- Aaron
Alternate title: "They are radiant angels, they are earthly slaves. They are predators moving in their endless days." (Guess where it comes from! Bruce Cockburn? How did you know?)
Today I started my dragon lady rewrite. It took, thank goodness, less time than I thought it would to create my outline. Hopefully I will be able to stop being such a slacker slash idiot, and write a really good story [crosses fingers]. Any volunteers for critique, if I have something to send you in the next couple of weeks? I'm considering changing my modus operandi. I think I might try writing a "chapter" and revising it directly afterward, until it meets my requirements, rather than rewrite the whole thing and then slog through the whole thing for yet another rewrite. Is that something anyone has tried? Does it work for you? (This leads me to a humorous thought. I write kind of like I cook - by consensus. "What goes in chilli? Does anyone know?" And then I don't follow anyone's directions in particular, not even when I have a cookbook.)
And here's the question: Can I do this? I mean, if this book turns out to be as bad as Christopher Paolini, will someone please tell me? I'm just a little worried that because I get good grades in my writing classes is no reason, really, that I should be good at writing books. Or poetry. Or, frankly, anything that's important. It only means I happen to be good at writing essays at a college level. And I continue to think that what matters in college is not necessarily what matters to real people in real life. . . .
I had a really bad nightmare last night: I came to visit a friend at Messiah, who seemed happy that I was coming, but when I got there was definitely not happy to see me, and ignored me, and ate breakfast with someone else, and then made fun of the fact that I like books so much. You're laughing that that's my nightmare? Well, Mom did too, so maybe I should have expected it. Probably serves me right for ranting. (I guess that's my method of transitioning into being apologetic for ranting? Only I'm sort of not.)
Also, here's a question: people laugh when I pray (not, I think, intending to be mean? Avery said tonight that he wanted to record my prayers. A "Mackenzie's night to pray podcast," was Aaron's idea. Truth is, there's only so far the 'right' phrases will take you, and I got tired of dealing with them somewhere along the line). But here's the question: Is my vernacular, then, one which is unsuited to serious things like books? Or is it OK if people end up chuckling a little at my narrative? I mean, which is worth more? To be taken seriously, or to have people enjoy the style of the book as a quirky representation of the way I actually tell a story? Would you read a book that went sort of like I pray?
Italian numbers, thank heaven, are logical, and don't require you to add or subtract (like roman numerals and French).
Trentatre giorni to Italy
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2 comments:
For my part, I think the best prose is the kind that isn't completely serious all the time. I mean, you don't have to write the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (although that would be great, too), but I tend to enjoy writers who will have a unique and humorous way of saying things. I think even writers like Tolkien and Lewis did this to a great extent. And Neal Stephenson (Snow Crash) is like that too. I only say that because I remembered the other day after reading a Hemingway story that I really liked Neal Stephenson.
And yes, if you do write a Christopher Paolini book, we will tell you. Right before we kill you.
You have to use humor in serious books to make them seem more serious - a single effect stretched over too much time ceases to be as effective. A little humor makes the serious parts seem more serious. I'm up for critique, and I will definitely tell you if what you're writing is cliche or childish.
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