I had a hard time writing actual, no nonsense short stories during my sophomore year of college. The stories I’ve written before felt melodramatic, unrealistic, and not original in any way whatsoever. My characters were read as exaggerations, too unbelievable to be human when they were supposed to be. The plot also roamed all over the place, lacking any point or why we should care about the story in the first place. Of course, I didn’t figure these out until my classmates and professor addressed them in my first Creative Writing class. I couldn’t shake off their criticisms right away, so I read the works of short story author Raymond Carver.
At first, I didn’t know how to react to Carver’s stories; the minimalist style made them seem stark, bland, and the types that leave readers guessing. But boy was I naive. I realized that the characters from the stories cover a serious underlying issue normal people like us face, like a lack of marriage commitment or a young son’s tragic death.
All were written effectively without saying too much, and this later on influenced me to write about ordinary people facing everyday problems, not the saccharine romance stories I’ve written before. When I reread some of the popular stories, they spoke to me more and more; it felt like I knew the characters personally. Raymond Carver was one of the few authors who went straight to the point, and left no room for b.s. I admired that a lot.
I find Carver inspirational for going through so many obstacles, yet still managing a consistent literary success. Having been a father before 20 and working in multiple jobs to support his family, Carver lived without privilege. He was a modest, hardworking individual, never one of those who let their fame go to their head. His bio on Wikipedia states he had also coped with divorce, alcoholism, smoking, and lung cancer, which unfortunately led to this death at the age of 50. With that short life, Carver is definitely one strong man for accomplishing so much.
He was, no doubt, dedicated to his writing, and I love how he persevered to get his work recognized even when his Creative Writing teacher John Gardner was a total hard ass on him. Kudos to Carver. Carver not only makes me understand the true depth of a short story, but why stories, or really any type of writing, come out "perfect" when they’re finished. Before, I’ve wanted to give up writing when other people criticized my work to the core. But Carver pulled me out of misery, making me cut the drama and just keep writing no matter what happens. I won’t be surprised if he also influenced other struggling writers out there.
Carver definitely saved me from falling off the rocks. Short stories are now more alive to me because of him. I gain a more meaningful insight into life each time I read Carver’s short stories and poems. It’s pretty sad that he didn’t live long enough to give advice to writers of my generation. He possesses such a unique literary voice, and he deserves more recognition in my opinion. When others discuss short story authors, they often think of Edgar Allan Poe, Anton Chekov, or Ernest Hemingway. But the first author I think of will always be Raymond Carver. I get excited whenever I read his stories again in my literature classes. To me, he is not just a writer, but a hero. As I now approach college graduation, being influenced by Carver is one of the many things I’ll take from my major. His work will resonate with me for the rest of my life.
