Style du Jour
I've done a lot of writing in my life, from essays in high school and college to more businessy and research-related stuff afterwards. I've never really written much fiction, though, and I, of course, want to. I think I have a pretty distinct essay style, research report style and business/marketing style, but I have no idea what my fiction style is or could be.
Every time I read a new fiction book, though, I automatically imagine myself writing in the style of the author. I've probably been subconciously doing that forever, but I noticed it just about a month ago, when I reread The Great Gatsby for the first time in almost 15 years. After reading it, I wrote a little essay about it. A day later, I reread the essay and noticed about five times as many commas as in my normal writing. Apparently I think I'm F. Scott.
This week, I've read two books with styles I'd like to adopt as my own. One of them might even be my natural style, who knows. The first was Gaudi Afternoon by Barbara Wilson. It was written in 1990 and, sometime more recently, made into a movie staring Judy Davis. Set in Barcelona, which is why I read it (I like books set in Europe), and something of a casual mystery, which also appeals to me. What's unusual about Gaudi Afternoon, what makes it a little different than the books I usually read, is that the heroine is a lesbian with no desire to have a long-term relationship. One of the themes of the book involved definition of gender. It was an easy read, though, not an overwhelming lecture.
And today, I read The Finishing School by Muriel Spark. She's written trillions of books, but this is the first I've read. It was so simply written, but without being sparse. God, I hope I can write that way one day.
Both books, interestingly, use the same tool: one of the main characters is heavily involved in another book, and the story of the other book becomes a way to introduce and discuss deeper meaning without "themes" being overbearing. Cassandra, Gaudi's main character, is a translator working on a novel written by the "new female Gabriel Garcia Marquez." And the plot of Finishing School is anchored by a fictional account of the death of Mary Queen of Scots, being written by the prodigal student Chris.
Reading both of the books made me excited to write and I had ideas - for plot, characters and scene - as I read. Once finished, though, I become sort of paralyzed, as I can't help but analyze my own writing, as I write, just as I've analyzed the books I've read.
Every time I read a new fiction book, though, I automatically imagine myself writing in the style of the author. I've probably been subconciously doing that forever, but I noticed it just about a month ago, when I reread The Great Gatsby for the first time in almost 15 years. After reading it, I wrote a little essay about it. A day later, I reread the essay and noticed about five times as many commas as in my normal writing. Apparently I think I'm F. Scott.
This week, I've read two books with styles I'd like to adopt as my own. One of them might even be my natural style, who knows. The first was Gaudi Afternoon by Barbara Wilson. It was written in 1990 and, sometime more recently, made into a movie staring Judy Davis. Set in Barcelona, which is why I read it (I like books set in Europe), and something of a casual mystery, which also appeals to me. What's unusual about Gaudi Afternoon, what makes it a little different than the books I usually read, is that the heroine is a lesbian with no desire to have a long-term relationship. One of the themes of the book involved definition of gender. It was an easy read, though, not an overwhelming lecture.
And today, I read The Finishing School by Muriel Spark. She's written trillions of books, but this is the first I've read. It was so simply written, but without being sparse. God, I hope I can write that way one day.
Both books, interestingly, use the same tool: one of the main characters is heavily involved in another book, and the story of the other book becomes a way to introduce and discuss deeper meaning without "themes" being overbearing. Cassandra, Gaudi's main character, is a translator working on a novel written by the "new female Gabriel Garcia Marquez." And the plot of Finishing School is anchored by a fictional account of the death of Mary Queen of Scots, being written by the prodigal student Chris.
Reading both of the books made me excited to write and I had ideas - for plot, characters and scene - as I read. Once finished, though, I become sort of paralyzed, as I can't help but analyze my own writing, as I write, just as I've analyzed the books I've read.
posted by Kit Pollard at
4:05 PM
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