It's Friday again! Are you all psyched? Yeah...
I am told by the CDC handouts that came home with the kids from school that what we all had was Norovirus. You know, that virus that they always freak out about when it hits a cruise ship? Except no cruise. (Bummer.) I hope none of you have had to experience it. Not pleasant.
On to more positive things.
What They Said:
If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write. ~ Somerset Maugham
What I Heard:
Emotion is everything. ~ Mr. Maugham
I have read some truly horrible books, books that made me wonder if the publisher had an editor on staff. They were repetitive, they had plot holes the size of Brazil, each paragraph had a three cliche minimum...bad stuff. But I loved them. Some of them I love so much I reread them periodically.
Similarly, I've read impeccably crafted books -- everything exactly where it should be, the language both succinct and dynamic, the plot tighter than Steven Tyler's pants -- and I put a bookmark in them and never picked them up again. Most times, it's not even a conscious choice; I simply forget about them.
A few years ago, when I decided to become a clown in this particular rodeo and lassoed me some writing seriousity, I started to ask myself why. Why does this technically horrible book keep me up all night, unable to stop turning pages, while the editor's dream is completely forgotten before I close the book?
Because the "bad" book made me feel something: horror, pity, love, tension, warmth -- something. The "good" book left me wanting, and not in the right way. I needed a reason to care.
Look, craft is important. Tight writing, thoughtful plotting, good pacing, grammar, spelling, syntax, rhythm -- these are all essential things for any would-be career author to learn (and they can be learned). However, the ability to evoke emotion in your reader trumps everything.
Make 'em feel it. That's the ticket. (cliche!)
What makes you keep reading (or looking, this applies to visual art, too)?
P.S. You may have noticed that there's a Facebook button over there <== in the left margin. Feel free to come on over and Like me. I promise not to do a Sally Field.
ETA: I have no idea what's going on with the wonky spacing. Blogger is weird sometimes. Sorry 'bout that.
Blogger does that to me sometimes, too.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about evoking emotion. A good storyteller will do that, regardless of the mechanics. I'd much rather read a good story than "excellent writing." Of course, ideally I'd like both.
Both is always the goal. :)
DeleteI think that you nailed it with the emotions. No matter how beautifully written, if a story doesn't engage me they only get 100 pages (actually less than that now that I have my kindle) and then I move on.
ReplyDeleteI'm finding the older I get, the less time I'll give to a book that's not working. Maybe it's a midlife crisis thing.
DeleteAll kinds of emotion.
ReplyDeleteGood sex.
I stop reading if I don't care about the characters, or if the setting is too jarring for me. I rarely read fantasy for that very fact. But I've made it through a few because the characters are well written.
Visual art is similar. I'm not a huge fan of modern art. My brain needs to recognize something in the creation. However, I did just watch a documentary on an exhibition at the Guggenheim, where the artist explained what the pieces represented. It made me more interested. I guess you've got to spell it out for me, or make it really pretty.
Boo for Norovirus! I'm glad you're all better. I refuse to cruise. See Italy for an example why.
Boo for Norovirus! I'm happy it stayed up there!
That's the trick to good sex in a book, emotion. (IRL, it's enthusiasm. ;) )
DeleteI've cruised once. At sea, I was nauseated. (No puking, though. I have a will of iron.) In port, I was fine. Also, it's important to sail a cruise line whose emergency staff speak your language.
That's funny. I inserted a comment, so you got it twice.
ReplyDeleteI inserted a comment, so you got it twice.
Now I'm just screwing with ya.
Evoking emotion in me for the characters and the story keeps me reading.
ReplyDeleteYou and Somerset got it right.
Thank you, ma'am.
DeleteI totally and completely agree! Emotion is everything. I read a book that was so well done I wanted to cry.... except that I felt no emotion toward the main character at all, so I didn't really care what happened to him. (Even though he was a kid in a situation I really SHOULD have cared about!) And yes. I can overlook a LOT when the emotion is there.
ReplyDeleteUgh, that's the worst. I can let it slide if I'm all meh about peripheral characters, but you have to nail the protagonist.
DeleteI usually only know what I DON'T like. But still it's hard to pin down.
ReplyDeleteWell, if we sat somewhere together and had a snack (while I folded the laundry, yours becaused I promised) and I told you the stories/books I loved and the ones I hated YOU could figure it out. I can't.
Julie
LOL. I'd have to lock the cats in a room. (Of course, them being cats, they'd probably jimmy the lock.)
ReplyDeleteOh hell, I forgot about those bastards, oops, I mean those beloved wee pets of yours.
DeleteRight, new plan. I'll get back to you on that then.
Julie
I have to like the characters. I'll forgive a lot if I care about them. On the other hand, years ago I read Jane Urquhart's Away, which had won awards etc, and her writing was exquisite, SO beautiful... but the story left me cold.
ReplyDeleteAs previously stated, it's always best if you can have both. However, if I have to choose, please dearGodinheaven, make me care.
Delete