MOTHER HUBBARD read three pages of my memoirs today and kept laughing. But she assured me they weren't written in that dreadful "I'm so witty" try-too-hard mode that certain writers adopt... you know ~ where every single sentence has to be side-splittingly hilarious or a masterpiece of wit or erudition... I'm really not into that... the style I'm into is what I called "rolling" where it just coasts on effortlessly. I did, of course, try to keep things "bouncy" but I have such horror of try-too-hard writing...
Best example I could give of this would be someone like Kathy Lette. Now don't get me wrong she's really witty, really funny. But I find page after page of her straining for this repeated effect pretty exhausting...
My horror of total "novelization" I don't think will have to be realized. "Novelization" is the hallmark especially of ghostwritten autobiographies where a stranger takes one's memories and bends, twists, grinds them mercilessly to fit the attention-grabbing form into which he shoves them. And they fit such a form because all extraneous facts have been sheared off, like crusts cut off a sandwich... I have compromised by including as much dialogue as I can, because this tends to power the narrative forward, but without dropping the artifice that this is me telling my memories in my own voice. So rather than flicking from scene to scene in a cinematic way, you flow from one to another as further memories are evoked ... I hope this makes some sense to someone!
I would print up an extract only time is low on my account... and e.g. the extract Mother Hubbs read was 1000 words long... it takes time to bang that into computer. And I've decided rather than to perfect as I go just to get the entire thing completed in 1st draft as quickly as possible, then to tinker with that at my leisure once I have a complete several hundred pages of manuscript to tinker with...
I've been given a tip for self-publishing a company called Lulu dot com that I'm looking into. I have to say really I want the biggest most powerful publishers to take on my work (because they can give it the strongest push)... if they didn't... then I have this alternative fantasy of printing out my own batch of fairly mini hardbacks and flogging them on myself... oftentimes the big publishers find these self-published books then want to buy out the author with an attractive contract... life is quite perverse in that way!
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I hearkened to your complaints about too many youtube screens and have now dumped everything extraneous in the cyberbin!
These are today's vids:
1. Robocircus: I still have a Habitrail cage just like that, complete with spiral staircase and round running turret wheel!
2. Pinging Robbies: look how very fast they are!
Hey! This less videos thing is totally refreshing! I think your writing is the real star anyway!
ReplyDeleteI'm still at work and counting the minutes before going home. Just half an hour to go!
Good on yer!
ReplyDeletehaha I updated my time
but still don't feel too inclined to tap out that gynormous extract...
If you ever (or never) get your novel written, you can follow (or replace) it with the writings from this blog on the making of (or unmaking of) your great novel!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, loved the circus video today! Gotta get me some of them critters some day. I could watch them forever.
Tootles!
It's great to hear that Mother Hubbard enjoyed reading your work.
ReplyDeleteI hope that means you'll keep going ....
Gleds,
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see your novel. I have heard of Lulu. I don't think they can do as much as a big publishing house can do for you. Have you thought about getting a literary agent?
If you want to go global (and why not), it's the way to go.
Lulu seems to be good. I was interested to hear that Sabine had used it. I've sent my novel out to so many agents I've lost count. I've thought about Lulu but now I think I might try a major rewrite. I had an idea for it when I was on holiday. One day someone will recognise my work for the sheer genius it is ...
ReplyDelete"bouncy" is cool. it's amazing how quick those robo's turn that wheel.
ReplyDeleteThey are really working hard ! And what a noise in that wheel ! I suppose they run in there especially during night ! Do you have dark rings under your eyes ?
ReplyDeleteI wish you good luck for publishing !
Jim: memoirs! Not novel! Though I have done a novel before, too...
ReplyDeleteDavid: Oh definitely I have to finish it even if I do nothing else...
Alexys: Oh yeah I definitely want a literary agent. They say big publishers won't even LOOK at your book unless it comes from an agent. It's the agent these days who are guardians of the infamous slushpile!
Liz: You have written a novel too! I lose track of how many people have written books... maybe it would be easier to keep a list of those who HAVEN'T written books !! ;->...
ReplyDeleteRaffi: Hey did you get your hands on them New York robohamsters?
Gattina: I always butter my hammies' wheel that way it is strictly silent. Yes I ALWAYS have dark shadows beneath the eyes. Sometimes people ask who hit me.. (seriously) Gotta finish the thing first... have only done 1.5 chapters of at least 20... wish me luck for when it IS done!
Gleds
I think your plan of writing it all first, then revising, is an excellent approach. Otherwise, you can get really bogged down.
ReplyDelete