WELCOME TO THE MIND OF FREEDOM, BITCHES!!!!

By John-Wayne · Jul 3, 2018 · ·
  1. So, something I have been thinking about lately in regards to writing and conforming the rigidity of structure (if you wish to be published, because self-pub is inferior apparently, but that's a whole different blog).

    Now, first thing to set aside immediately before I continue is, I am not talking about Grammar, sentence structure, flow, etc. the sort of things that make your story readable and flow smoothly.

    Now to contrast writing, in the real world, real life, we live by a set of rules that a) we didn't make b) are forced to abide by, even though I don't recall agreeing to some of them, some I can live with. c) seem to hinder more than help.

    Now, in the realm of writing, it is the one F'n place where we have absolute control, the rules are ours, the concepts, laws, are ours. If I want my characters to have every power of a God, then so be it. (IN fact I Arch Angel Characters who are second to God in power. LOL) .

    But then, there are those who seek to restrict your creative freedom and tell you "How you are suppose to Write" or "Writing structure and conformity" again not to be confused with Proper Grammar, sentence structure., and flow For instance I got chided by someone on another forum for my 3rd Omnipresence POV, and of course this individual writes in 1st person. Personally, I can write in both but I find 1st person to be to restrictive, I tried writing in 3rd POV restricted and even that was a bit hard for me, though to be honest it did help create a pretty cute scene. in another example, someone edited the first scene of my book, but it began to turn into their style of writing and not my own, now some things I could agree with, like Dynamic descriptions, I can understand not boring your readers with endless descriptions.

    I just find it remarkable that some want you to conform to their style, their Methods of Operation, etc. instead of accepting, respecting and enjoying other people's ways of writing... Except for Factory Writing and Robot Characters, fuck that shit.

    I want to read stories about 4k old vamps with stake-sniper rifles and Super-Genetic Alien soldiers. and say Hell yeah. Why not.

    Also, Love your Characters, they are yours. Unless they are robotic in nature (not to be confused with actual robot characters like R2-D2 or Wall-E). and pretty interchangeable with other characters.

    ETA: Now that I think of it, this maybe an extension of the Factory Writing blog I wrote. LOL.

Comments

  1. ThunderAngel
    I do concur with this. I never critique another writer's style unless they ask me to, and even then, I'm quick to say that I'm no authority on anything and that they shouldn't take anything I say to heart unless they want to.

    I myself value the input of others regarding my own stories, but I don't offer mine unless I'm asked to.

    What I want to do is encourage people to continue with their craft and not make them self-conscious with it; Gothic architecture started off being maligned by traditionalists and now we see it as one of the greatest artistic achievements of the human species. We need to give people the liberty to be different and encourage them to blaze their own trails. If they want their work to meet a certain standard, that's fine, too, so long as they have the grace and confidence needed to take the inevitable criticism constructively.
  2. John-Wayne
    Thanks, even though there were a lot of things that helped foster this view, it was seeded pretty early and a thread on another forum made it bloom. I am just now become a bit more vocal about it.

    I am very nervous about critiquing others since who the hell am I, except if I feel a word is missing or a punctuation is needed. I do my best to preserve their style and way of writing. Early on I use to do the Workshop but quickly realized I couldn't do it. But yeah if someone offers I will be more than glad to give my two cents in a constructive manor and not a tearing down one.

    I concur with that notion, I too want to encourage others to develop their technique, key word, Theirs, not mine. Though if I feel there is a way to improve it, I may suggest something. But never in a way that lambastes the person's tech.

    From what I have read, with the Industrial complex, there is a real conflict between Art and the generic shit that sells. but I absolutely want to encourage others to do it their way and hopefully they can beat the system and prove it is possible.
  3. Some Guy
    HFS. This is op ed to what I fear. I would call it Superior Imposition Syndrome, the idea that some empirical(?) measurement gives license to invalidate other expressions. "So, you make a lot of money? Get your ass out there and feed the hungry! So, you're popular? Get the fuck out there and tell others about the hungry!"
    Ahem. Anyway, you're hired. I need someone with your attitude to help me with my outta control shit, it's driving me crazy. PM me if you have 1K words worth of time to dig me out...
  4. John-Wayne
    Hey some guy, PM me the synopsis of your story and I'll see from there
      Some Guy likes this.
  5. Some Guy
    Haven't gotten the chance to write a synopsis before. I'll try it.
      John-Wayne likes this.
  6. Irina Samarskaya
    Although my big book is told form multiple perspectives in the first person, there is also an omniscient narrator who speaks directly at the reader similar to either a historian or documentary presenter.

    I came up with the idea to use a character who lives beyond the end-point of the story and make that person both the de facto historian and a logically consistent reason for the book to exist in the first place. Namely, it's heavily implied (if not stated) the narrator compiled a bunch of records and information together to form a saga for others to refer to as both a source of interest and documentation of another time...

    I also like to directly address the reader this way, since the PoVs know they're being read lol. Kinda like Nick Carraway in the Great Gatsby, actually.
      Some Guy likes this.
  7. John-Wayne
    a. Nice, sounds like a Three Kingdoms style, I have one book that jumps perspectives,, though I try to keep it to one or two, also there is a narrator as well in most of my stories.

    b. Wow, that is something I do as well actually, LOL. however in my world they are called Codexes, which are first written by the person in question as a sort of history of their life. Journal keeping is a very common and encourage practice on the world I created. However, I doubt it is as complex as yours by the sound of it.

    c. Right.
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