I May Be A Bad Writer
Now, before many of you start sending the “No you’re not! Keep at it!” posts (which are always welcome) that’s not what I’m getting at. Though hopefully I have your attention.
I’m taking an online class through a Yahoo Group. This one is on Voice: theme, tone, etc. and how we incorporate all that into our writing.
Now the exercises are useful. Don’t get me wrong. The instructor knows what she’s talking about. That’s all good. What makes me a “bad” writer is the fact that I don’t think about that kind of thing. I don’t write stories with a “message”. I don’t think about what my “theme” is going to be in the story. Maybe I should. Would it make me a better writer to think about those things more actively?
But all those literary things we always had to pull out of readings in English class in school? Yeah, I don’t put those in on purpose. I try to tell (I hope) an entertaining story. I try not to have an agenda when I write — unless there’s a theme to the anthology. If I’m actively working toward a specific THEME/tone/voice, does that effort take away from getting the story out and on paper?
Does that make me a bad writer? A normal writer? Or is it what makes me a “writer” and not an “Author”? I’m curious.
3 Comments
Bad writer! Naughty naughty! *waves around rolled up newspaper*
I’m the same way as you, so obviously I’m biased, but I have to say I hope that doesn’t makes us “bad” writers. I think there are basically two types of writers: those who want to spin a good yarn, and those who want to illuminate the human condition. There is, of course, overlap of purpose there but I’m talking about personal focus. If my stories illuminate the human condition through thoughtful use of theme, POV, elegant crafting, etc., then GO ME! But my focus is on the “spin a good yarn” part. The geniuses among us manage to do both, but frankly, I’m not THAT good. Practicing literary crafting exercises are great and useful, I agree, but they will never make my writing “literature.” Is that a lowering of my standards or acceptance of my limitations or putting a judgment value on a style of writing? I don’t know; but I am finally coming to terms with the fact that I have my place and I just need to try to do that as best I can. I still wonder though, sometimes, if that simply makes me the “bad writer”. *sigh*
Interesting questions. I sometimes wonder about the same things both in my writing and in my artwork — where, also, you can take classes and learn about how other artists put themes and other messages into their work far beyond what you see on a page or in a painting.
I don’t know that I intentionally put in certain themes or messages but that they tend to develop out of the characters I’m drawn to write aout. Or, rather, after years of writing I’ve come to realize there are certain ideas and themes that I unintentionally keep going back to or being compelled to write about. I’ve had people pick on things after the fact in my writing I did not consciously notice as I was constructing a story.
That said, the favorite (and longest) piece of mine I’ve written DID end up developing a message and theme as I was roughing it together…and once I had that in mind, it helped all the other pieces of the story fall into place. But it wasn’t the starting point, nor was it that I sat down and out of nowhere said “Today, I am going to write a story about ‘The Rhythms of Life’!”
I guess it can be frustrating to think about, too. Like, “Omg, not only do I have to stick to the rules of grammar and come up with a plot and characters, I have to have a THEME?! A message?!” In art, I remember feeling “Omg, not only do I have to know anatomy, now I have to understand how to compose to the Golden Rule?! And do all this other stuff I never even noticed before in paintings?” And it didn’t/doesn’t all come at once, but now, sometimes I do find myself thinking about how to add these other elements to my paintings–how to not just think “pretty picture” but if I can compose an image with greater harmony or maybe actually tell a story of some kind in a still life.
Anyway, thanks for an interesting blog. Stuff to think about, certainly.
I was going to take that class but got distracted. May still try and catch up… As for voice…I just write. Whatever happens happens…maybe that’s why I don’t sell much. 😉