Hill House Writers

To Critique or…

When I moved to Nashville, TN a few years ago I had been writing songs for over twenty years. I had heard horror stories about regionally 'famous' artists (who were "big fish" in their home town "little ponds") coming to Nashville with the thoughts, "I'll own this town in six months," only to be burned-out and headed for home within a year. As an international performer and songwriting workshop facilitator I thought that I was ready for what ever Nashville could throw at me. Although, I can admit that once or twice I, too, thought I would I own this town in six months.

Nashville is populated by wanna-be songwriters. That's not to say that a lot of local songwriters aren't wonderful, accomplished, artists who are proficient at their craft. But the overwhelming ratio of unpublished songwriters creates an unfortunate mindset that has a weird effect on the songwriting culture. The whole town is like one big critique session.

While it may be necessary to submit your finished work to this insane process; after all, if you never submit, you will never be published. But in the interests of speed and efficiency, many writers believe that they should take anything they are working on and read/play it for a group at every chance.

This practice can be equated with eating an under baked potato. It may look like a cooked one, but the sugars have not changed properly and the collagens have not had time to break down sufficiently. The result is a surprise in the mouth and often an indigestible ball in the stomach.

Writers of any kind work in several states of consciousness. Each state is a separate phase and has its own rules. Stephan King, in his book, ON WRITING, refers to the process in two stages; the door closed and the door open. This means that when the creative flow is flowing out, the door to your writing space (both metaphorically and physically) should be closed and when you are revising, the door should be open.

We believe there are actually three interdependent states that the writer works in: creation, editing/rewriting, and publishing (or bringing the work to the audience.) I like to personify these different states of consciousness into characters that I have living inside me. They are the Creator, the Editor and the Reader.

Skipping over one and jumping to another is harmful to earlier processes. For example, everyone can recognize ill effect of work that has not been properly edited or rewritten. The obvious lack of care in the finished product leaves the reader feeling cheated, but we don't always understand the importance of nurturing and protecting phase one of the process. This is the most important time to have the door closed.

Here the writer is tapping into the unformed stuff of the universe. It is a delicate and private task requiring much solitude and concentration. Any disturbance could break the connection between the writer - who could be compared to a woman in labor - and the source of his/her writing. This is what is referred to by some as "the relationship with the muse" or inspiration (which is really just the act of breathing in).

Next, comes the editing phase. Important note: Do not begin the editing phase until you are completely finished with the creating phase. At Hill House we generally do not cater to the editing phase of writing. We do not encourage reading of works in progress, although a guest may bring a finished work to share with other guests if they choose. Why? because the editing phase is like a flood of opinions, assumptions and noise. In order to get the writers intent across in the best possible way, the editor must tear the work apart and put it back together "correctly". The act of creation is a slow process. You cannot speed up gestation. It takes time and quiet and space. Asking an infant to walk before its muscles are fully coordinated is asking it to harm itself.

Stephan King tells his readers that he puts the finished draft away for six weeks to allow the creative mind to let go of the work. We agree with him. If you must edit on the heels of creation, at least give yourself the space to "close the creative door." Wait a day or two and do something else. The act of creation can also leave one vulnerable, weak, and wide open. One wouldn't expect a new mother, to be the one to talk to the bill collectors. Don't give in to editing until after the work is done and has had a chance to marinate on its own. (Sometimes I think of this time the same way as allowing a roast to "rest" where the chaos of the molecules can have a moment to calm before we savor the flavors.)

Only when the inner creative door closed should you open the outer door to the next phase and release the editor's dogs. You are your own best friend and hardest critic. Looking for approval outside of yourself, before the work is complete, is just looking for punishment. Judging your own work before it is ready, defeats the nurturing atmosphere at Hill House. We have given you permission to do what you came here to do. And we will do everything in our power to make that happen.

"In Native American religions The Hill is the place where you go to vision quest. Literally, it could be a hill or in a valley or in a sweat lodge or by a stream - wherever you go to fast and pray at the same time. not all people call it vision quest - some call it fasting. but the purpose is prayer, solitude, finding out who you are or what the creator has called for you to do in your life next. or in the future. Going on The Hill is taking the time to do these things. Turning back to the hill is the same as choosing to live your life in a way that is in line with the creator's purpose for you and committing yourself to finding what that is." - My good friend, Jackie Tice, Singer songwriter, extraordinaire.