I've always found the intent behind S. King and The Dark Tower Series interesting. He wanted to write and complete his greatest work well before his potential death, and he clearly succeeded. I couldn't imagine putting that kind of pretense into any of my own works. It would taint the gravy, for myself at least. Does anyone think they've written their magnum opus yet? Or that they're about to? Does anyone have its floorplan on blue paper, waiting for the skill or time to come?
I currently have the feeling that I've already written mine, about a decade ago, and that what I'm doing now, with benefit of much better understanding of writing technique, is mostly just re-writing parts of it but not as well as I did intuitively then. Hopefully I get it out of my system, continue to improve my writing technique, and start to hit on some new ideas. I think maybe that requires solving the problems of this level of life (to envision it as a video game), conquering the boss, and moving on to the next one. I seem to be stuck on this level for now. Meaning that I believe to become better writers often requires that we get over our life problems and move on first. I also think that, when this writing knowledge I've been absorbing sinks in deeply enough to become intuitive, that's when I can really use it gracefully and without the encumberance of needing to think it through consciously. That slows you down and makes it all clumsy and awkward, like when you're learning to ride a bike. It's only after you reach thorough deep understanding of the principles that you gain intuitive access to them, and that's when they become lightning-quick and fluid. You have to make it through the awkward learning stages before that can happen.
I just read the intro for The Dark Tower volume 1. I see what you're talking about now. Pretty cool intro. It helps you put things into perspective.
I'm not sure how soon it is going to happen, but there is a magnum opus inside of me, if I trust my feelings. It will celebrate all my greatest lessons in life. It will celebrate the human spirit and its great resilience. In the meantime, I continue to absorb life, all a prelude to that one story I must tell.
I just tell stories without wondering whether I'm writing my magnum opus or an anticlimax. Chop wood, haul water, muck the stalls.
I haven't yet. And I'm afraid to start. There is a story I want to tell, but it's so hard for me to try to put it it into a box that I'm reluctant to start. A few weeks ago, I saw George Saunders on Stephen Colbert's show, and he defined the cause of writer's block as something like "extravagantly high expectations." I think that's what's dragging me down at the moment; there's a huge hall that I need to furnish, and all I've got is a table and a few folding chairs.
That's an excellent way of putting it. You can attribute that just about anything in life that inspires hesitancy.
I don't think I'm the kind of writer who will ever produce something great enough to be considered a magnum opus. I just write stories that I think would be entertaining for others to read. Nothing too deep or anything close to what could be considered "literary fiction." I think this is why I am rarely blocked, and when I am, never for very long. I don't have any expectation of anyone ever considering my work brilliant. Maybe one day when I am far more skilled, but I doubt it.
This POV reminds me of the old saw. 'How do you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.' Just start on the project it doesn't have to be good, that is what editing is for.
That seems like more of a literary concern than a commercial one to me. I am more concerned about readers enjoying my work, than any kind of legacy work.
An overpriced bottle of wine. That might be worth it for a well aged bottle of Tullamore Dew, or Glenlivit.
Does Tullamore Dew have a high end? I haven't seen it before. No market for Irish whiskeys these days. They had a moment about 5-7 years ago but never gained traction.
They have an 18 year old single malt. With multiple gold and silver medal awards in the last 4 years.
Whenever I read the phrase "Magnum Opus" I think of Kurt Vonnegut's Sirens of Titan. Magnum Opus was the name of the corporation that the MC's father started, which accumulated wealth like nobody's business and made the MC an insanely rich person without any moral rudder at all.
Inspiring responses, all of you! I enjoyed reading all the different relationships with the concept. It seems using the term 'magnum opus' was a mistake, though, what with the apparent connotations that phrasing carries. In retrospect I would have said 'your most noteworthy, memorable, or important work.' Interesting. I usually use writing to hopefully get to that 'next level.' It helps me process the experiences, order them, evaluate them. Regardless, I hope you do manage to get past whatever funk it is.
You just reminded me—that is why I'm writing. To process it and hopefully get it out of my head so I can move on.
Interestingly enough, today I came across this quote that I wrote on a scrap of paper about two and a half decades ago. It is credited to David Preston's work, Winners and Losers: If you have reached the stage where you can write about it, you are almost home free. The emotions evoked by the book I was working on at the time were so intense that I drove myself most of the way around the bend before all was written and done. If I didn't jump off a cliff then, I reckon I'm not going to. And, true enough, writing that book was the biggest step I took toward healing. When I picked it up a while back, contemplating a rewrite, I found it was like reading a memory of a memory. Interesting.
I've been working on my greatest project for around ten years now. It is far from done and I have a lot to learn. I began my work because there was no other universe out there like it. I wanted to immerse myself into a fantastical science fiction world with dragons, wyverns, melee, beauty, romance, war, power, and spaceships. Done with draft one so far, working on improving it and plotting out book two. It will be a series, and it may be my greatest work. I'm not waiting to get better, I write and edit as I improve. Waiting for "this or that" experience may not be productive and feels like an excuse. I did it myself, I thought I just needed "this" experience and "that" education to make my work perfect. At some point you just have to sit down and get things going, or you may end up waiting till the end of your life.
If that's the definition we're going with I'm pretty certain my magnum opus is or will be a work email. I'm really good at those!
