A Time to Feel

Recently, I have had many an interesting dicussion in my creative writing course about "feeling" a story. We have been discussing how a story gathers, and it has come to my attention that "feeling" any situation is truly at the heart of understanding art.

I have several stories in different folders on my computer that have simply died due to lack of feeling. I am positive that other writers have similar situations. There simply was nothing there. Nothing worth exploring. Nothing worth telling. Nothing worth feeling. The story simply died out because it lacked any kind of heartbeat in the first place.

However, I do believe, without a doubt, that these stories that have died have a place in the writing journey. There's no arguing that creation of material is essential to the success of any writer's journey, but that material does not always have to be excellent, as we know. Those of us who have successfully navigated and in some cases survived graduate-level workshops know that failure is simply the nature of the game. Even those who have not attended a university and studied the craft in a formal setting know this. So, it's not a question of to fail or not to fail, of a story dying or not dying. It's not an "if" question. It's a "when" question.

The reaction the writer has to failure ultimately will tell him or her a great deal about his or her commitment to their on journey. The first time you roll up that rejection slip or story that is a true failure or poem that simply doesn't work and stuff it into a Jim Beam bottle or throw it on a pyre, you will know which direction you wish to proceed.