Heart Sick, Soul Sick...

[amicus]

Meg Ryan voiced those terms, the first in a film, "In the land of Women", and the second in, "Joe Versus the Volcano."

Both very descriptive terms and easily understandable, but I would feel guilty of plagiarism were I to use them in a story.

?

Amicus

 

[Leto Degeneres]

Meg Ryan voiced those terms, the first in a film, "In the land of Women", and the second in, "Joe Versus the Volcano."

Both very descriptive terms and easily understandable, but I would feel guilty of plagiarism were I to use them in a story.

Why couldn't you say something like this: "...like Meg Ryan in..."

Those are pretty generic statements, though. I wouldn't put it past a someone to try to copyright the phrase, but who hasn't said those words (well, I've never said soul sick)?

 

[amicus]

Dunno, just a feeling I have when I even think about using either term in a story.

Done a lot of newspaper writing, you know, the five 'W's', Who, When, What, Where and Why, even with reportorial writing, the facts, ma'am, one is pressed to avoid repetition and cliche'.

Rather like writing, "The sun shone on the ocean like a million sparkling diamonds", I think that could be used once by whomever originated it, and never again. But one is tempted for it is such a perfect and apt description.

I know I am tempted to use either heart sick or soul sick, from time to time, but I don't and won't; it just doesn't feel right.

Thus, I leave it with a question, as I don't really know why; lovely phrases, both.

Ami

 

[slyc_willie]

Dunno, just a feeling I have when I even think about using either term in a story.

Done a lot of newspaper writing, you know, the five 'W's', Who, When, What, Where and Why, even with reportorial writing, the facts, ma'am, one is pressed to avoid repetition and cliche'.

Rather like writing, "The sun shone on the ocean like a million sparkling diamonds", I think that could be used once by whomever originated it, and never again. But one is tempted for it is such a perfect and apt description.

I know I am tempted to use either heart sick or soul sick, from time to time, but I don't and won't; it just doesn't feel right.

Thus, I leave it with a question, as I don't really know why; lovely phrases, both.

Ami

I think every writer deigns to come up with an enduring phrase, a description, whatever, that strikes some kind of chord. It's along the lines of:

"Frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a damn."

"You had me at 'hello.'"

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

Such notable quips are a story unto themselves. To use them again would feel like, as you said, plagiarism.

It is ever the endeavor of the writer to pen something worth remembering.

 

[amicus]

Well said, Slyc, well said, indeed and underlined by your quotes. Excellent!

Ami

 

[slyc_willie]

I thought you might like that, Ami.

I don't know if it is a function of my generation, or just a function of my ego, but when I write a story, I tend to visualize every scene cinematically, as if it might some day be turned into a film. And I think about those particular 'poignant moments' in which a character says or does something that defines that character, or that scene, or even the overall plot, in just a few simple and well-placed words.

One of my favorite quotes is from a movie that was released in 1985, entitled Real Genius. The cast is mainly unknowns, and particular to their time, save for Val Kilmer and, to a lesser degree, William Atherton. Essentially, it is about two 'wonder boys' in the field of lasers, Chris Knight (Kilmer) and Mitch Taylor who are hoodwinked into building a powerful "death ray" laser that can incinerate a single target from space.

After a scene in which Chris is removed from the project by Dr. Hathaway (Atherton), he is found outside the campus dorms, upon a ledge overlooking the campus and beneath the night sky, by the fifteen-year-old protege Mitch.

Mitch asks, in a very carefree and light-hearted way, "What'cha doin'?"

To which Chris responds: "I was just thinking of the last words of Socrates, who said, 'I drank what?'"

The irony of that statement is something I find incredibly powerful. That really is a story in and of itself. That single line comes to me from time to time when I think I've found all the answers to something, only to be snowed over.

I hope one day to write something like that.

 

[amicus]

I know the film and the scene, fancy that! Further more, I also visualize my novels in the exact same way and for the same reason!

I also feel and show emotion over scenes I have written, regardless of how many times I go over them and can only hope the emotion extends beyond myself. That, however, is a luxury seldom afforded, it seems.

Talk radio was different than writing, however, as I often received many letters and phone calls over the effect of what I had said, I somewhat mourn that, although the, 'feedback', on Literotica is sometimes quite nice.

When you send a novel or a collection of stories off to the print market, it seems to swallow them up without a whisper, regardless of how many are sold. Dunno about that.

Newspaper writing was good for response also, in that letters to the editor were sometimes very pithy.



regards...

ami




Ami

 

[slyc_willie]

I also feel and show emotion over scenes I have written, regardless of how many times I go over them and can only hope the emotion extends beyond myself. That, however, is a luxury seldom afforded, it seems.

I do and wonder the same. My first contest story, "I Believe," gets to me every time I read it. Judging from the comments, I'm not the only one.

Have a good night, Ami.

 

[Leto Degeneres]

Well said, Slyc, well said, indeed and underlined by your quotes. Excellent!

Ami

I do and wonder the same. My first contest story, "I Believe," gets to me every time I read it. Judging from the comments, I'm not the only one.

Have a good night, Ami.

What an interesting conversation to read in the middle of a night for thoughts. I'm glad I came back to read more.

It's a reminder to me to be relaxed in my thinking, if that makes any sense. As strange as it might sound, what I've seen is two people thinking and feeling outside the box. Maybe an odd association to make, but.....

I enjoyed it.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

AMICUS

Well, MISTER SOFTEE would jail you for writing HAPPY BIRTHDAY or MERRY CHRISTMAS, but so many expressions are now common that it seems silly to avoid using them. DONT WORRY, BE HAPPY!

 

[slyc_willie]

What an interesting conversation to read in the middle of a night for thoughts. I'm glad I came back to read more.

It's a reminder to me to be relaxed in my thinking, if that makes any sense. As strange as it might sound, what I've seen is two people thinking and feeling outside the box. Maybe an odd association to make, but.....

I enjoyed it.

We do that sometimes.

 

[JamesSD]

"Frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a damn."

"You had me at 'hello.'"

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

Such notable quips are a story unto themselves. To use them again would feel like, as you said, plagiarism.

It is ever the endeavor of the writer to pen something worth remembering.

See, in cases like these, it's an obvious allusion to the work in question. If a character in your story says "Frankly, (character name), I don't give a damn.", said character is clearly referencing Gone with the Wind. It might be cliche, but perhaps the character is one who speaks in cliches?

Slightly twisting famous lines can also be highly effective. Again, if it's so famous as it will be obvious to anyone reading it, you don't need to fully reference it. On the other hand, a more obscure movie quote or song lyric may require more explicit referencing.

Allusion is a highly effective literary technique. As long as it's clear to the reader that you are referencing a previous work rather than copying it, it's not plagarism.

It's like they say, "All you need is love". And "We all live in a yellow submarine". Ok, maybe not the last one

 

[amicus]

"A long and winding road..." Beatles lyrics and I know I have paraphrased that a dozen times in both prose and here on the forum with 'twisting path', 'long journey', as many ways as I could think of without using the precise lines.

Interesting comment all....



ami

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Sorry, never been a Meg Ryan fan. Now I have another reason not to be.

 

[slyc_willie]

See, in cases like these, it's an obvious allusion to the work in question. If a character in your story says "Frankly, (character name), I don't give a damn.", said character is clearly referencing Gone with the Wind. It might be cliche, but perhaps the character is one who speaks in cliches?

Slightly twisting famous lines can also be highly effective. Again, if it's so famous as it will be obvious to anyone reading it, you don't need to fully reference it. On the other hand, a more obscure movie quote or song lyric may require more explicit referencing.

Allusion is a highly effective literary technique. As long as it's clear to the reader that you are referencing a previous work rather than copying it, it's not plagarism.

It's like they say, "All you need is love". And "We all live in a yellow submarine". Ok, maybe not the last one

We weren't referring to literal plagiarism, just the way one might feel about using someone else's well-known phrases or references. Allusion can sometimes be a tricky thing to pull off. You do it right, and the reader gets the reference and understands how it's applied to the situation. Do it wrong, and you end up with confusion and a scene that doesn't make sense.