Confessions of A Writer Literary Article |
Damn! I'm sitting here at the computer with all the themes in my head and none of them are working. Everything I put on the page, virtually all the ones I think are clever or unique, she hates. She is the love of my life, my inspiration and editor, my wife, Sandra. She is also uncompromising, exceptionally well read and intelligent. Nothing escapes her. Unfortunately, she often does not know how to tell me what is wrong, only that it stinks. Since I'm generally too egotistical and stubborn to accept advice from professionals, I have to look deep within myself to analyze my writing faults. The toughest challenge initially, even though I knew what "kill your darlings" meant, to eliminate your favorite expressions, was to realize that readers do not want to be reminded of my problems because they all have their own. If I really want to write about an atrocious situation, for example, I have to remove myself from the equation. Eliminating ego altogether, so that the reader can step into the shoes of the characters and see it through their eyes, was my first big step towards becoming a decent writer. Readers do not want to hear my complaints. They are sick and tired of their unhappiness. The question always becomes, how do I make them sympathize with or hate a character without letting them know it's me steering them in that direction. It's a type of manipulation, actually, but very hard to accomplish and remain consistent. It is also one of the biggest reasons why revision is necessary. You cannot let them get the slightest glimpse of being drawn into identifying the author in the story. Finally, I finish a chapter to my novel after mowing the weeds and she tells me, "This doesn't work. That can be phrased better. This whole paragraph has to go. I don't like these words. You can do better than this and that. This is totally illogical and doesn't make sense. And that sentence sucks." We haven't even reached correcting punctuation and sentence structure yet. Each point she raises must be analyzed carefully, because she has an instinctive flair for knowing something well expressed. I revise and revise, chop things to pieces and rephrase, seeking better terms. I remember the words of a creative writing teacher from high school. "If you can't be original and use unique combinations of words, your wasting everyone's time. If it's been said before, don't repeat it." It's the same with poetry. I always take my time thinking of a worthy theme, then muse for however long, even days, until new word combinations come to me, phrases I know are uncommon. Once I get a few of those, I write them down and start developing it, specifically looking for fine, artistic touches guaranteed to get attention. Then I speak it aloud or have Sandra do it for me. Poetry is an oral art originally and I believe in that impact. Once I have a decent or potential strophe, rhymed or not, I think of ways to increase the tension or beauty with succeeding verses, always making certain the message is constant and does not stray. Sometimes it takes days. Sometimes, the entire message just flows, one word after another without a single revision needed. After editing my works for a few years, I gained more experience editing those of others. I'm to the point now where my mistakes are rare, except for the typos caused by bad vision. Occasionally, my eidetic memory fakes me out, having learned or misinterpreted something incorrectly years ago. For the most part, technical editing makes my writing a great deal easier now than it was when I began. Editing for content always is the more laborious activity. There always seems to be a best way to phrase anything. What are some of the big nevers? Never repeat a word on a page unless it's absolutely necessary. Never write anything that does not move toward the conclusion of your theme. Never assume you know what you are saying without research or direct experience. Never bore the reader with trivialities. Never be satisfied that your work is perfect, for there are always higher levels of perfection. Never drag something out that can be concise unless you have a very good reason for doing so. Of course, there are hundreds more of these, most of which every author needs to identify personally. Writing is work and takes time and energy. Thinking can actually make you sweat and lose weight, just by sitting there. Common stumbling blocks are the names of titles and characters, specific terms needed to clarify an image, employing original combinations of terms, and beginnings and endings. For names, I always rely on Tolkien's philosophy. Once the theme is riveted in place, every name and title must reflect upon it unmistakably. When he spoke of evil forces, the names were hard sounding with g's and k's, like Morgoth, Grishnakh and balrogs. The good elves were gentle soft sounds, like Galadriel and Elrond. It works for me. As for specific terms, if one doesn't exist that satisfies, author's have the license to coin new words. There's nothing wrong with that if the sound of it is appealing and suggestive. Why use the common expression, "hot as a furnace" when you can combine thermal and oven to make "therven" or "venmal." It works for fantasies. Beginnings? The sooner you sink the hook, the quicker you grab the reader and force them to want to read on. Endings? I find it best not to give the reader what they expect. If they can predict it easily, you've lost their attention. If they are startled, they will remember both you and the story, especially if your last sentence pounds the message home with a hammer. I don't let the sad state of today's publishing business get to me. When I write, it's first for my satisfaction, then Sandra's, then the public. When I'm gone, it will be the public's for eternity. Do I let screenplays influence me? No! They have taken a huge chunk of the reading public and converted them to visual art connoisseurs. Screenplays cannot duplicate narrative, just scenery and facial expressions. No screenplay can succeed without first being based upon a good tale. Good tales rely on storytellers, which is what I now am. I'll stick to what I do best. Will stories go away? I doubt it. The medium can change, but not the need for imagination and insight. Is poetry dead? The publishers would like you to think so because they no longer have what it takes to market it. The truth is, poetry satisfies a basic human need for beauty. So long as that exists, so will this elegant art. W. A. Rieser |
