On an instinctual level I like to believe books are there to raise questions, to grip you by the throat and make you challenge everything you every thought was right. They can make you surf an emotional tidal wave of epic proportions, bringing forward all the greatest horrors you had never even thought imaginable, and taking you to ecstatic levels of fiery passion. They do this by raising issues, the author finds something, analysis it and takes his own turn at vilifying it, justifying it, building on it, tearing it apart or simply shooting around it in an effort to keep you on the edge of a very annoying seat.
Of course not all books do this, but some of the best take issues of the day, or equally of the past or potential ones of the future and cause flickers of electricity between those clouded synapse'. Admittedly I've always been most interested in those of the future, the questions and issues that a lot of people discard as fiction, science fiction, but that's what I've always loved about them. The sheer scale of impossibility that they are belittled by, and some how imagining that man, in his eternal struggle against himself and nature, with his relentless spirit and fervours nature, will someday find the answers and create a happier place for everyone, for everything that exists.
Of course there's always a twist, but that's what makes the whole thing so much fun. I've taken a few things that have been both important to me, but also issues of the day, with my current writing. Discecting them as best I could, adding my own two cents and seeing what the grisly outcome has been.
On the whole I've enjoyed the experience, taking something that creates a fire inside me, twisting it, creating a future around it that I hate, more than anything, and then destroying it, bit by bit. Finding answers and reasons inside myself why I can't stand it and feel the incessant need to change it. And I hope, following on from my previous post, that combined with my want to get the thing published, if and when I do, I might even be able to change a few opinions along the way. You know, show others a vision, twist the life of a character around it, create an objective and get others to also believe in it. Now there's power. Is this what this thing is all about, a quest for power? The less said on that subject the better.
For this weeks Aspirers Mark; I came across Janets blog, Literally Speaking, through Twitter, her profile says she's a student journalist and aspiring novelist, sounds exactly like me 3 years ago, except, now I'm just an aspiring novelist. Her blog is much lighter in tone than some of the ones I've featured of late, which makes a nice change. Movies, life, books, literature, all that stuff in a nice little package. Definitely recommend consumption on a regular basis.
7 Comments
1 GabK wrote:
Stanislav Lem wrote a book on AI and human evolution towards it with very interesting, twisted ending. i must admit this was the best sci-fi piece I ever read. Golem VII (or VII) was its title. Can't find it on the web, but I bet it was published in English. Worth checking out...
2 RG Sanders wrote:
I could not agree more on the idea of writing being something perpetually more than simply entertaining those who invariably stumble - or search out - yours, or any body's story.
What do you think of the short story as a medium, bud? OR is it all novel for you? I'm trying my hand in both sandbox's... and the difference is a chasm.
3 Richard wrote:
thanks for the comment Mr Sanders. Yeah i've also dabbled in short stories and thoroughly enjoyed writing them. It was in fact after writing quite a few that i made a start on the novel. Everything from 1k to 10k, all every enjoyable, but you're right, totally different from the novel experience. You can have a look at some of these, and a plethora of my journalistic writing at http://www.breadontoast.com my old portfolio site. Comment back here though if you have anything to say, the comment system on their is borked at the mo.
4 AC Gaughen wrote:
"On an instinctual level I like to believe books are there to raise questions, to grip you by the throat and make you challenge everything you every thought was right. They can make you surf an emotional tidal wave of epic proportions, bringing forward all the greatest horrors you had never even thought imaginable, and taking you to ecstatic levels of fiery passion."
How gorgeously put! Based on this post alone you are now a must-read in my book. You are presenting such a thoughtful and meaningful approach to the writing process--I really look forward to more of your posts!
x AC
5 Richard Galbraith wrote:
thanks very much for the comment AC, very kind of you indeed. I guess the whole point to this blog is attracting new people to my writing and potentially my book, so I guess i'm on my way! thanks again, you're now on my blogroll
6 RG Sanders wrote:
So, I did indeed check out your Portfolio and in scrolling down I noticed your 'Cold Gin Times' blog.
Subsequently I found you're 'Novel is Monster' post (a farewell ode to the blog and a beginning to your journey I suppose).
I was impressed to be honest, at how you describe in such detail exactly what I think many of us are dealing with - writers/creators... artists in general.
Most of the time when I attempt to write I forgot, and only realise in hindsight, that you have to discover who you are before you can discover what to create, how to create it and so on.
Without the beginning, without truly knowing the inside of your own view on what is happening around you - and to you - then how can you hope to visualise and form something else.
From what I read, and what I think I could relate to was the old, 'each action has an equal and opposite reaction'. That is to say, without knowing what is inside, you can't equally know what is on the outside and as such, you cannot comprehend, or even hope to figure out what you see in people, events, the actions of others.
To me everything we attempt to create is a reaction in some fashion. It's an attempt to do something against what has been done, or to dictate something that has not been done.
I'll be checking back here for some time to come. You seem, beyond the writing aspect, to have a good grasp of what makes us - as people and writers - what we are.
Consider me impressed and @ 24, you're making your elders look bad ;)
7 Richard wrote:
Mr Sanders, again I can only thank you deeply for your kind words. They honestly mean a lot, they certainly help inspire and make me keep pushing through any personal walls I may be hitting along the way of creating my first novel. The link to your blog works now, so consider yourself added to my personal rss and my blogroll. I look forward to further input on the ramblings I'll be putting on here.