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A few months from now, I will release my second major work. In truth it may be a bit longer. Regardless, I will now write a bit of a reflection on writing fiction, whose usefulness will become apparent maybe only when we find out if my next work is any good
In any case, all fiction (and all theory) is autobiographical. Fantastic and mystical elements in stories are the metaphorization of the authorâs real experience
Composing a compelling plot is foremost an act of self-awareness, and in a way, it is a pornography of the self. Your goal is to transport your readers into the landscapes of your imagination, and your vehicle is your own observations and emotions
A fiction writerâs most important attribute is his honesty, and willingness to put himself on display. To do this, you must be able to look at yourself with a certain detachment, and see in yourself the basest and pettiest motives
People are simple and the difficulty of introspection lies in the desire to see yourself as more complex than you really are, the better to make excuses https://twitter.com/0x49fa98/status/1019264435595108357
The goal of each sentence in a fictional work is to get the reader to the next. The way to achieve this goal is through tension, which is unsatisfied desire. The story of a man is the story of his desires https://twitter.com/0x49fa98/status/1037330250961575936
Desire is a form of suffering, and indeed, an engaging story, whether tragedy or comedy, is always an account of suffering
In amateur fiction especially, it is apparent that the dramas and little pleasures of the characters are those of the author. Realize this so that you can own your desires, and present them without alienation
Good stories have structure; each anecdote has a purpose, and the way in which each episode is presented should build to a definite conclusion. It is not always necessary to state that conclusion
Itâs very hard to invent a structure for a narrative. Itâs much easier to steal one. Pick a work you admire and try to copy its form while changing its content.
The fictive world is an idealized version of the real one. In other words, it is a kind of average. We exaggerate in order to throw the truth into stark relief. https://twitter.com/0x49fa98/status/1073996157259440128
Originality is overrated. Most plots were invented a thousand years before you were born. You are not the creator of your tropes, you are only their steward. Everything is a cliché; what matters is how you wield them
Agonize over your work. How will your readers feel things that you didnât feel first? In order to invoke emotion, you must experience emotion
On the crafting of sentences: write them over and over. Become a curator of fine turns of phrase. When you read anything, take notes. If a combination of words strikes you, write it down. If no words in a work are worthy of recording then cast it into the fire
The way that words feel in the mouth is as important as the way that they unroll into semantics. Every word is a dead metaphor. The task of the poet is to restore a bit of their vitality. https://twitter.com/0x49fa98/status/1026836226681139200
Avoid the stock phrases of pop cultural conversations. The whole point of writing is to impose your consciousness on others. Why confine yourself to being a conduit of mass culture?
Read the King James Bible, not only for the power and the beauty of its language, but for the poignancy of its narratives. The plots in the gospels in particular have been told in the best way that they possibly could be.
Hide things in your work: inside jokes to yourself, obscure literary references that no reader will understand, fragments of childhood memories, images you saw in a dream... even if no one quite catches them, they add depth and texture
Write a little bit every day, at least a sentence, at least a word. Donât let the work get cold.
It takes young children several years to learn that others do not share their point of view. Youâre trying to show the world as it appears to you through your eyes, so donât take anything for granted
