Some writerly thoughts
Mar. 18th, 2006 04:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jebbypalI'll preface this with the caveat that I don't expect comments to this in one way or another, it's just something that occurred to me about writers that I like and what I feel my weaknesses in writing to be.
It occured to me a few minutes ago that there is a common thread among writers whose work I enjoy (and that could probably be extended to screenwriters, but we'll leave that for another post) - amazing characterization. The characters are alive. I could have a conversation with them and predict what their responses are because the authors have fleshed them out so well. As much as I enjoy the occassional fluff of a Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum novel (and this is in some cases a generalization. I haven't read one for years now) or something action oriented, I couldn't predict what a dinner conversation with Jack Ryan would be like because he is no more than a slave to the plot device. What we know about him derives directly from what occurs in the plot of several novels.
In contrast, I would love to be able to pick the brain of almost any character from a Robert Heinlein or Octavia Butler novel. I feel like I know them as well as any of my best friends, and while I'd love to be surprised, I'm reasonably confident that a conversation with one would happen much like it does in my head. They live and breathe even thoughh they exist only on the dry paper and text and my fleshly brain. Granted, I'm somewhat out of love with Heinlein after rereading Friday over Christmas -- I realize that most of his adult novels are PEOPLE just sitting around and talking. And while the philosophies were eye opening and comforting as a teen, 20 rereads later, it's boring to see the same conversation you remember verbatim.
And now I've fallen in love with Octavia Butler's writing, may she rest in peace. I haven't read many of her novels, three now to be exact, but the most recent (I suck at remembering the names of novels, sorry) Wild Seed contained a lot of just talking, but the characters who did the talking were complete and I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what they discovered over the course of their life. They were whole people whom I feel cheated to not be able to meet in the flesh.
Realizing this, I came to a conclusion that characterization is a skill I still lack. *holds up hands to quiet the horde* Not to say that I don't think I can capture an already created character with some precision. But creating a whole new character and bringing them fully to life on the screen, yeah, not so much. I've tried my hand at Original Character (OCs) in the past, and they have enjoyed a good reception among fanfic readers. But I still feel that even my most successful ones were built out of stereotypes and cliches and were nothing more than window dressing. Which, since the story wasn't completely about them, is probably as it should be.
And I know, figuring out how to write plot is no small accomplishment...but I still can't help but want more tools at my disposal. Plot, point of view, tenses, these things I've achieved some mastery at. World building and characterization - hurdles that still exist between me and the hope of actually deserving the title of author.
I think that's enough navel gazing for one post. Continuing it will cause rambling (assuming that it's more than that in anyone's head besides my own).
It occured to me a few minutes ago that there is a common thread among writers whose work I enjoy (and that could probably be extended to screenwriters, but we'll leave that for another post) - amazing characterization. The characters are alive. I could have a conversation with them and predict what their responses are because the authors have fleshed them out so well. As much as I enjoy the occassional fluff of a Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum novel (and this is in some cases a generalization. I haven't read one for years now) or something action oriented, I couldn't predict what a dinner conversation with Jack Ryan would be like because he is no more than a slave to the plot device. What we know about him derives directly from what occurs in the plot of several novels.
In contrast, I would love to be able to pick the brain of almost any character from a Robert Heinlein or Octavia Butler novel. I feel like I know them as well as any of my best friends, and while I'd love to be surprised, I'm reasonably confident that a conversation with one would happen much like it does in my head. They live and breathe even thoughh they exist only on the dry paper and text and my fleshly brain. Granted, I'm somewhat out of love with Heinlein after rereading Friday over Christmas -- I realize that most of his adult novels are PEOPLE just sitting around and talking. And while the philosophies were eye opening and comforting as a teen, 20 rereads later, it's boring to see the same conversation you remember verbatim.
And now I've fallen in love with Octavia Butler's writing, may she rest in peace. I haven't read many of her novels, three now to be exact, but the most recent (I suck at remembering the names of novels, sorry) Wild Seed contained a lot of just talking, but the characters who did the talking were complete and I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what they discovered over the course of their life. They were whole people whom I feel cheated to not be able to meet in the flesh.
Realizing this, I came to a conclusion that characterization is a skill I still lack. *holds up hands to quiet the horde* Not to say that I don't think I can capture an already created character with some precision. But creating a whole new character and bringing them fully to life on the screen, yeah, not so much. I've tried my hand at Original Character (OCs) in the past, and they have enjoyed a good reception among fanfic readers. But I still feel that even my most successful ones were built out of stereotypes and cliches and were nothing more than window dressing. Which, since the story wasn't completely about them, is probably as it should be.
And I know, figuring out how to write plot is no small accomplishment...but I still can't help but want more tools at my disposal. Plot, point of view, tenses, these things I've achieved some mastery at. World building and characterization - hurdles that still exist between me and the hope of actually deserving the title of author.
I think that's enough navel gazing for one post. Continuing it will cause rambling (assuming that it's more than that in anyone's head besides my own).