“Writing a novel is like trying to knock together a chicken coop in the middle of a hurricane.” William Faulkner
How true, true, true. Trying to manage all the disparate parts. Things flying here and there, entering and disappearing without warning, demanding inclusion or deletion. Mind you, I’ve never tried building a chicken coop, but I have been in a hurricane and I have written novels, and I am know instinctively that this is a very apt metaphor!
[I post this with some trepidation, as I am not sure where or when Faulkner said this, but psychologist Mary Pipher quoted this in her book Letters to a Young Therapist. It was too wonderful for me not to pass on.]
2 Comments
I'm interested to hear about what you're working on, though I'm sure it's probably impossible to describe!
I've never built a chicken coop or experienced a hurricane; still, as I twist and knead ideas toward a new novel project, the image of high wind and unwieldy chicken wire panels clutched just at the edge of control and probably feathers flying around feels entirely apt.
Add Comment