Writers' Bloc

As there are so many here who write ~ reviews, articles, interviews, blogs, even their own books ~ I thought we could discuss writing itself.  

Why do we write and what makes good writing?   Must we be only inspired and passionate about a topic, or is informed experience and savvy language just as important?   What truly draws you into another author's work; What is it about that person's perspective or inside knowledge or blasphemous truth-telling that makes you keep scrolling the screen or turning the page?   And what of the process itself-- how does that mysterious cerebral alchemy occur to cause a flow of words that allows one to express ideas, feelings, images and observations?   As the Beatles said, 'Indicate precisely what you mean to say', but that is an eloquent way of describing the often oh-so-difficult.   It is indeed, as Norman Mailer points out, a very spooky art.

Member's work may be posted in small portions though mainly this is a discussion on writing for writers and non-writers alike.  

For some good books, Norman Mailer's The Spooky Art is a must (and a lovely read as well) - - 

and I've also heard good things about Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird

Edited by Atavachron - October 28 2015 at 16:04

As to my writings. see here for an example:

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=104657

I write for pretty much the same reasons as I read - I enjoy it and I love a good story. I also love playing with words.

For me a good piece of writing is a series of images and ideas unfolding at their natural pace like wild flowers.

71: analogue dialogue the smellevision script …what's happening? ‘You smell.’ ‘Thanks for that, you've done my self-esteem the power of good.’ ‘Sorry, but you do.’ ‘You smell too.’ ‘Do I smell?’ ‘I think we all smell of stale cigarette smoke, late nights and cheap wine.’ ‘And pond water.’ ‘Oh. Sorry.’ ‘And what the hell is that smell?’ ‘Eww.’ ‘Me?’ ‘You?’ ‘You said you.’ ‘No, Eww, as in yuck’ ‘Oh. Not me then?’ ‘No… Well, it might be…’ ‘I don't know what that is, what is it?’ ‘You?’ ‘F*ck and Off - in that order.’ ‘Well? What the f*ck is it then?’ ‘Nothing a decent shower and some mouthwash will not cure.’ ‘Ah, right. About the shower…’ ‘Oh, sh*t. The porthole thing. Sorry, I forgot.’ ‘Yes, the portal.’ ‘What porthole?’ ‘Portal.’ ‘What's a portle?’ ‘It's the shower.’ ‘It is like a doorway.’ ‘In the shower.’ ‘To other worlds.’ ‘Oh, a portal.’ ‘Well, duh!’ ‘Uh? Okay… I remember. Oh God. I was only washing my hair.’ ‘Do not cry, you are safe now.’ ‘Sorry. But I don't feel safe.’ ‘Baths then.’ ‘Oh f*ck. There's never going to be enough hot water for five baths.’ ‘We're going to have to share.’ ‘That sounds like a plan.’ ‘It's going to be a little crowded.’ ‘I didn't mean we all share at the same time.’ ‘In pairs then?’ ‘There's five of us.’ ‘So?’ ‘It's an odd number.’ ‘We're an odd group.’ ‘You can say that again.’ ‘Why, you heard me the first time.’ ‘Yeah, right.’ ‘It does not divide by two.’ ‘I'll go twice.’ ‘Hussy.’ ‘Pot. Kettle.’ ‘That is a point, I think we should boil some more water.’ ‘I do not need a bath.’ ‘Yes you do.’ ‘Yeah. Too right.’ ‘But I had one yesterday.’ ‘Congratulations. I didn't know it was your birthday.’ ‘It was not.’ ‘Anyway. You're having one today as well.’ ‘Whether you need it or not.’ ‘Oh, he needs it alright.’ ‘Really?’ ‘Really. Trust me.’ ‘I do.’ ‘Aww. That's so sweet. I trust you too.’

Amidst my now active writing tasks -- I just finished another re-issue album article  -- I share my own writer's background. I bold-up the things that I think are more or less crucial for writers.

I've been an avid reader (of fiction mainly) all my life. In my youth I wrote few short stories, but I don't think I have the needed inner urge/ambition/patience to try a career of a writer. In university I studied literature, without any clear vision what I'd do for living, simply because I liked it. Before I finally got myself a profession (as a librarian) I wrote newspaper criticism for books and theatre. That was more like a hobby. My good friend is a music critic and I truly don't envy him, as he struggles on the edge of making a living out of it. I'm in the happy position of being a semi-professional writer without the financial pressures.

My first tiny published participations dealed with literature ('05-'07). Naturally I had some aspirations/ambitions to make a book of some kind (the smallest effort would have been as an editor of a short story anthology, an idea I once tried to push forward). I remember well the moment in the summer of 2010 when I realized that there is a certain subject that hadn't seen a publication in Finnish and on which I had a long-time passion (and which had already become a subject of a hobby-like writing due to ProgArchives!): progressive rock.

A couple of years passed by (increasing my knowledge on the subject) until one evening I was filled with inspiration and started to work on my prog book that was released 15 months later. Encouraged by the warm reception I'm continuing in this area, and luckily the right time to concentrate on writing came along this year.

The basic fact is simply that I like writing on things that I enjoy. Right now I sit here writing this useless, self-reflective message instead of finally having a lunch after finishing my article. I really better stay inactive when it comes to time-consuming forum writing!

Polymorphia wrote: Dean wrote: So... my question is: How do you all go about writing dialog?  ... With dialogue tags, I usually use them sparingly. Only if I need to. Previously, I have used them needlessly. Also, coming up with more creative ones than "said/replied/uttered/asked." There's also "muttered," "mumbled," "coughed," "rasped," "taunted," etc. Words that are more specific and colorful. Dialogue tags are not the only way you can attribute dialogue either. Here's an example: "The sergeant moved around in his seat. 'How can you expect me to believe you?'"

I occasionally even use verbs that are not used for sound utterances. Two examples:

„You first“, gestured Friede. „You are the taller one“.

„Old woman“, grinned Friede.

That way I can communicate actions, like a gesture or a grin here, with spoken words quite elegantly.

Atavachron wrote: Dean wrote: So... my question is: How do you all go about writing dialog? I agree dialog is tricky.   One thing I've begun to notice about good film scripts is that the dialog is lean, economic and to-the-point;  it tends to contain vivid, brief descriptions and clear symbology that communicates an idea quickly instead of lingering over things and words.   Though books are a bit different I still notice brevity of speech moves the story along.

Yes and no. The problem is that with little speech you are apt to create either cardboard characters or caricatures. People are not always to the point; they are often long-winded, beat around the bush or deliberately talk about something else.  If you reduce dialog too much you wind up on sit-com level.

Writing previews for PA certainly got my fire to write again

Of course I can rebuild it - I still have it in mind...

But it was really refined - and some of the expressions I used had people rolling on the floor - and I doubt I can do better than what was lost.


But it's more than that really. With that theft, I lost the envy/will to write

Though I had some issues prior to that (father's succession and arsehole at work), this was the first event that start a downwards spiral that ended (or culminated) in the loss of my car in a pile up early March. I kind of lost the plot and it started a period of heavy doubt.
Actually while the traffic accident was handled catastrophically by the Dutch emergency services - thankfully no-oner was hurt - it also served as an electro-shock after a depression bout and can be maybe the start of a "new start".

I've closed a fair amount of problematic files (including just yesterday the eviction the neighbour woman sexually pursuing me from around the time of my computer theft>> well not for that reason, she wasn't paying her rent either).

Just to put it this way: I haven't written a single review for anyone since the theft: though I had a copy of my review file on a memory stick to post the reviews at coffee break at work  - so I hardly lost a thing in that direction.

But on top of my "novel" (to be pompous >> I generally tend to qualify it as "scribbling"), just as importantly (if not more), I lost a scientific exploratory research project (for the research institute I work) I was developping at home (too busy at work to take time at work to do so there) and I wasn't able to submit it at deadline time (in March). but I've recently found approval to develop this at work, but I'll need some engineers to help out developing the exploratory research call: hopefully, if one day, humanity will drive air-compressed cars, it will be (partly) because of the (my) project to investigate the future compressed air tanking stations. (I've been driving on non-polluting LPG/GPL for almost a quarter century, BTW)

I also had started to work on two climatic projects: stop glacier melting (and avoid some typhoons from developping (solution could be just that easy >> 500 m away). Needless to say, I will have to rebuild from scratch there as well.


well, I bought a hard drive back up system now