Comments on: Hold on Loosely

By: sara z

sara z — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:34:36 +0000

Hey all – I just wanted to say thanks for the comments. Still here in the trenches, doing it all over again with book 4! Best of luck and blessings on all of you as you work. – Sara

By: Meredith Davis

Meredith Davis — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:24:03 +0000

Thank you for being so transparent, and giving us your earlier, beautifully written writing samples, so we can remind ourselves that yes, what we’ve written may just sing on its own, but it may not serve the purposes of the larger work. This is such a hard pill to swallow, giving up control, saying goodbye to words so we can say hello to others. And I love that you encourage us to hang on to the things that matter, once we realize just what those are. I’ve got your book sitting next to my bed, can’t wait to crack it open.

By: Carmela Martino

Carmela Martino — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:09:40 +0000

I’ve struggled with similar issues, Sara. Thanks so much for the inspiration, and the hope that I may eventually be able to get my current novel-in-progress to work, too.

By: Vanessa Ziff

Vanessa Ziff — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:17:26 +0000

Sara,
I’m so grateful that you wrote this piece — it comes at such a perfect time for me and the epic struggles I’m facing with my own current, behemoth tangle of fiction. As Leah quoted above from your fabulous description, we must must must work with clay right up until the end, no matter how agonizing (quadruply-so for control freaks like me.) I’m printing your article out and reading it every time (every day, lately) I ask myself why on God’s great earth I have decided to write this story, what purpose it holds, what questions it seeks to answer. I’m a slow learner, too. And stubborn. All bronze, you might say. But it’s the clay that actually keeps me going, because at its core, it represents hope and truth — for me and for my main character.

Thanks!

By: Leah Odze Epstein

Leah Odze Epstein — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:14:48 +0000

Thanks so much for this! I’m wrestling with a first draft of a YA, and it’s so helpful to see how others struggle with their work. I will remember the way you said the words should be like clay, not set in bronze–I tend to get too attached to making it pretty, right away. And I will remember your lesson about asking a question, because I get overwhelmed when I try to answer them. Thanks so much! Invaluable advice.

By: Claire Wilson

Claire Wilson — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:38:17 +0000

Dear Sara,
First off, thanks for being willing to put yourself out there enough to post the link to this site on your Facebook page. I appreciate finding this gem of a publication.
Your final draft opening is true, like a wheel is true. It leads right to the heart of the matter, as you describe it, with piercing accuracy. A close reading of your first words hints at the largeness of your question. I love it! Can’t wait to read the whole novel.

By: Little Willow

Little Willow — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:08:28 +0000

I cannot wait to read this.