This particular first exercise says to write for ten minutes, undisturbed, a form response to the following: "When readers read my novels, I want them to feel ______________ at the end. That's because, to me, novels are _________________"
Tells me to "write from the gut, quickly."
And so hence, we ramble.
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I want my readers to feel like they read the funniest, most random piece of witty garbage ever laid upon a computer screen/recycled old F-essay paper. When I go back and read my old junk, I still laugh -- partly because I remember the craziness that was the college experiences -- and even get into a deep bout of mixed emotions, reading through the sadder portions of my pieces. Then to see a rebound where everything's back and sunny again, it's really a show of how writing should be: random as hell, and unpredictable.
To me, novels are a medium in which to pass along an idea, theory or dream in an entertaining and gripping manner. You can give bullet points to every moment in history or religion, and cover the basis without much quarrel other than whether what's written is fact or fiction, but to tell an elaborate, fluffed up, yo-yo inspired tale is to care about how an audience tastes the art you produce. It's like eating a delicatessen, like sushi. The sushi item -- tuna is fantastic -- is chopped into tiny little pieces and wrapped inside a little mini-wall of rice. You shouldn't just eat it that way, because you would miss out on the experience of true sushi. You're supposed to break out the chopsticks (if you're me, you take to the two-handed clampers role, like you're at a Chuckie Cheese's and there's a stuffed animal at the bottom of the glass container that's been sitting there since the 70s just waiting to sit there for another 40 years) and then get hold of the tuna piece, dip it in the wasabi and soy sauce that you have to mix up -- to the right blend, mind you, lest you want hot air and fresh bodily fluids to quickly emerge from your eye sockets like teenagers heading off to a Jonas Brothers concert -- and then, finally, take a bite, appreciating the blend of rice (for absorbing the spice), wasabi (for burning eye sockets out) and sauce (a poor attempt at making you survive the mouth burning sensation that is wasabi). Then, once you're finished, you have to take a bite of ginger shaving to clear your palette and start anew.
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That was ten minutes of my ramble. I must admit that once the time limit hit, I went back and tried to spell-check the thing (well, Firefox has the built-in spell-check, that judging piece o' 10th grade English teacher). Turns out it hates the word "wasabi" as shown by the red squiggly below it. As a self-censoring grown-up would say, "Ef it."
So the book tells me I should analyze my mini-essay. I'm supposed to find out the following:
- What does it tell you about the type of plotter you may be?
- Are you suspicious of plot?
- Are you more concerned with the "gossamer wings" of literary style?
- And an addendum -- If so, consider how your writing might be doubled in strength if you learn some plotting craft.
What kind of plotter am I? I think I'm the kind who likes to build up the climax of the story. Not just that, I like to build up even the most mundane details of the story, just to try and drag someone to the edge of a cliff at every possible moment. Also, I like to throw in side comments to add my own comedy to water down the possibly serious point I'm making.
I'm only suspicious of plot when I think there's going to be a random turn incoming. Or, that while someone's leading up to a climax or big plot, that it'll let down. Feelings of surprise anxiety, maybe? It's healthy, I believe. It has me constantly reading back through what I wrote, asking others to break down whether my plot is believeable, and what should be done differently. Or, I'd do that if I were to actually write and edit a piece that I believe in, and want to keep moving.
I had to google "gossamer wings" to find out that they are, apparently, very delicate, "almost cobweb-like" wings. I would supposed I am concerned with carefully plotting out even the most intricate details of the plot. With writing, I break down some of the most mundane details and re-read constantly to see what a better way to writing something would be. I'm a stickler, so long as I'm not in my lazy mode. Most of my stories are dragged out to every possible point when you the reader are probably like, "just tell me the f*cking point already!" I would have it no other way, you ungrateful reader, you!
I've considered how my writing would be improved if I put more into the craft of plot and so I'll try not to squander the opportunity to delve further into this book o' learning. Who knows, this could have the makings of a good trend.
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