writing thoughts
Two friends' posts has me thinking about writing: this one by badgerbag, where she writes:
"...instead of eating knowledge and reality and history, you acknowledge its separate life & existence. You respect the differentness of everything and have some perspective.... And can be in conversation. (A Grand Conversation, even!) A decentralized emphasis of consciousness (or individuality) (without being some sort of fascist same-y hive-mind.) So it is a model of consciousness and attitude towards how to think about history and culture, other people, and the future, and just plain being -- and of a way of constructing authorship."
And this one, by rosefox:
"Every time a lesbian dies, every time a wife is widowed, every time a mother grieves the death of her child, every time rape is used to define a woman's character, it serves the story that the author wanted to tell--the story the author chose to tell. And I am no longer content with "it makes sense in the context of the story" as an explanation or an excuse. That "logic" is just as suspect.
TELL DIFFERENT STORIES.
Tell stories where it doesn't make sense for her husband or wife to die. Tell stories where her child dying is unfathomable. Tell stories where women live happy fulfilling lives. Tell stories where women find love and don't lose it again. Tell stories where women and their bodies aren't treated like objects.
Tell stories where women are happy, where a woman's happiness makes sense in the context of the story, where a woman's happiness serves the story, where a woman's happiness is integral to the plot. Tell stories where women's hearts and minds and bodies and families and vocations are healthy, and treated with respect by other people."
I feel like I want to write these stories.
"...instead of eating knowledge and reality and history, you acknowledge its separate life & existence. You respect the differentness of everything and have some perspective.... And can be in conversation. (A Grand Conversation, even!) A decentralized emphasis of consciousness (or individuality) (without being some sort of fascist same-y hive-mind.) So it is a model of consciousness and attitude towards how to think about history and culture, other people, and the future, and just plain being -- and of a way of constructing authorship."
And this one, by rosefox:
"Every time a lesbian dies, every time a wife is widowed, every time a mother grieves the death of her child, every time rape is used to define a woman's character, it serves the story that the author wanted to tell--the story the author chose to tell. And I am no longer content with "it makes sense in the context of the story" as an explanation or an excuse. That "logic" is just as suspect.
TELL DIFFERENT STORIES.
Tell stories where it doesn't make sense for her husband or wife to die. Tell stories where her child dying is unfathomable. Tell stories where women live happy fulfilling lives. Tell stories where women find love and don't lose it again. Tell stories where women and their bodies aren't treated like objects.
Tell stories where women are happy, where a woman's happiness makes sense in the context of the story, where a woman's happiness serves the story, where a woman's happiness is integral to the plot. Tell stories where women's hearts and minds and bodies and families and vocations are healthy, and treated with respect by other people."
I feel like I want to write these stories.