of us was prouder?
As you can see, each of the three parts of a lemon meringue pie requires a different set of skills. Just remember what my mother always drilled into me: “Cooking is an art and a science both.” When you finish a perfect lemon meringue pie, your victory cries will reach me over the distance!
PS: I really hate to make pie crust. Now I always buy crusts from the refrigerator in the supermarket.
What a lovely story, Anna! Thank you. And yes the crust, grrr! And I love ” cooking is an art and a science, both.” Fact.
Yeah, Yuvi, it works! Thanks much.
Thanks, Thomas!
thank you for this. Stopped working on my latest mystery WIP quite awhile ago. It needs a lot of editing, revising, etc. And it always seems just too hard, too much work.
Hopefully, this can help.
sandy gardner
sjgardner6@gmail.com
Thanks, Sandra! Yeah, it’s so tricky to find the balance between finding the energy and pushing through hard stuff… Wish you the best with your writing and everything else!
Great piece, Yuvi. Thank you. Like Therese Walsh, what I’m taking from it is “go where the energy is’. I think that will take me all the way to an epiphany.
And I’m already pretty well practiced at doing something terrible. I just remind myself that nobody ever improved something that hadn’t been written yet and that nobody has to see it ’til I’m ready.
Looking forward to your next video.
Thanks for the feedback, Bob. Yeah! That “nobody has to see it until I’m ready” concept is also something that I have to remind myself about. It’s such a freeing feeling! Take care!
Thank you! Your voice is calming, and I enjoyed the lessons. Here’s a thing that I’ve learned in work meetings: the solution or concept that seems the most obvious to me often surprises other people. So. Go ahead. Write what’s obvious, the snap thing that bursts out, and take it in an obvious direction, and it turns out other people may* think you’re creative and have written a good thing!
*not always
That’s a really cool point, Chris! The whole idea about what’s “obvious” deserves a whole blog post just because it can so easily trip up a writer… Thanks!
I’m a little behind reading posts and just read your article, Yuvi. It was such a delight in all ways: your great voice, the fun format, and the ideas you presented. I can’t identify exactly what or why my reaction to was so inspired me but in a simple way, you made a big point. It spoke to my perfectionist tendencies. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind feedback, Becky! Yeah, I worried if my video message was too vague but then decided that it might work just because this stuff is sort of like an inner mantra I use to keep at it and not worry too much. And hopefully it can help others too. Anyway, take care!