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hmmnmm
Guest
Sometimes nuggets of literary wisdom take awhile to make their way through, so I hear or read what people are saying or suggesting, and maybe think I understand, but it isn't til much later that the power reaches the switch and the lights come on, then it's bang! Ah! I see!
The most recurrent criticisms I received since first signing up here and posting stories, has been the wandering, the rambling, getting lost, the overuse of metaphor, and so on.
I really wanted to throw something on the Halloween contest but never got around to finishing a couple possibilities. Was going to let the Winter one go on by, but then one afternoon on a whim I found something I'd written a couple years ago, and it was once posted as a story, which I took down with intentions of eventual revision. But it had wintery enough feel to me, and a loose undercurrent gift-giving theme (fulfillment of fantasy). So on a whim I submitted that one for the Winter contest. It has been resoundingly called to task for the heavy metaphorical presence, overall overuse of figurative language.
Thing is, I find that stuff fun to work with - take a paragraph or two and tinker with them - but I realize that what may be fun for the writer is not necessarily a pleasure to read, especially from a monitor screen.
So one recent evening I said, "how about just trying something straight ahead, something metaphor/figurative free?"
I did so - a short thing that came down relatively quick - and submitted that one.
And I've been astonished at the response. The score is low, and will likely remain that way but I feel it is the most successful thing I've presented, because of the reaction, apparently, to the main character. The votes go up and down up and down. The comments are starkly divided between those who hate the character - or even believe I was telling a true story - and those who understand and sympathize with the character.
And the strange part - the previously metaphor-heavy story has a large basis in reality - the setting, at least; and the one without metaphors (I think I snuck in a couple little ones) is entirely made up. But somehow it is the one that is coming across as most believable and real.
Of course, I still like to mess with figurative language, but it's a revelation to have discovered an alternative that can actually evoke reaction.
Just felt like sharing that.
Thanks.
Happy Thanksgiving.
The most recurrent criticisms I received since first signing up here and posting stories, has been the wandering, the rambling, getting lost, the overuse of metaphor, and so on.
I really wanted to throw something on the Halloween contest but never got around to finishing a couple possibilities. Was going to let the Winter one go on by, but then one afternoon on a whim I found something I'd written a couple years ago, and it was once posted as a story, which I took down with intentions of eventual revision. But it had wintery enough feel to me, and a loose undercurrent gift-giving theme (fulfillment of fantasy). So on a whim I submitted that one for the Winter contest. It has been resoundingly called to task for the heavy metaphorical presence, overall overuse of figurative language.
Thing is, I find that stuff fun to work with - take a paragraph or two and tinker with them - but I realize that what may be fun for the writer is not necessarily a pleasure to read, especially from a monitor screen.
So one recent evening I said, "how about just trying something straight ahead, something metaphor/figurative free?"
I did so - a short thing that came down relatively quick - and submitted that one.
And I've been astonished at the response. The score is low, and will likely remain that way but I feel it is the most successful thing I've presented, because of the reaction, apparently, to the main character. The votes go up and down up and down. The comments are starkly divided between those who hate the character - or even believe I was telling a true story - and those who understand and sympathize with the character.
And the strange part - the previously metaphor-heavy story has a large basis in reality - the setting, at least; and the one without metaphors (I think I snuck in a couple little ones) is entirely made up. But somehow it is the one that is coming across as most believable and real.
Of course, I still like to mess with figurative language, but it's a revelation to have discovered an alternative that can actually evoke reaction.
Just felt like sharing that.
Thanks.
Happy Thanksgiving.
