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Lost The Plot
LOST THE PLOT is a satirical piece about the process and rules of creative writing in today's climate. The narrative sets out to examine some of those rules in relation to novels eg plot, length, characters, tense, climax, endings etc in an off-the-wall way. It unashamedly loses the plot and doesn't stick to the main road but explores sidetracks. It doesn't stick to the knitting pattern but deliberately exposes the seams it's tacked together. You as reader are invited to collude with this approach to see whether, and for how long, it can be sustained. This is one of the central challenges for LOST THE PLOT.
The first port of call on the journey is the Restart course for the long-term unemployed. The Restart course, concerned as it is with prescribed rules, is a ripe environment for the exploration of writing as a valuable occupation in a world where 'market forces' predominate. Several visits are made here before going on holiday to France.
The writer as mother, and her novels as her children - conceived, nurtured, born and named - is another of the analogies visited. As mother, she blames herself for the faults in her children and also has the painstaking task of supporting them through their numerous rejections. She has the job of honing them, knocking them into shape, yet preserving their essential character. This is where the writer passes from mother to cosmetic surgeon, giving facelifts, grafting pieces here and there, as rewriting and redrafting takes place.
Comparisons between the cutting edge of writing and conceptual art are also explored. In writing terms, what is the equivalent to a pile of bricks? Blocks of SSSS's? Is it important to write for the eye as well as the ear?
These are just some of the themes explored in LOST THE PLOT which travels through the highs and lows of creative writing (among other things) en route to its target number of words (or not)!
The first port of call on the journey is the Restart course for the long-term unemployed. The Restart course, concerned as it is with prescribed rules, is a ripe environment for the exploration of writing as a valuable occupation in a world where 'market forces' predominate. Several visits are made here before going on holiday to France.
The writer as mother, and her novels as her children - conceived, nurtured, born and named - is another of the analogies visited. As mother, she blames herself for the faults in her children and also has the painstaking task of supporting them through their numerous rejections. She has the job of honing them, knocking them into shape, yet preserving their essential character. This is where the writer passes from mother to cosmetic surgeon, giving facelifts, grafting pieces here and there, as rewriting and redrafting takes place.
Comparisons between the cutting edge of writing and conceptual art are also explored. In writing terms, what is the equivalent to a pile of bricks? Blocks of SSSS's? Is it important to write for the eye as well as the ear?
These are just some of the themes explored in LOST THE PLOT which travels through the highs and lows of creative writing (among other things) en route to its target number of words (or not)!
Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2011
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