First, I finished Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. It's a rain-drenched, small-town mystery well over 500 pages, offering some terrific stuff for readers and writers: gorgeous southern setting, a newness to the old (and fading) tale of supernaturally-crossed love. Heart-melting bad-guy-making-good-choices with the drawl and self-possession of Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday in Tombstone (love, love!). Also, great lessons on character. Most of them--protagonist Ethan, his green-eyed mystery girl, Ethan's recluse father, bff/goofball Link, razor-sharp town librarian--are relatable and consistent with unique p.o.v's delivered in strong dialogue. Not perfect (what is?), but captivating. Fantastic with ginger tea and chocolates! ;)
Speaking of good writing, Salon's Laura Miller posted an amusing article on bad writing today. In her article, she included a link to a story about the Inklings--that group of smarty-smarts like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein who would gather to read and discuss their writing. Well, the Inklings would gather and challenge one another to read from a certain novel, Irene Iddesleigh, by Amanda McKittrick Ros. The challenge was to read as far into the novel as one could without laughing. How mean! And how hilarious! Imagine those dusty, brilliant, tweeded professors with pink cheeks and glittering eyes, stifling their laughter. According to the linked article, Ros has earned the title "The Greatest Bad Writer Who Ever Lived." Isn't that provocative? Don't you want to read her books just to find out? I see one of her novels is available on Amazon for $250. :( What a loss. Don't you think we could learn so much to read the worst writing ever?) How I would love to play the Inklings' game.
Last, I found a new writer to love this week. Has anyone read Malinda Lo's Ash? I haven't yet, but I saw it was on UW-Madison's recommended reading for 2010, so I looked Lo up. And she is fierce! Unapologetic! Have I been worrying about the pull and suck of blogging? Malinda has a list of thoughtful blogging policies. Have I been stressing out about how to review the YA books I've been reading (Struts and Frets, A Kiss in Time) that haven't thrilled me? Malinda declares that reviews are useful for readers, but not at all for writers, and she "refuse[s] to be drawn into the psychosis-inducing vortex of Amazon/Goodreads/Google doom that befalls many writers!" Check her out if you need some strong talk. She has great tidbits on writing books and publishing as well.
So, speaking of writing books . . . who out there is writing a book? Who wrote a scene that surprised you? Who watched a character make a choice you had no idea was coming? Who wrote something on page 112 that is going to change everything that character did in the previous 111 pages? :) This is our glory, yes? Our delight. I got out 3300 words this week. I wanted more, but I'm shirking a scene.
I'll tell you a secret: I think I need to drink a little too much to write a certain scene. Is that a cop out, do you think? Too naughty? Too irresponsible? But I'm not channeling my inner Hemingway; I'm channeling my inner Bridget Jones. :) In Fielding's second novel (nothing like the movie!), Bridget writes Christmas cards while polishing off a bottle of wine. You can imagine, her letters get more and more revealing. I want to write a scene that sounds something like Bridget writing a Christmas letter to her boss, ending with (something like--I'm paraphrasing!), "and I love you not just as a boss but as a man."
What do you think? Should we all get a little shliquored, write, and then share what came out? Could be totally fuu-uun (needly sing-song). ;) Oh, man. What would Kay Ryan say?
:)
I wrote 502 words of Chapter 15 this past weekend. My goal was to write each day during the weekend, but I just managed to squeeze something out Sunday night. I find that my new work schedule is giving my brain some difficulties... I don't always know the day of the week and can't always decide what I should do next with my day.
ReplyDeleteBut, I feel, at least, my creative juices can still flow if I allow them to. The writing pleases me even if I can't seem to manage the daily things in my mind very well.
I think being "shliquored" (which is the greatest word I have read in recent memory) is perfectly appropriate -- so long as it's something you can also do without! It would relax you, I would think, and give you a slightly altered perspective. Both are valuable in writing. So, as long as you're not endangering yourself or others, knock 'em back I say!
I am in the process of writing a book. A young adult fantasy novel. There have been times when my characters surprise me with what they do. There have been times when the story goes places that I did not intend or anticipate. That's part of the magic of writing. If your characters are deep and intricate enough, they can take on a life of their own that blossoms beneath your fingertips as you write.
It's a good way to know, I think, if your characters are shallow or not. Obviously, a character without any real dimension couldn't react and flow organically with the story, while those with depth can do things unexpected (much like real people). I can't really claim credit for this phenomenon, it just seems to happen on its own during the process of writing.
(Aww, Baby, it's no fun drinking alone, and you and I both know that the hardest beverage you knock back is a Mountain Dew. Someone's gotta want to do this silly little thing with me. Surely. Surely this isn't a horrible, adolescent, irreverant idea.) :)
ReplyDeleteI love the word shliquored! Unfortunately, that fun word (and many fun drinks) has been invented seven years after I stopped drinking. I can't join you in that fun, but how about if I get caffeinated up while you get shliquored up (provided you don't get another taker)? This last portion of the book is action packed so I could use the extra 'fuel'.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, when I was at USC, we had an Academy Award winning screenwriter come in to speak with the class and he told us never to write when "coked up". I'm serious. He said once you write when on cocaine, a whole creative world will open up to you and you will never be able to write without it. Wow. Thanks for that advice. I had so many people say odd things to me in college. A casting director outed Jodie Foster to our class. He said, "She does all these tremendous love scenes with Richard Gere, which shows you what a great actress she is because everyone knows she'd much rather be with a woman." Um, no, not everyone knows that. I didn't know that. What an odd school. Okay, another overshare. I better go write. Hopefully, you at least got a chuckle out of this. I mean, really. Who needs a lecture at 21 about not writing when high on drugs??? Not that getting shliquored up is even remotely the same. It just reminded me of that story. I think you should try it (the liquor, not the coke)! I want to see how the scene comes out! Why should our characters get to have all the fun adventures? Sometimes we need to embark (or should I say embibe) on them as well.
I wrote 540 words this week. It seems like these numbers are are becoming less and less productive. I am worried about writing a book that models Dickens in order to meet any goals. (I mean in wordiness, not necessarily quality or theme.) I think it's time for me to take this journey a little more seriously. Unfortunately, next week I'll be out of town and far away from the computer for some of the week. I'll try to not let this throw me off too much.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I'd love to get shliquored up with you, Jes! We may have to plan it around my crazy work schedule, though. What did you have in mind?
I am afraid, Jes, that if I get shliquored with you that writing will the last thing on my mind. Oh, I would wax philosophical, and spew off some bad poetry... but my inner Bridget throws things at ex-boyfriend's apartments while laughing hysterically and cries to Over the Rhine Songs and tries not to drunk dial. Yeah, I am deep like Coleridge.
ReplyDeleteLOVED the stuff about the inklings... good to know they had a sense of humor (however sardonic)
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