Sarah Cain

Category: Uncategorized

  • Of Grumpy Writers and Flying Sharks

    Recently, I was struggling through some issues with my second novel. Essentially, I hated everything I was creating: the characters, the plot, the setting. It was all pretty grim. Still, I was pushing forward and feeling pretty grumpy about it.

    And then my son came home for a visit. Like me, Michael is a night owl, so we frequently find ourselves talking or watching movies long after my husband has gone to bed. Unlike me, Michael is a connoisseur of bad movies—the kind that don’t make the New York Times top ten. In fact many of them don’t make the theaters at all.

    Some of them are unintentionally hilarious. Like Sharknado.

    I cannot fully describe the joys of watching Sharknado, especially in the company of a twenty-something who fires priceless commentary at the pace of a machine gun. The movie itself is a combination of horrible acting, terrible CGI, and clichéd (if not totally ripped off) dialogue. In short, it’s amazing.

    I haven’t laughed so hard at any intentional comedy that’s come out of Hollywood in years.

    I realize it seems mean and snarky to laugh at a movie that (I suppose) was not intended to be humorous. But try to sit through it. Watch twenty minutes. If you have any sense of the ridiculous, you’ll be smiling, if not rolling on the floor.

    Now you might be asking yourself, “What the hell does this movie have to do with writing?”

    The quick answer: not that much, except that this movie made me realize that what I was writing wasn’t so awful. I wasn’t producing Shakespeare or James Joyce (then again, who is these days?) but I am chugging along. When I finish my first draft and revise, my book will improve. Everything will be okay.

    It is definitely a good thing to stop now and then and have a laugh, especially when you’re in the writing doldrums. Recognize that what you’re writing is going to turn out okay if you keep at it, even if (Spoiler Alert) you don’t have any sharks falling out of the sky.

  • The Joy of Writing Conferences

    The Philadelphia Writers Conference took place this weekend as it does every June.

    I look forward to it every year because it’s a reminder that I’m not alone in my mole hole tapping on the keyboard. Yes, there are fellow sufferers out there. We writers are a masochistic lot. Even those of us who actually have made a living at crafting words spend a good deal of time wrestling with self-doubt and anxiety. Or maybe that’s just me. I’m never sure until I go to a conference and meet my fellow sufferers.

    Generally, we are the writers seeking to break through into the world of fiction. We attend workshops in writing compelling characters, creating tension, writing short stories, mysteries and thrillers, and screenplays. They are all wonderful, taught by lovely, helpful writers who speak encouragingly while we take dutiful notes.

    We listen to guest speakers, usually those rare creatures known as literary successes, who dole out words of wisdom and hope some of their magic dust sprinkles on us.

    We have pitch sessions with agents whom we approach with a mixture of trepidation and awe because they are the gate keepers to the literary world we crave to enter.

    I may sound jaded; in fact I’m not. I love conferences. The teachers are usually excellent; the speakers are delightful; the agents are generally quite kind and approachable. The 2015 Philadelphia Writers Conference was a wonderful time as always.

    The workshops, speakers and agents, were terrific; however, they were not necessarily the best part of the experience.

    I think the most important thing I took away from any conference was the understanding that we are not alone in our efforts. Many others are struggling as well. So always reach out to the person next to you and say hello. Ask what project he or she is working on, exchange contact information, stay in touch. Encourage each other. As writers, we are part of a community. It’s important to be a good community member.