Thank you for highlighting the often pages long acknowledgements that CONSISTENTLY prove writing is not and never has been a solitary endeavor.
Re: The emotional journey. It's weird that this sound so radical when applied to genre in books when it's SO obvious when it comes to visual media. I don't watch Ted Lasso or Sort Of because "I like sitcoms" (I definitely don't like sitcoms) but because they are guaranteed to be heartwarming and leave me feeling good. I avoid watching horror because I don't need more anxiety than my brain already gives me. But I *can* watch very cheesy, bad horror because it's goofy and that makes me laugh and feel good. I generally hate romcoms because they're almost always a reflection of the worst things about straight culture, but you give me an indie lesbian romcom and I am entranced by the familiarity.
So yeah. The emotional journey is core to why I like to watch the things I watch and obviously is also core to why I like to read the things I read. And when a book I'm reading isn't working for me, it's often because the emotional journey isn't vibing or is taking me to emotions I don't want to be feeling when reading is something I do for pleasure.
"Comparatively, as I write this essay, I know you are there."
🙏😍
I am. We are.
Lovely and thought provoking (as always). For me, good fiction writing and storytelling is all about the feels and emotion. I want to go on a journey, yes, but I want to be moved, to feel something, to fall for the characters, to be there *with* them and hurt with them and be in awe as they are in awe.
There's a lot out there that's already been said (and continues to be said) for the writer to consider when it comes to 'craft,' and how to make it all come together in a way that's 100% authentic. I don't know if my acknowledging that advances the conversation at all haha. It's just that there are piles and piles and piles of it to sift through. I've definitely been lost in said piles on numerous occasions.
A couple of things did come to mind while reading that I thought could be worth sharing:
- Stephen King's On Writing was the first place that I was turned on to the idea of having an Ideal Reader for your work -- someone who you're writing to every time you sit down to advance your work of fiction. I haven't read the book in a while, but I remember it being helpful. Personally, I seem to write to two Ideal Readers: my wife, and also my friend, with whom I've been swapping work for over ten years now. People I trust, with tastes that are similar to my own -- and, they're two people who can make the jump with me from genre to genre, if that's the way I want it all to go.
- If you're a fan of Ursula's (I'm a huge fan of hers), you might find her Conversations on Writing helpful (https://tinhouse.com/book/ursula-k-le-guin-conversations-on-writing/). It's something I try to return to with some frequency, just because I love her and her narrative wisdom so much.
Thank you for highlighting the often pages long acknowledgements that CONSISTENTLY prove writing is not and never has been a solitary endeavor.
Re: The emotional journey. It's weird that this sound so radical when applied to genre in books when it's SO obvious when it comes to visual media. I don't watch Ted Lasso or Sort Of because "I like sitcoms" (I definitely don't like sitcoms) but because they are guaranteed to be heartwarming and leave me feeling good. I avoid watching horror because I don't need more anxiety than my brain already gives me. But I *can* watch very cheesy, bad horror because it's goofy and that makes me laugh and feel good. I generally hate romcoms because they're almost always a reflection of the worst things about straight culture, but you give me an indie lesbian romcom and I am entranced by the familiarity.
So yeah. The emotional journey is core to why I like to watch the things I watch and obviously is also core to why I like to read the things I read. And when a book I'm reading isn't working for me, it's often because the emotional journey isn't vibing or is taking me to emotions I don't want to be feeling when reading is something I do for pleasure.
"Comparatively, as I write this essay, I know you are there."
🙏😍
I am. We are.
Lovely and thought provoking (as always). For me, good fiction writing and storytelling is all about the feels and emotion. I want to go on a journey, yes, but I want to be moved, to feel something, to fall for the characters, to be there *with* them and hurt with them and be in awe as they are in awe.
Great piece. Thanks for sharing.
There's a lot out there that's already been said (and continues to be said) for the writer to consider when it comes to 'craft,' and how to make it all come together in a way that's 100% authentic. I don't know if my acknowledging that advances the conversation at all haha. It's just that there are piles and piles and piles of it to sift through. I've definitely been lost in said piles on numerous occasions.
A couple of things did come to mind while reading that I thought could be worth sharing:
- Stephen King's On Writing was the first place that I was turned on to the idea of having an Ideal Reader for your work -- someone who you're writing to every time you sit down to advance your work of fiction. I haven't read the book in a while, but I remember it being helpful. Personally, I seem to write to two Ideal Readers: my wife, and also my friend, with whom I've been swapping work for over ten years now. People I trust, with tastes that are similar to my own -- and, they're two people who can make the jump with me from genre to genre, if that's the way I want it all to go.
- If you're a fan of Ursula's (I'm a huge fan of hers), you might find her Conversations on Writing helpful (https://tinhouse.com/book/ursula-k-le-guin-conversations-on-writing/). It's something I try to return to with some frequency, just because I love her and her narrative wisdom so much.