I wrote once, in a diary, about the idea of our lives being commodities -- our memories, our traumas, our friends -- all being things we can package and sell. Trying to condense down our lives big events into a short, catchy synopsis.
Last night Deb was telling me about her weekend away in Amsterdam. I liked the way she'd tell her story, skipping quickly through the build-up of Saturday; went to a bar, smoked a lot, went for a walk, had dinner, all that sort of thing. Then she slows down for when she's got to the story itself, eating too many 'shrooms, getting completely twisted and going to a live sex show. Sitting through the same show -- of about 6 acts -- twice.
My trouble is, when someone's talking to me, I make mental notes. My eyes remain fixed on theirs, smiling or nodding along with their story I am thinking about what parts to keep, what parts to leave out. Thinking of how to strip it down to the bare bones so I can use the story in my writings, a character's monologue of sorts.
I think writers (even non-professional ones) can't help doing that a bit - or it's the other way - desperately trying to cram every single detail into your head so you don't forget a thing.
ReplyDeleteI don't draft (and it shows), because I just don't work that way - but it takes hours/days/weeks for each entry to go through the process of filtering and writing in my brain first.
Maybe it does show that you don't draft -- but your writing has an
ReplyDeleteempassioned quality to it that I think drafting and scripting would
drain.
I suppose, in a way I am wary of overly constructed sentences and well thought out dialogue. Not to say that I don't enjoy reading that, because I do. But you're right something gets lost when the make up goes on too thick - and somehow what gets lost is the person underneath.
ReplyDeleteBut, having said that - I do draft sometimes, but only when I "write for an audience" - which is what I do every day, (don't we all?)...but I guess for me there is the audience who I would consider having round for a beer and the audience who I want to read my real writing - they are the same, actually - but the context changes them somewhat.
On the other hand, this is why I like comment boxes so much. They add to even very heavily constructed writing a sense of spontaneity and realness that would sometimes doesn't exist.
weird.
err..that sometimes fails to exist.
ReplyDeletedrafting. sheesh!