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nightbird at 07:07pm on 27/04/2009
nightbird at 07:07pm on 27/04/2009Sometimes I worry about things that tend to work themselves out on their own.
This novel I'm hoping to start on soon, I'm fretting that it won't Say Something. Like, it's going to be a splendid quest story in a really neat and surreal setting that will be a ton of fun to build, but I know with shorter stories, I'm able to say beforehand, "This is about constructed families!" or "This is about first impressions," and it feels like I'm Operating on a Higher Level of Storytelling (or something to that effect).
Like most time spent fretting, I know intellectually that this will be wasted time, and that this story will have all the moving pieces that people talk about in lit classes the world over. But being a control freak is so much more fun.
This novel I'm hoping to start on soon, I'm fretting that it won't Say Something. Like, it's going to be a splendid quest story in a really neat and surreal setting that will be a ton of fun to build, but I know with shorter stories, I'm able to say beforehand, "This is about constructed families!" or "This is about first impressions," and it feels like I'm Operating on a Higher Level of Storytelling (or something to that effect).
Like most time spent fretting, I know intellectually that this will be wasted time, and that this story will have all the moving pieces that people talk about in lit classes the world over. But being a control freak is so much more fun.
queasy
(no subject)
In my experience (that's both me writing, and me watching other people write, and me talking to writers), the more you set out to "say something" that will be heralded in Lit classes, the less likely you are to set forth a compelling story. Not ALWAYS, obviously, but it seems to be a disturbing trend. Conversely, if you just set out to tell a good story, it tends to "Say Something" anyway, whether it be about the corruption of power, or that sometimes people may have to let themselves be seen as villains in order to do the right thing, or the fact that you cannot completely separate the perceived "bad" from the perceived "good" in the world without everything falling down around you eventually.
And those are just examples of what my current novel-in-outlining looks like it might say. I just wanted to tell a good story.
Granted, it's all about how your brain works, too, but... you tell a damn good story, girly. Focus on the story, and the meaning will be there whether you plan it or not.
(no subject)
(no subject)
*solemn sage nod*
And hey, even if you already know it, sometimes it's good to hear it from someone else. <3
(no subject)
Or, well, okay, that's not strictly true, but it's true enough. ♥
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They might have meaning for future readers, they might not. I can't really control that, so I'm just focusing on telling the best story I can. You tell amazing stories, lady. You've got nothing to worry about.
(no subject)