Gimmicks and originality
As I mentioned before I have a problem with my ideas for stories being too full of gadgets and gimmicks rather than story. Some ideas I really like, and want to use. I’m not going to rule out gimmicks, just try to ensure that they are not used at the expense of characterisation.
Often when I mention an idea to “her indoors”, she will respond with, “Oh you mean like ’so and so’”
“Oh bugger,” I think, “yes just like ’so and so’. Damn that originality thing.”
I’m sure all new writers must struggle with originality, I sure do, as do many people following any creative pursuit. Is it even possible to be original? Surely everything has been done before? But certainly not in the same way. Perhaps it is not about what you do and whether it’s original but how you do it. It’s all in the execution. Certainly that’s where the appreciation of skill lies, in the execution.
Everyone has influences no matter who you are. I need to use them, not abuse them, and make something my own.
April 15th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Iain…
I linked to your blog as a result of reading your comments on RI’s blog. I noted that you hadn’t had many comments as yet, and thought I would jump in just to say that I find myself in a situation that seems similar to yours, although I probably have less excuse for not getting to my fiction writing, since I’m retired, or at least semi-retired. I also am commenting because mine is one of the one-sentence summaries (no. 53 in the list) that Randy will probable not get to, or to which he will probably not get.
I’ve been looking at the Snowflake method and have used it a little, but haven’t applied it diligently to my WIP, as I seem to be more inclined to process the story line mentally and write it more or less chronologically. I have completed about 17,000 words on a novel, of which the following is the one-sentence summary:
A gifted violinist loses his bow hand in the Civil War, and almost loses his soul, until “the enemy” helps him overcome his disability.
I know, 24 words. Do you or your readers care to comment?
April 15th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Iain,
Thanks for pointing me here. Do we really need a website? Seems to me a free blog would serve quite well. The biggest obstacle I see is finding the committed person, or group, to maintain and moderate it.
Lots of possibilities and ideas to toss around. Let’s keep in touch.
Parker Haynes (park1307 [at] zianet.com
April 15th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
David, thanks for the first comment!
I’ve put together a forum (no cost to me, except for the 5 mins it took) for discussion of one sentence summaries and the like.
http://iainmnorman.com/forum
Have a look and post your sentence there and I’ll comment on it.