Thoughts About Prose Flow

[ElectricBlue]

Looks like few are interested in how prose flows.

The long vignette written about Stanley Kubrick and the writing of Eyes Wide Shut, by the writer of the screenplay (Frederic Raphael), is interesting in the way they're constantly talking about the "beat" of the film, its pace. Kubrick made Raphael work and rework the words, and only then did he start filming.

That makes sense, Kubrick naturally thought in terms of seconds and minutes of screen time, and the visual editing flow. EWS is a very wordy film, and it's noteworthy also that Kubrick made Cruise and Kidman both deliver their lines slower and slower as the filming went on. The choice of soundtrack, too, is vital.

Writing has to be the same, the writer should be controlling the rhythm of the words, keeping the flow easy for the reader, or breaking it up to generate tension. A good test is to read it out loud.

Several people here mention the music they listen to as they write. I wonder how much that influences their writing? In my case, I tend to blank the music out, when I'm really on a roll.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

The long vignette written about Stanley Kubrick and the writing of Eyes Wide Shut, by the writer of the screenplay (Frederic Raphael), is interesting in the way they're constantly talking about the "beat" of the film, its pace. Kubrick made Raphael work and rework the words, and only then did he start filming.

That makes sense, Kubrick naturally thought in terms of seconds and minutes of screen time, and the visual editing flow. EWS is a very wordy film, and it's noteworthy also that Kubrick made Cruise and Kidman both deliver their lines slower and slower as the filming went on. The choice of soundtrack, too, is vital.

Writing has to be the same, the writer should be controlling the rhythm of the words, keeping the flow easy for the reader, or breaking it up to generate tension. A good test is to read it out loud.

Several people here mention the music they listen to as they write. I wonder how much that influences their writing? In my case, I tend to blank the music out, when I'm really on a roll.

Hers a good example of music and prose working together. Our anthem is almost always ruined by performers with no feel for how to do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEbZnBy5T8s

The real story behind the anthem oughta shame every Brit.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Writing has to be the same, the writer should be controlling the rhythm of the words, keeping the flow easy for the reader, or breaking it up to generate tension. A good test is to read it out loud.

Several people here mention the music they listen to as they write. I wonder how much that influences their writing? In my case, I tend to blank the music out, when I'm really on a roll.

I love that whole "story beat" idea and having a natural rhythm and I try for that in my writing. Sometimes I'll try and get the characters thoughts out in one continuous steam of consciousness.

Sometimes I'll base a whole story on an idea from a song. "September Blue" was like that - I took the Chris Rea song and the words as a starting point and just went for it based on that one idea from the song and it turned into a total tear-jerker. Now, I always try and thing of a song where the words kind of meld in with my idea of the story.

 

[SecondCircle]

Writing has to be the same, the writer should be controlling the rhythm of the words, keeping the flow easy for the reader, or breaking it up to generate tension. A good test is to read it out loud.

Several people here mention the music they listen to as they write. I wonder how much that influences their writing? In my case, I tend to blank the music out, when I'm really on a roll.

The music influences what I write, I'd say. But to say that points to no simple method or any one way. While I have my favorite type of music, I listen to a wide a variety of all types and can be inspired by any of them, and any part of them. Be that the actual lyrics, the mood, the tempo, the themes, and so on. What's more is that you can't even predict the type of story a certain type of music might inspire. Darker music might inspire sprawling hopeful tales of heroism, while light hearted juke box swings might be playing on the twisted killer's head in my story. Never know.

I agree about reading the story aloud. Not only is this a good way to catch mistakes and edit, but it allows you to play with things like the pacing or the intensity of certain portions of the story. Much like a song or score. Good point.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Several people here mention the music they listen to as they write. I wonder how much that influences their writing? In my case, I tend to blank the music out, when I'm really on a roll.

And here's one I really have to use for a story - Ripple (Grateful Dead, sung by A J Lee)

If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music
Would you hold it near as it were your own?

It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air

[Chorus]
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow

Reach out your hand if your cup be empty
If your cup is full may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men

There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone

[Chorus]
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow

You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home

 

[sr71plt]

Who hasn't written erotica to the beat of and about "Bolero"?

I often go for the beat of music in stories (e.g, "La Lectura") and use song lyrics or music in the story background to help set the mood (e.g., "The Aviators"). I rewrote an opera as gay male ("Pearl Fisher Ecstasy"), which obviously invited too much thought from the readers.

 

[KindofHere]

.........

 

[oggbashan]

I wrote Lensky's Aria with the music in my head:

https://www.literotica.com/s/lenskys-aria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYgT89paO1Q

My other directly music-inspired story is The Magic Flute:

https://www.literotica.com/s/the-magic-flute

Some of my other stories started with music e.g.

https://www.literotica.com/s/repeat-ad-lib

That one was started by Strauss' Perpetuum Mobile.

 

[SamScribble]

SamScribble .. the mensa member
----

Just so that there is no misunderstanding, I am not a Mensa member. I follow Mr Marx's lead and tend to eschew membership of any organisation that would have me as a member. However, I do know that an ellipsis has three dots, not two.