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The Art of Writing Instead of "The Art of War" by Sun Tsu, I bring to you The Art of Writing by Seong Soo! Cheesy huh? Yeah, I thought so too but once the thought entered my head, I just couldn't resist. I want to talk to you about writing, what it means, and what is given into everythng that I write. Stephen King is an author that I'm fond of, a fact that does little to escape discovery once the sbject is broached. In the introduction of one of his short story collections, he compares the writing of a short story to digging it up; the story was already there in it's entirety, it was just waiting for the right pereson to come along and dig it up and present it. Many people have unkind words for King...saying that he's just another hack writer who gets by on public acclaim because of how disgusting or horrifying his stories can be rather than any real value in his writings but I disagree. If nothing else, the man can write stories with characters and situations that make you care. When I first read the fourth book of his Dark Tower series, "Wizard and Glass" that detailed the past of Roland, I was moved. There were no vast conspiracies afoot, just a fairly straightforward tale of a gathering army, a boy on the cusp of manhood, his two faithful companions and his lady love. Simple...elegant...and brutal in it's simplicity when the girl meets an undesirable fate. I was made to care for her without my knowing throughout the story until I felt horrified at how the little tale turned up. I'm not sure as to the point of that brief digression (I'm sure there was one when I started) but let's move on. To some extent...I agree with that view. Stories do seem to be whole artifacts that one finds rather than creates from thin air but to me, there's somewhat more to it. A story is a very personal thing is it not? With me, no matter what I write, be it a short and quirky tale or a longer, more tumultuous tale, it's all very personal. I don't think I'm making myself very clear. When I write...there's a part of me in all of it. Or more accurately, facets of myself and my life are reflected in the characters and situations therein. In the course of my life anyone and everyone that changes the course of it becomes a part of me. Did you know that there is a part of all of you living within me? Whether it's just one quirky trait or your whole personality, now that I've met you and gotten to know you, a part of you resides within me, always there, always shifting and changing when I learn more about you that affects the whole. If I write a story...and within it's boundaries, there exists a man or a woman who's very devout and faithful, would you think that a part of ME? No, obviously it's a reflection of the religious influences in my life namely, Helen, Matt, Juliette, Ava and some others. In a story you see a character who is valiant, a veritable knight in shining armor, do you think that I put myself into that role? Sort of project myself onto that persona? I hope you don't because it's not what's happening...but in that valiant, self-sacrificing hero, what you DO see is a reflection of some of my dreams or desires, of what I hope or want to be if the circumstances were to present themselves. All of this leads to one point. I was working on a "romantic" story a long while back now that was never really completed. It got off the ground to be sure, all 15-ish pages of it but reading it over recently, I don't like it and had an idea of how I can make it better. I know the story, I know the characters, I know what I want to happen and what I want it to read like but it's just sitting there in my mind, not getting written. Why? Now that we've established that everything I write about is a reflection of somethign within me...what do you think gets reflected when I write about any kind of romantic issue? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. When I try to write about that, I write about things that I've experienced in that regard or things that I wish had come to pass but never did. To be sure, everything that's happened to me is well over and done with by now, I've grown a bit wiser. Anne Rice had her protagonist Lestat speak of the matter once, saying something along the lines of how it's a sad truth that sadness deepens our colors, gives us depth if it doesn't crush us completely beneath it's weight. I know that what I loved wasn't the girl herself, but a slightly idealized version of her that I pictured whenever I thought of her. I know it...but that doesn't stop how I feel when I try to write of the romance between Nathan and Mina. The names by the way, came from one of those endless online email forwarded quiz things. I remember that Helen said that she could think of a name for her possible son but not her daughter while I could think of a name for my possible daughter and not my son...guess where those two names came from, just guess. Back to King then. He wrote once that maybe people read horror stories and read about people dying because it sort of serves to prepare us for our own eventual demise, saying that it served as a sort of dress rehearsal for all of us and hence, the morbid fascination with the topic. So what do I feel when I try to write of a relationship? I feel like what I'm writing is a reflection of what I've happily experienced...the things that I regret not trying...the things that I hope will eventually come to pass with whatever comes in the future. It's hard to write about that when you're lonely though...sort of reminiscing about the great meals you've had when you're starving...all it does it make the current situation hurt that much more. I mean...when the hell do you think I did most of the writing on that stupid romantic story? You probably got it in one; when I was feeling all of that right then...instead of seeing it now as a memory of a good time long gone. I will write it. Of that, if nothng else, you can be sure. What I WON'T do is write it while it makes me feel the way it does now. When I start working on it...or start thinking about working on it...I'm filled with longing, nostalgia, a fair amount of bitterness too I'll admit. As far as emotional cocktails go...honestly, this really ain't a happy one. Once this passes or eases somewhat...once I can think about working on this story without feeling like putting my head through a wall...that's when it'll be written. Not before...I've got enough problems without forcing another one on myself. Well...that rambled ALL over the place...hope you understand a little more about the wondrous mystery of Perry Kim ;) |