This editorial will be an opportunity for me to comment on my vision of writing. I will also try to bring a personal look at literary news. Do not hesitate to let me know in the comments, if you wish, that in addition to the articles, these editorials become a new event.
In view of the aforementioned points (willingness to express my thoughts at the moment), you will understand why I favor here a free format, more spontaneous. Today, I have chosen as my subject writing advice from Ghostwritingllc. They are professional writers in their organization which gives you best advices regarding writing.
Did you say something fake?
Indeed, you could imagine that I follow my peers with interest: books, websites, blogs that are directly or indirectly interested in writing. And, it is not by chance, if every morning, I see seventeen letters pouring into my mailbox, describing a particular method of characterization or the narrative structure to adopt.
Except today, there is something that disturbs me.
At the moment, I find it difficult to put a word to the unease I feel. That same unease that comes over you, when you chat with someone you don’t like and you two act like nothing has happened! But, if, in this situation, the hypocritical smile of the concerned person reinforces the air of falsehood, I wondered what the source was today. I had to solve the crime …
Letting this idea germinate in my mind, without identifying the ins and outs, I decided to stop reading this pile of emails and go prepare my coffee. It will not be until a little later that the epiphany will spring.
The calm before the storm
For now, morning ritual requires, I get down to writing my morning page. Listening to the Beach Boys Christmas Album (even though Christmas was long past), I let my imagination run wild.
Almost naturally, the lines scroll across my screen and a dancer story gradually takes shape. This story takes an unexpected turn, darker, far from the carefree beginnings. On rereading this morning page, I find it almost insignificant; I don’t tell much and have no particular intention. I wrote this passage with the idea of transcribing the Christmas atmosphere. I suggest that you read this passage, the imperfections of which you will excuse (because it was not intended to be broadcast):
“Mist covered the windows. Snowflakes settled on the tiles, making them sizzle. Pta … Pka … Tlt… This crackling sounded like the sound of falling rain on a vacant lot. It wasn’t just the sound waves that made the mansion vibrate. A ray of light, strong, warm, warmed the interior, revealing here and there the roughness: cracked tiling, stains on the glass, dust swirling like a ballerina. And yes, in one of the rooms of this mansion, a young girl was also dancing like a ballerina. The movement was measured, but almost bestial. She turned around herself, on tiptoes, sometimes resting them, before resuming her merry-go-round. Breathless, exhausted, she would sometimes breathe out. The sun was flooding her. Nothing could stop him anymore.
The young girl was concentrated, she had an eagle look. Suddenly she fell.
On the ground. A crackle. Ouch! The young girl let out a cry of pain. Her scarlet cheeks grew in color. Quick. She tried to get up, but failed, crushing her knee from which blood flowed. She heard footsteps in the hallway, adjoining her bedroom. Wanting to call for help, she opened her blue lips without being able to let out a cry. Her heart was pounding and she felt an icy wind sweep through her from within. She lay on her side, watching the dried blood on the floor. Now the blinding sun was hitting her face; paralyzed and warmed at the same time by this luminous finger, she could still glimpse the window. A gray, a dark brown, ramifications …
The majestic oak stood before her. She smiled for no one knew what reason. Two hours later, the door was opened. “
To tell you the truth, I didn’t bother to reread myself or think about what I was doing. I even intentionally kept some errors scattered here and there (the crackling of snowflakes!). However, I felt great pleasure writing this short story.
The pot of roses
My only goal was to evoke the Christmas atmosphere: snow, garlands, the sweet taste of dreams and celebration. In other words, I let my heart speak and, describing the hurt that the protagonist undergoes, I despite myself established a contrast (moving away from the initial intention). What if it wasn’t after all that, writing, taking unexpected paths, painting striking pictures, telling exciting situations?
And that’s when I thought about the disappointment of the morning. The discomfort felt when reading the emails. What if this air of falsehood was ultimately due to only one thing? In short: the technique. Are we not too interested in technique, to the point of forgetting that writing feels, is experienced, and expresses a subjectivity?
Doesn’t making prose supposed to imagine an idea, a person, a place, a taste, a noise in his mind and to try to describe it with words, metaphors, figures of speech? After all, isn’t the goal to touch the reader, to describe the imperceptible, to say the unspeakable, and to think outside the box?
It’s your turn
I am far from suggesting that we should stop talking about writing techniques and abandon this denomination. I simply think that writing should not be reduced to a recipe, a collection of methods.
Yes, it would be good to remember from time to time that writing is not an exact science. It appeals to our emotions, appeals to our subjectivity. Modern literature can sometimes be full of clichés (I wouldn’t cite some successful fiction writers who tend to repeat themselves from novel to novel).
I also take this editorial to advise (especially those who say they do not have time to write) to devote fifteen minutes to write from scratch a description, an action scene, a dialogue and convey an emotion . I even promise to give you my opinion, if you share your extract in the comments. Because, basically, a good author must be able to express himself freely and embark on a quest: the search for a certain truth, his own.
I really appreciate this passage discovered on Wikipedia, Which reveals the interpretive dimension of writing:
“This transmission of thoughts by the abstraction of words is in essence approximate: the word does not touch the object, it remains a signifier distinct from the signified, and inevitably connoted. The reader is free to interpret what he reads. Knowing this, the writer therefore uses writing by its evocations, by the possible meanings of a word. ”
So, to express this truth, the writer must be looking for the right word. However, this can only be done at the cost of multiple proofreading to ensure overall consistency. Moreover, the author of Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert said that “the difficult thing in literature is knowing what not to say.” The French Jean Guenot distinguished writing the novel in ”thin film ” of writing in ” thick layers “. According to him, in writing in thick layers, the correction is done during the first draft with immediate feedback on a word or a sentence. As for the first case, the first draft is written as quickly as possible: according to the surrealists, it is the jet of emotions, without restraint, which is only read again once completed.
If I advocate the second approach like Stephen King does, I think during the writing you need to ask yourself a few questions. Here is a rather exhaustive list, proposed by the Englishman George Orwell , famous for his dystopian novel, 1984:
- What am I trying to say?
- What words express what I mean?
- What image, what figure of speech will express this idea more clearly?
- Is this image original enough to have an effect on the reader?
You will understand, ladies and gentlemen! Through this editorial, I invite you, together, to rediscover the magic of writing. Moreover, I intend to adapt the editorial line of the blog accordingly. Without forgetting my motto (practice always practice), the purpose would be no longer just to provide advice to apprentice writers, but to help them reveal their potential, find their Voice , understand their deep motivation and therefore motivate them. Tell me what you think.
Finally, wishing you a good start to the week, I let you meditate on these quotes:
“A book must be the ax that breaks the frozen sea within us. » Franz Kafka
« Writing is always an art full of encounters. The simplest letter involves a choice of thousands of words, most of which are foreign to what you want to say. ”Alain
” Writing is an act of love. If it’s not, it’s only writing. » Jean Cocteau
« Writing is the painting of the voice. » Voltaire
So, are you ready for some dreamlike new adventures? 😉
