Matt’s
Comments
(group member since Mar 06, 2009)
Matt’s
comments
from the fiction files redux group.
Showing 321-340 of 386
back in the files someone posted a link to a site that upon entry of an author's name would then create a constellation of other authors around it who had shared subjects or themes or were otherwise in some fashion related - you could then click on any of those names and a new constellation would be generateddoes anyone remember the name of that site?
Michael wrote: "Matt wrote: "let me short circuit this semantically - the minute it gets in its own way it is in fact not good writing"Depends. Sometimes the writing can stand front and center, and still the ..."
the way I concieve of it the formulation is basically tautological - if the prose pulls you up midstride it's a fail
ps- Blood Meridian had me rolling my eyes 3 paragraphs in and quitting within 10 pages so McCarthy is a good example of where you and I part ways on this one
let me short circuit this semantically - the minute it gets in its own way it is in fact not good writing
the first movie tie in?
reasons to hate mcsweeney's:packaging is over-rated
where the hell am I supposed to put this damn odd shaped multiple book set thingy anyway and how am I going to sell it when my customers cant open the damn thing because it is triple laminated and shrink wrapped and then dipped in chocolate - no ma'am or sir that is not a chocolate bar it is a 3 book set of fiction and essays by fresh new authors also it comes with a coolection of kitsch refrigerator magnets and transfer tattoos
those snide self superior people in that booth over in the PGW aisle? yeah that really is them
Got mine today!
Jonathan wrote: " . . . sorry you haven't got your copies yet neil . . . i've alerted the "staff" which means i'll probably have to alert them three or four more times, but you'll get them . . . "me neither but they didnt have my address originally and I had to send it to them - it's been like 2 weeks now which given your description of goings on doesnt seem excessive
from personal favorite (and Portis champion par excellence) Ron Rosenbaum:http://www.slate.com/id/2219768/
it's not available in Washington state?
there was a memoir by Nick Flynn that came out some few years back and when I first saw its title I thought it was dumb but after a while I came to really appreciate and love itAnother Bullshit Night in Suck City
maybe in time you'll warm to Eddie's Bastards?
for me - rewriting is where the real work gets donealthough it does feel and is essentially a completely different process than you go through putting down the initial draft
the first year of the series basically covered the historical events surrounding the shooting of Wild Bill - which is also the subject matter of Dexter's Deadwood - in fact the tone is very similar in both and when I first saw the series (which I also enjoyed) I imdb'd around looking for some connection (to no avail)assuming Dexter's book had served as inspiration
One of the challenges of writing is...writing. Here are some tips that I've found most useful for myself, for actually getting words onto the page:1. Write something every work-day, and preferably, every day; don't wait for inspiration to strike. Staying inside a project keeps you engaged, keeps your mind working, and keeps ideas flowing. Also, perhaps surprisingly, it's often easier to do something almost every day than to do it three times a week. (This may be related to the abstainer/moderator split.)
2. Remember that if you have even just fifteen minutes, you can get something done. Don't mislead yourself, as I did for several years, with thoughts like, "If I don't have three or four hours clear, there's no point in starting."
3. Don't binge on writing. Staying up all night, not leaving your house for days, abandoning all other priorities in your life -- these habits lead to burn-out.
4. If you have trouble re-entering a project, stop working in mid-thought -- even mid-sentence -- so it's easy to dive back in later.
5. Don't get distracted by how much you are or aren't getting done. I put myself in jail.
6. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that creativity descends on you at random. Creative thinking comes most easily when you're writing regularly and frequently, when you're constantly thinking about your project.
7. Remember that lots of good ideas and great writing come during the revision stage. I've found, for myself, that I need to get a beginning, middle, and an end in place, and then the more creative and complex ideas begin to form. So I try not to be discouraged by first drafts.
8. Develop a method of keeping track of thoughts, ideas, articles, or anything that catches your attention. That keeps you from forgetting ideas that might turn out to be important, and also, combing through these materials helps stimulate your creativity. My catch-all document, where I store everything related to happiness that I don't have another place for, is more than five hundred pages long. Some people use inspiration boards; others keep scrapbooks. Whatever works for you.
9. Pay attention to your physical comfort. Do you have a decent desk and chair? Are you cramped? Is the light too dim or too bright? Make a salute--if you feel relief when your hand is shading your eyes, your desk is too brightly lit. Check your body, too: lower your shoulders, make sure your tongue isn't pressed against the top of your mouth, don't sit in a contorted way. Being physically uncomfortable tires you out and makes work seem harder.
10. Try to eliminate interruptions -- by other people, email, your phone, or poking around the Internet -- but don't tell yourself that you can only work with complete peace and quiet.
11. Over his writing desk, Franz Kafka had one word: "Wait." My brilliantly creative friend Tad Low, however, keeps a different word on his desk: "Now." Both pieces of advice are good.
12. If you're stuck, try going for a walk and reading a really good book. Virginia Woolf noted to herself: "The way to rock oneself back into writing is this. First gentle exercise in the air. Second the reading of good literature. It is a mistake to think that literature can be produced from the raw."
13. At least in my experience, the most important tip for getting writing done? Have something to say! This sounds obvious, but it's a lot easier to write when you're trying to tell a story, explain an idea, convey an impression, give a review, or whatever. If you're having trouble writing, forget about the writing and focus on what you want to communicate. For example, I remember flailing desperately as I tried to write my college and law-school application essays. It was horrible -- until in both cases I realized I had something I really wanted to say. Then the writing came easily, and those two essays are among my favorites of things I've ever written.
The Happiness Project book is due out in January. In the book, I describe my experience writing a novel in a month, inspired by Chris Baty's No Plot? No Problem! Yes, you can write a real novel in one month. It was a lot of fun.
* I always find something great on Dumb Little Man.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gretche...
much?
between stories
nice one Ben - I guess you've really taken the lessons of Maroon 5 to heart - good on you - wish I could have been there
Adrian wrote: "I've tried a few novels by Louis L'Amour. The only one I could finish was Flint. It moved along without dragging; I remember the realistic descriptions of fist-fighting.The Western ..."
here's the thing about that list: for best non-fiction no Son of the Morningstar - how am I to take such a thing as anything other than farce
JE - Deadwood is a great choice - Dexter is underappreciated - Doctorow's Welcome to Hard Times is also pretty goodI liked (and I think Ben liked)Tom Franklin's Smonk though it's a tad lurid
