I saw this film last night and boy, this poster is sure misleading. There were a few comic moments but other than, pure misery. Nicely filmed though. It's from a play by Alan Ayckbourn and it feels English not French. The characters are too repressed to be French.Speaking of private fears, do you ever worry that you are picking up the voice of a writer you are reading as you write? Or, if not the voice, the style. I think the voice is consistent in my so-called novel, but I have to say, reading Miami Purity the last few days, with Hendricks' riveting voice, was probably a mistake.
One thing is sure, her protagonist could take mine in any kind of contest you name. And I don't have the guts to name some of them.
Probably most of your guys too. Made me realize my girl isn't so dark after all.
I have 60,000 K and I guess I can begin to wind down. What do you think? Is 65 K enough?
10 comments:
I have a problem reading while I'm writing. Which means that my TBR pile is growing daily with no chance it's going to drop any time soon. I don't think I pick up other writer's styles much. Not like I used to. Depends on how confident I am in the voice I'm writing something in. But just reading something throws me off completely for at least a week. Especially if it's a particularly strong voice.
Nothing wrong with 65K. Depends on the story you're writing. Doesn't have to be a long read. I'm shooting for 80K myself.
Hey, Stephen. Can't wait to see what you're up to. I'd like 80 K but am afraid I'd be blowing smoke by then. It's just a smaller story.
I think when you're working on a rough draft the voices of who you're reading might peek in every once in a while, but that's the sort of thing that can be worked out in rewrites.
And the first draft of my first novel was just barely 60k so 65k is not bad, though if you can hit 70k that would probably be better. Yes, it might be blowing smoke, but you can always trim in rewrites. Always in rewrites.
It's kind of an unusual first draft in that I go back over it and smooth it every few days in lieu of moving on. So I can't see that many big changes will occur unless a reader suggests them.
Yeah that can really get in the way sometimes. Happened to me just yesterday in fact. Between writing sessions I read a long Faulker story and guess who I sounded like in my next session? I had to go back and de-Faulknerize the material I'd written.
Ed
Now if "I" should happen to begin to sound like Faulkner, I might leave it alone or rewrite the whole piece. His influence could only help me.
Ed, put the $11 in the mail today. Can't wait for my signed copy!
Private fears? Man, do I got 'em! Sometimes I write something and think, "Hmm that ain't half bad.." Then an hour later I think, "Damn, I couldn't have written that. I must have read it somewhere else."
So I end up scrapping it. I've scrapped dozens of stories for that reason. In fact I'm close to dumping a story I finished yesterday, " I Never Shot A Man In Reno" that begins with the '68 concert that Johnny Cash did at Folsom Prison. I mean it's written in my "voice" but still... I mean given my age god knows how much stuff I've subconsciously absorbed from 45 years of reading.
And Patti, Hope I don't sound trite, but one of my few firm beliefs about this whole writing thing is that a novel/story is as long as it needs to be. Best of luck with your w.i.p.
John McAuley
So you keep going back over it, do you? Sigh.
I agree that a voice that's not yours can come out in a rewrite.
I also agree that a story is as long as it needs to be. However, that's in a perfect world. Years ago 65,000 words was the norm. No more. If you want to sell it try to make it longer, but not to the detriment of the novel.
I suspect that as you're used to writing ss you simply want to get this thing over with.
John-Don't scrape it. Based on the title and subject alone, it sounds great and I want to read it. Boy, I share the self-doubt. I think it's my generation's curse. We were born to parents who were afraid we'd get a "big head" if they ever threw a compliment our way.
As I told SS, she apparently lives inside my head because both of her insights are dead on.
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