Comments on: Plots Are Killing Me

By: Kofi

Kofi — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:21:00 +0000

Writing realistic dialogue has always been a snap, but prose? Has always been my Achilles hell. (That originally was a typo.) I’ve worked on it, read some classics, diagrammed a few sentences. Stopped taking creative writing classes, as they only seem to make me better and editing other people’s stuff.

My dialogue? Is still better. Maybe I should write plays or something. At least my prose doesn’t make people writhe anymore.

By: John McFetridge

John McFetridge — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:53:53 +0000

Yeah well, remember, Pynchon wasn’t always Pynchon – and I bet there’s an Amazon review for “Gravity’s Rainbow” that’s hilarious.

Now, let’s all get back to work

By: bookfraud

bookfraud — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:49:42 +0000

written: thanks for the nice words and for stopping by. it’s good to know that the same miserable rules for fiction workshops apply to poetry as well.

john: thank you, too, for the nice words.

i admit that i laughed when you described your amazon review. or rather, i laughed when you said you’d read it a few dozen times.

the thing about new characters — as opposed to new plot threads — is that it’s so hard to keep ‘em straight. “gravity’s rainbow” has 400 characters, but then again, i’m not pynchon.

By: John McFetridge

John McFetridge — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:12:49 +0000

“And for those of you who do write fiction, do you find yourself relying upon your strengths too much, so they become weaknesses?”

Strengths, right.

(I got here following a comment you made on Sarah Weinman’s blog and this looks like a nice place)

Whenever I got into trouble with my novel I introduced a new character to keep things fresh. I ended up with a big ensemble cast I really liked. And then, the first review I got on Amazon said something about it being the crappiest novel the guy had ever read, “constntly introducing new characters pointlessly,” or something like that (I only read the freakin’ review a few dozen times).

So, whatever you chose to do to keep going and finish the damn thing (and you really should), it better make you happy. Sometimes I say it took me ten years to unlearn everything I learned in creative writing classes. The truth is, mybe longer….

By: writtenwyrdd

writtenwyrdd — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:05:05 +0000

Thanks, bf. duly read and laughed at because they are entirely too true. I was in an English program with a focus on creative writing, and this behavior was particularly obvious in the poetry classes. I confess I haven’t yet mastered teh art of zipping my defensive little lips, but I do try, seeing as it does just make you look defensive.

By: bookfraud

bookfraud — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:05:59 +0000

j.: i don’t know if that’s so much a weakness as an indication of style. hell, nick carraway was a pretty passive dude, and he narrates “gatsby.” so there!

if i were to worry about writing about myself all the time, i wouldn’t write, because i’d have nothing to write about.

writtenwyrdd: welcome to b-fraud, where you’ll get twice the blog satisfaction or your money back. you can get the list of rules by clicking on the link that says “the rules” in the upper right-hand box. or maybe i’ll just e-mail ya.

thirdworst: you shouldn’t be so reticent. you never know what’s awaiting you on bonerfarm.com.

By: thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy

thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:25:46 +0000

I’m a very curious person. Despite this, I’ll will not be typing the URL from #3 into my address bar.

By: writtenwyrdd

writtenwyrdd — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:05:42 +0000

I found you via bernita’s blog. Lots of good points.

If you have some time, I’d really love to know the list of unspoken rules from your MFA course! Sounds either funny as hell or daunting; but enquiring minds want to know!

By: J

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:00:23 +0000

Everyone always tells me my lead character doesn’t do much…just observers..

Could I be writing about myself over and over?
God.
Here’s hoping not.

By: Bookfraud

Bookfraud — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:02:31 +0000

bernita: i don’t think it’s a matter of either/or, but there are few among us who can consistently master plot, characterization, pacing, poetry, etc. not saying that i can’t, for instance, but, man, is it a struggle sometimes.

travis: we all have strengths as writers. some of us, it’s plot. others, it’s terseness.

collin: i don’t understand that one. i mean, jesus — talk about something at least mildly prurient that might sell a few books. even if it didn’t happen in real life. that’s why it’s a story.