~~ too subtle for this post.
Oct. 18th, 2004 04:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaIn my 'Fantasy & Folklore' class, we were told the the main signs of Good (Academic??) Writing were a) clarity, b) economy & c) euphoniousness. Hahah, gotta love that word, especially since the professor immediately went on to define 'euphoniousness' as some form of purple prose (i.e., 'prettier sounding' means more elaborate? er? why?).
To me, clarity & economy are basically ways of saying the same thing, in a way-- writing should be no more and no less than what is enough to communicate the meaning. I would add another axis to that, though-- d) subtlety. Please, please god, let there be more subtlety in the world. It doesn't take away from clarity, either-- basically, in creative writing it means that you're allowed to form your own responses and opinions as the reader, without just being 'lectured' by the text.
This is my number one Reader's Pet Peeve, in other words: being lectured. Nothing turns me off more. Nothing. And yet I understand where it comes from-- it's a byproduct of academic writing and the analytical, or even business-type mindset behind it-- things must be 'clear'-- crystal clear-- and that's a Good Thing, right? It really appears that when the problem isn't sheer inexperience in a writer as far as technique & style (and this is actually easier to bear for me, personally), it's the confusion between creative & academic-style writing. If you're writing a paper, in other words, you'd want to construct a series of directly worded linear proofs, but such bluntness isn't necessarily desirable in a story if one wants the reader to suspend their disbelief rather than prove anything to them. And again and again, I feel that some of the most supposedly 'well written' & popular fanfics are trying to prove something to me about the characters (especially by means of repetition).
For instance, I really find I have to suspend my disbelief when it comes to fics where Harry willingly (happily) submits sexually to Draco from start to finish. I mean, it's not that I can't see it happening sometimes or even often, if the dynamic remains somewhat tense and it's a question of shifting vulnerabilities and temporary victories-- but since I definitely see submissive Harry as out of character, the scenario has to be handled subtly, focusing on the emotions involved and avoiding rationalization. Emotionally, one can play the correct keys in almost any sequence successfully, because it's not a linear, rational process-- one can believe in a character's emotions as long they seem to 'follow' on the most basic level. Describing the situation and having the characters be well-aware of this situation forces me, as the reader, to 'remember', which breaks any hold their emotions would have had over me.
The trick, I think, to reading things you don't believe in face-first, is for the writer to sneak them in. That's really at the heart of 'show don't tell'. It's not about subtlety or finesse for the -sake- of subtlety or finesse-- it's really because when I, at least, read a story, I don't want to think about what it's trying to tell me. In terms of romance fics, I really feel like starkly rational thought isn't necessarily one's best friend.
I don't want to stop and snicker knowingly about the author's motivations in making X character say or do X to another. I mean... what it comes down to, for me, is that I don't want to be a critic; I want to enjoy a piece on all levels, and have it make me feel and make me think at the same time, but neither so overwhelming that it distracts me from the sheer -presence- of the narrative which sweeps my self-conscious ego off its metaphorical feet.
I never ever want to read a story and start arguing with the -narrator- (or author) rather than the characters. I mean, arguing with the characters-- interacting with the characters-- that's what's it's about, to me, that's the emotional involvement I have showing through. But whenever one sees a bold statement that basically tells you what things are 'like'-- that baldly states, from the outside, how a character feels or who they are or what they need-- especially in a fanfic, I can easily start thinking, 'but that's not true! he's not like that at all!' And then it's just like seeing the puppeteer moving the hand-puppets-- the man under the table is now visible, and I, at least, can't help my perverse urge to watch -him- instead of the show.
To me, it all comes down to the balance between clarity and subtlety-- clarity for easy processing and subtlety to bypass the more direct analytical side of one's brain. In a way, purple prose (over-use of metaphors and adjectives/adverbs/descriptives/etc) is also more analytical than naturally flowing in that way-- if a writer states things in an overly flowery or ornate manner, I pay more attention to the framing (the words) than to the content. And one would have to be -very- good at the framing for the elaborate frame to match the picture it borders in interest. Therefore, I don't want to think about -language- either, and formal speech is just as 'unnatural' as overt judgments like "this character is like this" (vs. "this character feels/believes this") would be in 'natural' thought. That is, most people just react rather than thinking & analyzing every little thing, so a natural narrative would reflect that unless we're dealing with very analytical and self-conscious people.
I'd really like to hear the case for either Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy being such introspective thinkers.
I'm just really tired of reading OOC fics I might have enjoyed if not for them being written in a lecturing tone that makes me feel as if the writer distrusts their audience and doesn't expect them to 'get it' unless every little detail of the dynamic is verbalized and spelled out. There's 'clarity', and then there's 'the stark light of reason' which does little to benefit a wildly romantic love-story between two boys who should hate each other, to say the least.
...I'm such a bitter old fanfic queen, I swear I am. It's only been 2 and a half years, too....
~~
EDIT - After![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shaggirl's cripple!Draco drabble was followed by black_dog's second and Aja's third, I couldn't resist. Draco's so pretty when he's broken.
To me, clarity & economy are basically ways of saying the same thing, in a way-- writing should be no more and no less than what is enough to communicate the meaning. I would add another axis to that, though-- d) subtlety. Please, please god, let there be more subtlety in the world. It doesn't take away from clarity, either-- basically, in creative writing it means that you're allowed to form your own responses and opinions as the reader, without just being 'lectured' by the text.
This is my number one Reader's Pet Peeve, in other words: being lectured. Nothing turns me off more. Nothing. And yet I understand where it comes from-- it's a byproduct of academic writing and the analytical, or even business-type mindset behind it-- things must be 'clear'-- crystal clear-- and that's a Good Thing, right? It really appears that when the problem isn't sheer inexperience in a writer as far as technique & style (and this is actually easier to bear for me, personally), it's the confusion between creative & academic-style writing. If you're writing a paper, in other words, you'd want to construct a series of directly worded linear proofs, but such bluntness isn't necessarily desirable in a story if one wants the reader to suspend their disbelief rather than prove anything to them. And again and again, I feel that some of the most supposedly 'well written' & popular fanfics are trying to prove something to me about the characters (especially by means of repetition).
For instance, I really find I have to suspend my disbelief when it comes to fics where Harry willingly (happily) submits sexually to Draco from start to finish. I mean, it's not that I can't see it happening sometimes or even often, if the dynamic remains somewhat tense and it's a question of shifting vulnerabilities and temporary victories-- but since I definitely see submissive Harry as out of character, the scenario has to be handled subtly, focusing on the emotions involved and avoiding rationalization. Emotionally, one can play the correct keys in almost any sequence successfully, because it's not a linear, rational process-- one can believe in a character's emotions as long they seem to 'follow' on the most basic level. Describing the situation and having the characters be well-aware of this situation forces me, as the reader, to 'remember', which breaks any hold their emotions would have had over me.
The trick, I think, to reading things you don't believe in face-first, is for the writer to sneak them in. That's really at the heart of 'show don't tell'. It's not about subtlety or finesse for the -sake- of subtlety or finesse-- it's really because when I, at least, read a story, I don't want to think about what it's trying to tell me. In terms of romance fics, I really feel like starkly rational thought isn't necessarily one's best friend.
I don't want to stop and snicker knowingly about the author's motivations in making X character say or do X to another. I mean... what it comes down to, for me, is that I don't want to be a critic; I want to enjoy a piece on all levels, and have it make me feel and make me think at the same time, but neither so overwhelming that it distracts me from the sheer -presence- of the narrative which sweeps my self-conscious ego off its metaphorical feet.
I never ever want to read a story and start arguing with the -narrator- (or author) rather than the characters. I mean, arguing with the characters-- interacting with the characters-- that's what's it's about, to me, that's the emotional involvement I have showing through. But whenever one sees a bold statement that basically tells you what things are 'like'-- that baldly states, from the outside, how a character feels or who they are or what they need-- especially in a fanfic, I can easily start thinking, 'but that's not true! he's not like that at all!' And then it's just like seeing the puppeteer moving the hand-puppets-- the man under the table is now visible, and I, at least, can't help my perverse urge to watch -him- instead of the show.
To me, it all comes down to the balance between clarity and subtlety-- clarity for easy processing and subtlety to bypass the more direct analytical side of one's brain. In a way, purple prose (over-use of metaphors and adjectives/adverbs/descriptives/etc) is also more analytical than naturally flowing in that way-- if a writer states things in an overly flowery or ornate manner, I pay more attention to the framing (the words) than to the content. And one would have to be -very- good at the framing for the elaborate frame to match the picture it borders in interest. Therefore, I don't want to think about -language- either, and formal speech is just as 'unnatural' as overt judgments like "this character is like this" (vs. "this character feels/believes this") would be in 'natural' thought. That is, most people just react rather than thinking & analyzing every little thing, so a natural narrative would reflect that unless we're dealing with very analytical and self-conscious people.
I'd really like to hear the case for either Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy being such introspective thinkers.
I'm just really tired of reading OOC fics I might have enjoyed if not for them being written in a lecturing tone that makes me feel as if the writer distrusts their audience and doesn't expect them to 'get it' unless every little detail of the dynamic is verbalized and spelled out. There's 'clarity', and then there's 'the stark light of reason' which does little to benefit a wildly romantic love-story between two boys who should hate each other, to say the least.
...I'm such a bitter old fanfic queen, I swear I am. It's only been 2 and a half years, too....
~~
EDIT - After
shaggirl's cripple!Draco drabble was followed by black_dog's second and Aja's third, I couldn't resist. Draco's so pretty when he's broken.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-10-19 08:37 am (UTC)Sorry, haha, I'm so mean OMG. No, I know what you mean. I agree with what you're saying in the sense that I'm a firm proponent of "show not tell" in the stuff I read. But then, I can never tell if I put it into practice in my own writing, so I might be sort of a hypocrite? Heh. But I mean, for example, I don't necessarily need to have a detailed physical description of the character in whatever I'm reading in order to feel like I know them/see them/relate to them/whatever. So yeah.
And also, this has nothing to do with anything (cause I'm also a firm proponent of randomness, y'know) but do you know anything about Prague? I'm asking everyone this, lol. Cause I've started this fic which takes place there, who knows why, and then realized I know nothing about Prague, so I've spent the whole morning researching it. I AM SO LAME. And also I've been researching guns for another fic, cause clearly we could all use some more violence and gore. Except not. I am obviously Not Right In The Head, but then I never have been, really, haha.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-19 12:38 pm (UTC)I haven't really noticed The Problem with you. It's not that all exposition is EV01 OMG!!1 it's just... a question of how you approach said exposition, and whether you use the pov correctly, and whether you say things directly which are not -supposed- to be said directly, like if it's an emotional issue and especially if the whole fic is written like a bluescript of some sort. Like, that example of "Draco was amazed and so aroused that Harry would give up all his power to him and let himself be fucked" (paraphrasing).
...I'm starting to think this post didn't make sense in quite the way it did for me 'cause I didn't provide context. But then, who really wants me to point at specific (popular, 'well-written') fics and say, 'here, see! THIS IS BAD!' But, I mean, I think that would've helped.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-19 01:45 pm (UTC)I meant to ask...d'ya like your fantasy & folklore class? I was thinking about taking something like that next semester - it's already time to think about registering, aghhh! I, like, stalk my advisor, but man, she's no help at all. She's like one of those New Age chicks who's like, "You should do what you want. It doesn't matter what other people think. Have some tea." Seriously. And I'm thinking, "I'm not asking for life advice. I'm just asking if I'll have to write a lot of papers in this class. You're my advisor. ADVISE ME, DAMMIT!" *ahem* Clearly I've been dealing with this all day.
I sort of get what you're saying. (I think?) Or at least I understand what you mean in theory. (Shhh, you could e-mail me what ones you meant, I won't tell...er. Haha.) I'm only kidding, and since I probably haven't read most of them, I wouldn't really get it, anyway. I think...I just think that people approach things differently, and some people feel compelled to explain everything, and some people just don't. I know I tend to vacillate between 'not enough' and 'way too much' in terms of explanation. Or, I think...at least I used to, when I was younger. Um. So I understand where that compulsion to explain everything OMG! comes from. Y'know? But then I tend to actually enjoy reading stuff that's more...stark or spare, I guess?...in its description. But then it entirely depends on the context and the author and other factors as well. Dude. If you even got what I meant, cause I totally just confused myself too. Heh. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-10-19 02:54 pm (UTC)Hum... I really think that 'voice' is the most important thing to consider in terms of exposition. I think I really should've mentioned that in the post, come to think of it-- that it's really about what -fits- rather than the content, per se. I think I tried to say that...? It's about whether the way the information is presented 'works' to allow me to suspend my disbelief at the scenario, rather than the specifics of the scenario itself. Meaning... it's not the amount of information or the type of information, but the -subtlety- of the information as it's being presented. So you can definitely explain things-- a lot or a little (yeah, I mean, it does depend on the circumstance and writer), but I always think that subtlety makes for a better story, and it's not a question of clarity (understanding) but rather... er, style, I suppose.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-19 03:55 pm (UTC)Yes, ultimately it's about "what fits", like you said. I think that's it exactly - just not forcing stuff that doesn't work in the story. When I first started writing seriously...I think I was like 10 or something, I remember one of my favorite teachers would always tell me that. She was the one who first told me "show don't tell" - and I never truly got what she meant till years later. :)