Jimmy Stewart reading.
In her book on the history of the Clarion Workshop, Kate Wilhelm provides a lot of great advice on improving writing skills. At one point, she suggest there is a difference between writers who are story tellers and those who are wordsmiths.
Storytellers have a story to tell and are not always mindful enough of how it gets told. I think these are the people who emerge from the oral tradition, who hold forth at parties I go to. Wordsmiths are more interested in getting each word right--the story might not be there at all. Of course, both aspects need to be integrated to succeed at writing. But probably one aspect will always dominate the other.
I know I am a wordsmith. The story emerges as I write most of the time (or sometimes it never does). That's why I strongly prefer editing to writing. I have to force myself to get new sections down and not just reword old ones. What about you?
20 comments:
I liked Wilhelm's book quite a lot. I think I come down on the side of wordsmith more myself. I like the editing side better than the original writing too. although I've tried to get better at the storytelling as I've worked.
I hope I wasn't the only person to recommend Wilhelm's book, Patti. I am about 50/50, though also inherently an editor, hence I tend to slapdash out things such as these comments and take forever to get around to "more serious" writing. Even FFBs.
My problem precisely. I have ten pages to write to finish this novel and I cannot write them. It's because they involve my understanding money laundering and such things instead of talking about the easy stuff.
For me, the wordsmith half kicks in even in the first drafts, as I might dither over synonyms, etc.
Well, at least getting the rough of those ten pages out, and then revising them post-sufficient research, might not be the worst option.
Also, I hope most readers of the Wilhelm STORYTELLER also look at what might be considered the companion volume, her husband and Clarion partner Damon Knight's CREATING SHORT FICTION:
http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Short-Fiction-Classic-Writing/dp/0312150946/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250447804&sr=1-1
or check the hotlink on my name.
As I tell students, writing is easy but editing is difficult. Sometimes--though it does not happen as much now as it did in the past--an additional editor (in addition to the writer) is essential; after all, Hemingway had Max Perkins, and that worked rather well, which means, of course, we could all use a bit of Hemingway and Max Perkins in our writing endeavors.
Loved the bio of Max Perkins by Scott Berg. We all could use his help.
I'll look for Knight's book. Thanks.
My wordsmith kicks in immediately too. I must rewrite everyday before moving forward. This results in a very overworked beginning and a sort of sloppy ending.
I tend toward the storyteller, I need to let the story flow and go where it wants without worrying about the words. Editing is where I take the time to find the proper words, tenses, grammer and punctuation. That's the difficult part of writing for me.
I certainly think that makes for a stronger story, Sandra. I wish my brain works that way. Wordsmiths are probably more neurotic types.
I come by the storyteller part of me naturally. Our family reunions were marathon storytelling sessions with each uncle trying to outdo the other. I used to sit in a corner of the porch for hours listening to them tell stories.
My family was the exact opposite. I can hardly remember a story anyone ever told. We talked about current events and politics--all news junkies.
Berg's book is one of the best I've ever read about the publishing business and the relationship between author-and-editor.
Story teller all the way for me.
Travis-I would have been shocked to hear otherwise. Just reading your blog tells me. Yes, Berg's book was great. My daughter read it recently and recommended it to me. I had to tell her I had read it many years ago. As well as his book on Fitzgerald, I think.
Storyteller.
As any editor who has ever worked with me will tell you I am (or anyone who has read my stories.) downright sloppy when it comes to the technical aspects of writing (I'm getting better, but I'm a bit of slow learner.)
But what about the writer's who're both storytellers and wordsmiths?
Guys and gals who's skills as a writer stem from oral tradition and what not, but then labor over each sentence, each phrase?
Frank Bill's such a writer. His entire style comes from oral tradition, yet the guy can spend a week making sure that a paragraph (even a sentence) is just right
I would have guessed you were, too, Keith.
I think those who are both equally are truly exceptional. But I bet Frank would tell you that one or the other is his bigger strength.
It's what happens when storytellers find the best words and wordsmiths find the story that things zing.
And as I said earlier, I often don't find the story. Or the story is not strong. I think the natural born storytellers make the best writers.
Well, they often write the bestsellers...the big sloppy often dully derivative bestsellers, particularly.
Word verification: crudbori
Storyteller for sure. I'm glad to know that there is such a distinction. I am consistently jealous of writers who combine both and make it seem effortless. Of course we all know the effort happens away from the prying eye of the reader. A book suddenly emerges, fully formed and the struggle is invisible. Still makes me jealous thought.
I am very envious of born storytellers. I'd like to have that story spill out of me instead of searching for the precise word someday.
To some extent I am probably a wordsmith, but I am trying to learn to tell a story as well. And even when I rewrite, I tend to polish off language instead of adding more excitement or making my characters more lively and engaging.
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