Writers

[CandySlice]

In an elective I took "Hesse and Kafka" we read short stories and longer works from each author. The only two requirements were class attendance and to write a short story reflecting the voice of one of these writers.

I chose Kafka, wrote a SS based on a surfer with themes loosely taken from "The Trail" and "The Castle". Fortunately I took the course C/NC since it was not in my major and I had already completed all requirements for my undergraduate degree.

I knew I was in trouble when the prof played an LP and instructed us to read silently from page x to page y in "the Glass Bead Game" (Magister Ludi). A few minutes later he asked the class for their impressions. Most thought the music and words went together, lyrics with music, After some discussion the instructor told us the music was the Magic Flute (some knew, I didn't) and that Hesse's must have been listening to the "Magic Flute" when he composed the words we had read.

Maybe Hesse had left notes explaining he listened to the music of Mozart while writing this novel, if he did not I have often wondered who discovered such a thing.

When I received my short story back from the instructor the only note was "Credit, consider how much work these authors put into their work".

I've thought about writing short stories but his words haunt me. Hard work? Na, I'm retired. I was successful writing grants, all four I wrote were funded, three by the DOJ and one by the CA Justice Dept. That too was work, but I was being paid to do it.

You got grants funded by the DOJ and the CJD? There's a story in there somewhere.

 

[Unkotare]

I also said serious writers write because to do so would be unthinkable.

Care to try that again?

 

[CandySlice]

I would LOVE to see anything you've written.

Cuz the samples I've seen of your writing wouldn't get a passing grade from a 9th grade English comp teacher.

Hey, I remember you. You're that hysterical chick from yesterday. Bless your heart, Honey. I didn't think you'd make it through the night.

Dullards interpret wit and spark as "hysteria".

Which is why your writing sucks.

Sweetie, not for nothin' but when you are going for wit and spark on the printed page you have to make sure it doesn't sound like you're standing in the middle of the room shrieking at yourself in the mirror. It's a minor distinction but an important one.

 

[koshergrl]

I also said serious writers write because to do so would be unthinkable.

Care to try that again?

They write because it's unthinkable???


Do you suppose that's what he meant?

 

[koshergrl]

Hey, I remember you. You're that hysterical chick from yesterday. Bless your heart, Honey. I didn't think you'd make it through the night.

Dullards interpret wit and spark as "hysteria".

Which is why your writing sucks.

Sweetie, not for nothin' but when you are going for wit and spark on the printed page you have to make sure it doesn't sound like you're standing in the middle of the room shrieking at yourself in the mirror. It's a minor distinction but an important one.

Who tries for wit and spark?

It just happens, lol.

Well for some, anyway.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Guys __ let's leave the personal animosities out of this thread. People from all walks of life can be good writers.

 

[Noomi]

A Greek goddess (Nemesis) doing time on earth because she lost a bet.

Sounds awesome!

I write. Years ago, when I was around 16, I wrote a 175 page script. Very amateurish but then, I was only a teen. Took me six months to write.

Was about a girl who had been given up for adoption by her mother, who was raped as a teen. Her father forced her to give the baby up and then took her to a doctor who hypnotised her, erasing her memory of the incident. Years later, the daughter is still waiting to be adopted, and has her mothers memory - so she knows exactly what happened to her mother all those years ago. She and a friend escape from the orphanage and go in search of her mother, who is being persued by her father because she is starting to remember the past.

Sounds far fetched, but I spent hours writing it. I have it all written down on scraps of paper somewhere, I just have no idea where I put them. I need to write it down again and print it out!

 

[BDBoop]

Maybe you could flesh it out more, now?

Sort of like that video I posted earlier, of the 32 y/o talking to his 12 y/o self. Take what you did then, and ... that would be so cool! First put together the pieces of paper and get the original story, and then take the same concept and write it from an adult's perspective and wisdom.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

A Greek goddess (Nemesis) doing time on earth because she lost a bet.

Sounds awesome!

I write. Years ago, when I was around 16, I wrote a 175 page script. Very amateurish but then, I was only a teen. Took me six months to write.

Was about a girl who had been given up for adoption by her mother, who was raped as a teen. Her father forced her to give the baby up and then took her to a doctor who hypnotised her, erasing her memory of the incident. Years later, the daughter is still waiting to be adopted, and has her mothers memory - so she knows exactly what happened to her mother all those years ago. She and a friend escape from the orphanage and go in search of her mother, who is being persued by her father because she is starting to remember the past.

Sounds far fetched, but I spent hours writing it. I have it all written down on scraps of paper somewhere, I just have no idea where I put them. I need to write it down again and print it out!

You should polish it up and get it published. That'd make a great back story for the sleeve.

 

[Noomi]

I did plan on editing it and sending it off to be published, or even sending it to a producer or something, seeing it was written in script form.

I can remember most of the story, I just don't know how to start re-writing it again!

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

I did plan on editing it and sending it off to be published, or even sending it to a producer or something, seeing it was written in script form.

I can remember most of the story, I just don't know how to start re-writing it again!

175 pages seems really long for a script. I'd convert it into a book.

 

[Noomi]

I did plan on editing it and sending it off to be published, or even sending it to a producer or something, seeing it was written in script form.

I can remember most of the story, I just don't know how to start re-writing it again!

175 pages seems really long for a script. I'd convert it into a book.

Maybe I'll do both, lol!

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

I did plan on editing it and sending it off to be published, or even sending it to a producer or something, seeing it was written in script form.

I can remember most of the story, I just don't know how to start re-writing it again!

175 pages seems really long for a script. I'd convert it into a book.

Maybe I'll do both, lol!

Unless you are supremely confident, I would recommend the book route. There's a lot of competition for scripts. Whereas, a book is cheaper to publish and the general public can embrace it or not. But it's not depended on an industry insider wanting to invest.

 

[CandySlice]

A Greek goddess (Nemesis) doing time on earth because she lost a bet.

Sounds awesome!

I write. Years ago, when I was around 16, I wrote a 175 page script. Very amateurish but then, I was only a teen. Took me six months to write.

Was about a girl who had been given up for adoption by her mother, who was raped as a teen. Her father forced her to give the baby up and then took her to a doctor who hypnotised her, erasing her memory of the incident. Years later, the daughter is still waiting to be adopted, and has her mothers memory - so she knows exactly what happened to her mother all those years ago. She and a friend escape from the orphanage and go in search of her mother, who is being persued by her father because she is starting to remember the past.

Sounds far fetched, but I spent hours writing it. I have it all written down on scraps of paper somewhere, I just have no idea where I put them. I need to write it down again and print it out!

I've got one in the works about a girl who was raped and brutalized so terribly it all but paralyzed her but while in recovery one night she's watching one of those 'To Catch a Thief' things on TV and decides to become a one-woman avenger by drawing in pedo's and rape-os on the internet and killing them.

 

[CandySlice]

I did plan on editing it and sending it off to be published, or even sending it to a producer or something, seeing it was written in script form.

I can remember most of the story, I just don't know how to start re-writing it again!

175 pages seems really long for a script. I'd convert it into a book.

Maybe I'll do both, lol!

You can self publish. It's great to have an editor and the backing of a good house but many people have had good success in the do it yourself markets.

 

[CandySlice]

I did plan on editing it and sending it off to be published, or even sending it to a producer or something, seeing it was written in script form.

I can remember most of the story, I just don't know how to start re-writing it again!

You get those periods of dead calm when nothing will come. There is no tried and true way to get started again but just to decide to do it. It sounds like a great story.

 

[Unkotare]

I also said serious writers write because to do so would be unthinkable.

Care to try that again?

They write because it's unthinkable???


Do you suppose that's what he meant?

I don't know, I can't think about it!

 

[CandySlice]

Guys __ let's leave the personal animosities out of this thread. People from all walks of life can be good writers.

The ignore function comes in handy.

 

[Unkotare]

That's unthinkable!

 

[koshergrl]

That's unthinkable!

You're hysterical!