DrRita
06-03-2007, 12:40 PM
Whether novel or short story, the writer’s highest goal is create a unique and exciting piece of literature that is anything but ho-hum. I've critiqued a number of works on this forum and others, in my writing groups and for friends/family and have seen a reoccurring problem (one I've dealt with myself) in the works of new writers—the desire to write something “different.” All of us want to create that unique piece of fiction which establishes us as an above average writer who knows how to create an extraordinary reading experience and isn't afraid to break the rules to do it. It's an admirable goal, one all writers should pursue.
But here's the problem . . .
One cannot create a piece of work that bends/breaks rules, goes outside the box, and in truly innovative and unique if one has not learned to stick to the rules first. Discipline is the task master of the greatest artists. In art, dance, music and literature, you cannot name one of the greats who haven’t learned his/her craft first by following the rules and adhering to the principles and guidelines before breaking them.
I started dance when I was four. At ten I was still learning the dance but some of it had become second nature. However, it wasn’t until I was in high school that I began to choreograph dances that were unique and innovative. By then I could execute the basics with mastery and had earned the right to break them.
In writing there is one guiding principle that should never be compromised nor ignored for the sake of “art.” It called the willingness to suspend disbelief. Writers are forever bound to the creation of works that will lure the reader into that place where they are willing to enter the world you’ve created with trust and anticipation that you will take them on a marvelous journey. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:
"Suspension of disbelief is an aesthetic theory intended to characterize people's relationships to art. It refers to the alleged willingness of a reader or viewer to accept as true the premises of a work of fiction, even if they are fantastic, impossible, or contradictory. It also refers to the willingness of the audience to overlook the limitations of a medium, so that these do not interfere with the acceptance of those premises. According to the theory, suspension of disbelief is a quid pro quo: the audience agrees to provisionally suspend their judgment in exchange for the promise of entertainment."
It takes skill, wisdom, an understanding of the art form and mastery to keep the reader in that state and lead them through our unusual plot twists, character anomalies, and misuses of language, dialog and the like. Until one has learned HOW to write according the rules, it is unwise to deviate. To do so jars the reader from their position of trust and suspension and makes them look around, scratch their head and say, “What the heck was that?” Worst case scenario: they put our work down and call us a “liar.”
So . . . my advice? Work hard at mastering the disciplines, write true to the rules of literature and wait for the time when it has become second nature before trying that new and innovative style, story or plot twist. Hopefully by then your readers will have trusted you enough to follow you on to places “where no one has gone before.”
For further reading in Wikipedia here's the link: Article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief)
But here's the problem . . .
One cannot create a piece of work that bends/breaks rules, goes outside the box, and in truly innovative and unique if one has not learned to stick to the rules first. Discipline is the task master of the greatest artists. In art, dance, music and literature, you cannot name one of the greats who haven’t learned his/her craft first by following the rules and adhering to the principles and guidelines before breaking them.
I started dance when I was four. At ten I was still learning the dance but some of it had become second nature. However, it wasn’t until I was in high school that I began to choreograph dances that were unique and innovative. By then I could execute the basics with mastery and had earned the right to break them.
In writing there is one guiding principle that should never be compromised nor ignored for the sake of “art.” It called the willingness to suspend disbelief. Writers are forever bound to the creation of works that will lure the reader into that place where they are willing to enter the world you’ve created with trust and anticipation that you will take them on a marvelous journey. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:
"Suspension of disbelief is an aesthetic theory intended to characterize people's relationships to art. It refers to the alleged willingness of a reader or viewer to accept as true the premises of a work of fiction, even if they are fantastic, impossible, or contradictory. It also refers to the willingness of the audience to overlook the limitations of a medium, so that these do not interfere with the acceptance of those premises. According to the theory, suspension of disbelief is a quid pro quo: the audience agrees to provisionally suspend their judgment in exchange for the promise of entertainment."
It takes skill, wisdom, an understanding of the art form and mastery to keep the reader in that state and lead them through our unusual plot twists, character anomalies, and misuses of language, dialog and the like. Until one has learned HOW to write according the rules, it is unwise to deviate. To do so jars the reader from their position of trust and suspension and makes them look around, scratch their head and say, “What the heck was that?” Worst case scenario: they put our work down and call us a “liar.”
So . . . my advice? Work hard at mastering the disciplines, write true to the rules of literature and wait for the time when it has become second nature before trying that new and innovative style, story or plot twist. Hopefully by then your readers will have trusted you enough to follow you on to places “where no one has gone before.”
For further reading in Wikipedia here's the link: Article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief)