Friday, May 20, 2011
Reading Notes
7:40 PM | 
Posted by
A.J. Originals |
This time, I'm talking about The Plague by Albert Camus. Honestly, I'm not sure what to take from this novel. As one might expect, it's a novel about a plague striking a town in Algeria, presumably in the 1950s, or so I would guess from what I know of Camus. It's not really stated.
For a novel, it's awfully philosophical, although, again...Camus. But it's another one of those stories where not a lot actually happens. More and more, I'm feeling like plot doesn't matter as much as I thought.
Character didn't seem particularly major in this novel, either, which kind of goes back to the lack of action in an amusingly existentialist way... Perhaps this is a more Sartrean concept, but the existentialist idea is that we are our actions...and in this novel, the characters seem very vague, and that's probably because they never did anything. Roundabout way of proving the point, but hey, why not?
What I did get out of the book, in terms of philosophy, is the fragility of human life. The idea of a plague, something that we associate with the middle ages, something that isn't supposed to happen in modern life, coming along and wiping you off the earth is a pretty powerful one, but it becomes more powerful in the modern era when the idea of an afterlife is much less certain. If one lives with the assumption that there is no afterlife, then living deliberately becomes all the more important.
For a novel, it's awfully philosophical, although, again...Camus. But it's another one of those stories where not a lot actually happens. More and more, I'm feeling like plot doesn't matter as much as I thought.
Character didn't seem particularly major in this novel, either, which kind of goes back to the lack of action in an amusingly existentialist way... Perhaps this is a more Sartrean concept, but the existentialist idea is that we are our actions...and in this novel, the characters seem very vague, and that's probably because they never did anything. Roundabout way of proving the point, but hey, why not?
What I did get out of the book, in terms of philosophy, is the fragility of human life. The idea of a plague, something that we associate with the middle ages, something that isn't supposed to happen in modern life, coming along and wiping you off the earth is a pretty powerful one, but it becomes more powerful in the modern era when the idea of an afterlife is much less certain. If one lives with the assumption that there is no afterlife, then living deliberately becomes all the more important.
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Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Reading Notes
Of late I've been reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin, which I finished this afternoon.
The thing that stands out to me about this novel is how little actually happens in it. That's not to say that it isn't a good book. It's fairly engrossing - not exactly the kind of book you can't stand to put down, but interesting enough to hold one's attention for a good span of time. But it's really not the events that hold your attention. It's something of a wandering, lackadaisical story, almost, and yet, the character keeps you there.
This is heartening to me as a writer, since I'm much more comfortable with character than I ever have been with plot.
One thing that I felt anxious about when diving into this novel was the feminist themes. Such books can feel a bit heavy-handed at times. And yet, the novel walks a fine line between feminism and simple realism. The emotions are described in such a way that it could as easily be a male narrator, were it not for a few problems which are somewhat particular to females - an obligation to children, for instance, and what it means for a woman to live in a patriarchal society when she is not considered the master of her self.
I don't want to get into a critical analysis of the book, since I've been there and done that, but I liked it.
Oh - the one thing I took special notice of as a writer was the ending. For those who don't know, the main character swims out into the ocean and drowns - but the way it's written is slightly ambiguous, a little metaphorical. The last lines are memories from the character's childhood. It's really an extraordinary way to write such a scene, which might be too difficult to describe in direct terms. It's something I'll be thinking about in my own writing, for sure.
The thing that stands out to me about this novel is how little actually happens in it. That's not to say that it isn't a good book. It's fairly engrossing - not exactly the kind of book you can't stand to put down, but interesting enough to hold one's attention for a good span of time. But it's really not the events that hold your attention. It's something of a wandering, lackadaisical story, almost, and yet, the character keeps you there.
This is heartening to me as a writer, since I'm much more comfortable with character than I ever have been with plot.
One thing that I felt anxious about when diving into this novel was the feminist themes. Such books can feel a bit heavy-handed at times. And yet, the novel walks a fine line between feminism and simple realism. The emotions are described in such a way that it could as easily be a male narrator, were it not for a few problems which are somewhat particular to females - an obligation to children, for instance, and what it means for a woman to live in a patriarchal society when she is not considered the master of her self.
I don't want to get into a critical analysis of the book, since I've been there and done that, but I liked it.
Oh - the one thing I took special notice of as a writer was the ending. For those who don't know, the main character swims out into the ocean and drowns - but the way it's written is slightly ambiguous, a little metaphorical. The last lines are memories from the character's childhood. It's really an extraordinary way to write such a scene, which might be too difficult to describe in direct terms. It's something I'll be thinking about in my own writing, for sure.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Reading Notes
Lately I've been reading an absolutely awful series of books, and I can't stop.
It's the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (a mother-daughter duo - can you think of anything worse for writing?) and so far I've read the first three (Marked, Betrayed, Chosen).
The basic premise of the series isn't terrible. In this universe, vampirism is a condition that comes on in the teen years, and teens afflicted are sent off to the House of Night, a vampire finishing school. Unfortunately, all the potential coolness of the concept is kind of sucked out by the lameness of the characters.
The main character, Zoey Redbird, is what one might call a Mary Sue. She goes from being your average high schooler to the goddess's chosen one overnight. She's got nifty marks that others like her don't have, extraordinary powers that magically solve any plot obstacles that creep up, and she has multiple suitors vying for her affections.
And she's just so...annoying. Never seems to learn from her mistakes, reiterates her problems over and over again, and is so...teenaged. I think part of the problem is that the authors aren't particularly gifted at juggling the various plot elements they've introduced, but their main character's waffling certainly doesn't help.
The end of each book leaves me unsatisfied. Not in the good way - not in the "I'm going to read this book over and over again until the next one comes out" kind of way that you get with a great book series. The feeling is more one of, "Okay, when are you going to actually resolve something?" It's sort of like watching LOST. Except even LOST gave a little here and there. With these books, it's a definite can't-get-no-satisfaction feeling, and that's the only reason I've kept reading - because I want to know what happens and I keep hoping that I'll get that resolution.
There are more books in the series that have been published, but I've not purchased them, so it looks like I'll have to wait a while to see if this ever goes anywhere.
For my own writing, it has me thinking about ways to achieve that satisfaction while making the reader want to go on, and I think that feeling comes from great characters. In series like Twilight and Harry Potter, things are more or less resolved at the end of each book - and indeed, they're that way in the House of Night books, too - but you read the next because you want to know what becomes of the characters. When I read the Harry Potter books, only the first four were out, and I read and reread and reread until that wasn't enough and I started writing fanfiction. I never finished reading Deathly Hallows because I'd lost that connection with the characters - because after Half-Blood Prince, I didn't really care what happened to Harry. As for Twilight, I read again and again because I loved Edward and Bella. I've never reread New Moon all the way through because I don't love Jacob. And even though the books are done, I'm satisfied with the ending, but I still want more of them, and it's a good feeling.
That's what I hope to achieve when I start writing. I don't want to have people reading on just to find out what happens plotwise. I want them to feel bereft when the last page is turned. I don't want them throwing down the book in disgust every few chapters (as I did with Half-Blood Prince and the House of Night books) because they can't stand what the characters are becoming.
I think, when writing a hero or heroine, there's a certain distinction that makes a character human but strong. A character that never screws up or never struggles is boring. At the same time, a character who doesn't learn from mistakes or who shows no force of will is equally uncompelling.
I think the main problem with Zoey Redbird is that she repeatedly does the same thing and expects a different result (that's the definition of insanity, right?). And when a heroine creates her own obstacles this way, it's incredibly unsympathetic and needlessly frustrating. Furthermore, it's boring to see a character overcome the same obstacles over and over again. Imagine if New Moon had involved Bella getting bitten by another vampire and Edward choosing to save her again. Yawn. Or if Harry had spent all of Chamber of Secrets thinking Snape was the one opening the Chamber after spending all of Sorcerer's Stone thinking he was the villain.
Anyway, I don't recommend the House of Night books.
It's the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (a mother-daughter duo - can you think of anything worse for writing?) and so far I've read the first three (Marked, Betrayed, Chosen).
The basic premise of the series isn't terrible. In this universe, vampirism is a condition that comes on in the teen years, and teens afflicted are sent off to the House of Night, a vampire finishing school. Unfortunately, all the potential coolness of the concept is kind of sucked out by the lameness of the characters.
The main character, Zoey Redbird, is what one might call a Mary Sue. She goes from being your average high schooler to the goddess's chosen one overnight. She's got nifty marks that others like her don't have, extraordinary powers that magically solve any plot obstacles that creep up, and she has multiple suitors vying for her affections.
And she's just so...annoying. Never seems to learn from her mistakes, reiterates her problems over and over again, and is so...teenaged. I think part of the problem is that the authors aren't particularly gifted at juggling the various plot elements they've introduced, but their main character's waffling certainly doesn't help.
The end of each book leaves me unsatisfied. Not in the good way - not in the "I'm going to read this book over and over again until the next one comes out" kind of way that you get with a great book series. The feeling is more one of, "Okay, when are you going to actually resolve something?" It's sort of like watching LOST. Except even LOST gave a little here and there. With these books, it's a definite can't-get-no-satisfaction feeling, and that's the only reason I've kept reading - because I want to know what happens and I keep hoping that I'll get that resolution.
There are more books in the series that have been published, but I've not purchased them, so it looks like I'll have to wait a while to see if this ever goes anywhere.
For my own writing, it has me thinking about ways to achieve that satisfaction while making the reader want to go on, and I think that feeling comes from great characters. In series like Twilight and Harry Potter, things are more or less resolved at the end of each book - and indeed, they're that way in the House of Night books, too - but you read the next because you want to know what becomes of the characters. When I read the Harry Potter books, only the first four were out, and I read and reread and reread until that wasn't enough and I started writing fanfiction. I never finished reading Deathly Hallows because I'd lost that connection with the characters - because after Half-Blood Prince, I didn't really care what happened to Harry. As for Twilight, I read again and again because I loved Edward and Bella. I've never reread New Moon all the way through because I don't love Jacob. And even though the books are done, I'm satisfied with the ending, but I still want more of them, and it's a good feeling.
That's what I hope to achieve when I start writing. I don't want to have people reading on just to find out what happens plotwise. I want them to feel bereft when the last page is turned. I don't want them throwing down the book in disgust every few chapters (as I did with Half-Blood Prince and the House of Night books) because they can't stand what the characters are becoming.
I think, when writing a hero or heroine, there's a certain distinction that makes a character human but strong. A character that never screws up or never struggles is boring. At the same time, a character who doesn't learn from mistakes or who shows no force of will is equally uncompelling.
I think the main problem with Zoey Redbird is that she repeatedly does the same thing and expects a different result (that's the definition of insanity, right?). And when a heroine creates her own obstacles this way, it's incredibly unsympathetic and needlessly frustrating. Furthermore, it's boring to see a character overcome the same obstacles over and over again. Imagine if New Moon had involved Bella getting bitten by another vampire and Edward choosing to save her again. Yawn. Or if Harry had spent all of Chamber of Secrets thinking Snape was the one opening the Chamber after spending all of Sorcerer's Stone thinking he was the villain.
Anyway, I don't recommend the House of Night books.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Reading Observations
I think one of the things people don't realize about writers is that we have to look at what we read in a much different way than the average, non-writing reader.
That's not to say that we read better, just differently. I've done both tracks of the English program at my school, literature and creative writing, and completed both, and there really are fundamentally different ways of looking at literature.
In a literature course, you take the text as it's given to you and look for meaning. If something doesn't quite fit, you try to find a theory that explains it. You look at devices in terms of how they enhance meaning.
But when you read as a writer, you acknowledge that sometimes parts of texts just don't work and shouldn't be there. You look at devices in terms of how they enhance the meaning, yes, but more importantly, how they enhance the experience.
When you read as writer, you think about what you would do if you were writing the story. You think about which elements you would keep, which you would change. You think about what you want from a book and how to achieve it.
So really, every time I pick up a book to read for fun, I'm still working on my writing. It's research, in a way.
That said, I'm going to try to record some of my thoughts on the books I read as I have them. This is something a lot of writers keep in their journals, but since I stink at keeping a written journal, I'll try to keep some thoughts here. And, hey, maybe it will tell you what's good to read.
That's not to say that we read better, just differently. I've done both tracks of the English program at my school, literature and creative writing, and completed both, and there really are fundamentally different ways of looking at literature.
In a literature course, you take the text as it's given to you and look for meaning. If something doesn't quite fit, you try to find a theory that explains it. You look at devices in terms of how they enhance meaning.
But when you read as a writer, you acknowledge that sometimes parts of texts just don't work and shouldn't be there. You look at devices in terms of how they enhance the meaning, yes, but more importantly, how they enhance the experience.
When you read as writer, you think about what you would do if you were writing the story. You think about which elements you would keep, which you would change. You think about what you want from a book and how to achieve it.
So really, every time I pick up a book to read for fun, I'm still working on my writing. It's research, in a way.
That said, I'm going to try to record some of my thoughts on the books I read as I have them. This is something a lot of writers keep in their journals, but since I stink at keeping a written journal, I'll try to keep some thoughts here. And, hey, maybe it will tell you what's good to read.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Progress Report
Wow, I didn't realize just how long it'd been since I'd done one. Maybe getting back on track?
Current Project -
Previous Word Count - 5304
Current Word Count - 5625
Today's Sentence: The alcohol was getting to her, she thought, but still, she wanted nothing more than to drift off to sleep just like this.
Current Project -
Previous Word Count - 5304
Current Word Count - 5625
Today's Sentence: The alcohol was getting to her, she thought, but still, she wanted nothing more than to drift off to sleep just like this.
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Progress Report
Current Project -
Previous Word Count - 5058
Current Word Count - 5304
Today's Sentence: His kisses were hot, open-mouthed and sensual, and they allowed her to feel his every moan and sigh and grunt against her lips.
Previous Word Count - 5058
Current Word Count - 5304
Today's Sentence: His kisses were hot, open-mouthed and sensual, and they allowed her to feel his every moan and sigh and grunt against her lips.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Progress Report
Current Project -
Previous Word Count: 4957
Current Word Count: 5058
Today's Sentence: This was the last chance to back out, and they both knew it.
Previous Word Count: 4957
Current Word Count: 5058
Today's Sentence: This was the last chance to back out, and they both knew it.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Progress Report
Current Project -
Previous Word Count: 4515
Current Word Count: 4957
Today's Sentence: Candace had to climb half on top of him to reach into her nightstand drawer, where a nearly full box of condoms hid.
Previous Word Count: 4515
Current Word Count: 4957
Today's Sentence: Candace had to climb half on top of him to reach into her nightstand drawer, where a nearly full box of condoms hid.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Progress Report
Current Project -
Previous Word Count: 4263
Current Word Count: 4515
Today's Sentence: The heady, weightless sensation spread from his hot mouth outward, to fingers and toes, zinging straight up her spine and making her dizzy.
Previous Word Count: 4263
Current Word Count: 4515
Today's Sentence: The heady, weightless sensation spread from his hot mouth outward, to fingers and toes, zinging straight up her spine and making her dizzy.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Progress Report
Current Project -
Previous Word Count: 3971
Current Word Count: 4263
Today's Sentence: Candace thought he was leaning in for a kiss, but instead, he sank to his knees before her, and with a quick jerk of her hips, drew her to the edge of the bed.
Previous Word Count: 3971
Current Word Count: 4263
Today's Sentence: Candace thought he was leaning in for a kiss, but instead, he sank to his knees before her, and with a quick jerk of her hips, drew her to the edge of the bed.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Progress Report
Alas, no progress today. I got all sucked up by fanfic. I knew I should have written some before bed last night.
#fail
#fail
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A New Concept
Watching the movie Julie & Julia today, I got inspired. I'm not cooking my way through a monster book of recipes, but I am undertaking my own endeavor - and it always helps to have some kind of accountability.
So, starting today, I am going to report my daily progress on my original projects.
Current Project -
Previous Word Count: 3540
New Word Count: 3971
Stellar achievement, right? ;) But we'll see what happens if I'm working on it every day.
And so that the daily report will be interesting for you, I'm going to share one sentence from the work each day.
Today's Sentence: Without speaking, Spencer reached for the tie that held her dress closed and he pulled it easily, drawing the ribbon away from her body like a string being pulled from her heart.
So, starting today, I am going to report my daily progress on my original projects.
Current Project -
Previous Word Count: 3540
New Word Count: 3971
Stellar achievement, right? ;) But we'll see what happens if I'm working on it every day.
And so that the daily report will be interesting for you, I'm going to share one sentence from the work each day.
Today's Sentence: Without speaking, Spencer reached for the tie that held her dress closed and he pulled it easily, drawing the ribbon away from her body like a string being pulled from her heart.
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