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I.... have feelings about this. Both as a writer and as a writing teacher. [thread]
A few years back I taught a few short fiction workshops, and part of what we did was read and analyze published fiction. I had one student who had very telling reactions to the readings. https://twitter.com/BCMorrow/status/1301264632468955138
A few years back I taught a few short fiction workshops, and part of what we did was read and analyze published fiction. I had one student who had very telling reactions to the readings. https://twitter.com/BCMorrow/status/1301264632468955138
During discussion of two stories in particular:
The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species
Recognizing Gabe: Un Cuento De Hadas
she declared: But this isn't a story!
(PS you should read them both:
https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-bookmaking-habits-of-select-species/
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/recognizing-gabe-un-cuento-de-hadas/ )
The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species
Recognizing Gabe: Un Cuento De Hadas
she declared: But this isn't a story!
(PS you should read them both:
https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-bookmaking-habits-of-select-species/
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/recognizing-gabe-un-cuento-de-hadas/ )
Why weren't they stories? Because they did not adhere to Freytag's Pyramid, basically. There is no Hero's Journey in either story.
Both have narratives. Both have characters (with Liu's you gotta squint but there is indeed a character). But in this student's mind: NOT a story
Both have narratives. Both have characters (with Liu's you gotta squint but there is indeed a character). But in this student's mind: NOT a story
And if we have writers out here declaring these works Not A Story and only producing stories that fit into expected Western story shapes, then readers are only gonna get the same old stuff and they're not going to recognize other ways of storytelling as valid.
As Bethany says, more folks who understand this need to be writing and publishing. Editors need to educate themselves about varied kinds of stories and storytelling. REVIEWERS need to be savvier. Literature teachers need to bring more diversity to the classroom.
