Declaration of Love (To Writing)
I was browsing through ivyblossom's tumblr and came across a post about fandoms, fan fiction and the writing (memes) behind it all. It's an extensive list of writing advice about (overused and misunderstood) idioms used in Sherlock fan fictions, specifically Johnlock fan fiction but I think it can be translated to writing anything overall.
[in which I go on and on about writing]
The gist of Diane's post is to advise writers to explain and expand their writing rather than lying back (she even explained the variants on 'lie' and 'lay' which I had difficulty with until a few months ago when I got off my ass and figured out what the difference was) and using one (overused and highly recognizable) word (in the fandom) and dismissing all the potential space for great writing.
Basically, instead of writing, "A yellow-golden light surrounded her, painting the outline of her face and hair with shining warmth", the word, "illuminated" would replace all of that to "She was illuminated in light." The first sentence creates a picture whereas the second one instructs and leaves the reader to their own devices.
And she continues to point out more specific words found in Johnlock fiction and explaining the proper usages of them or explaining why it's better not to use them at all. Etc. etc. etc.
Then I read ivyblossom's response to Diane's post where she provided her opinion that these idioms are part of the culture of a fandom. And I agree with her (I also agree with Diane, too, of course). Those words only found in Johnlock fan fiction "evoke specific meanings or emotions that are part of this particular shared fandom experience." I could also probably pick out specific words only used in Harry Potter fan fiction ("aristocrat" is probably one of the earliest words I recognized as distinctively Harry Potter and specifically describes the Malfoy family or anybody part of the higher class in the Wizarding World and most likely, if they went to Hogwarts, was in the house of Slytherin. All that out of "aristocrat".). These words are then passed down from author to reader, then author to author and so forth until it sort of becomes fandom lingo. It sets the mood for a Sherlock fic, or a Harry Potter fic, or whatever fandom you read from. It becomes part of the characters and its surroundings and people pick up on that unconsciously.
When I read Sherlock fan fiction, the words I would describe the way I feel/see while reading would be: dusty, black/brown, blue, purple, racing cars, clear glass vials, sunlight filtering through grey windows, and night time. When I read Harry Potter fan fiction, I see: the lake, grey skies, trees - lots of trees, bed sheets and duvet covers, red, and lots of good food. And when I used to read Naruto fan fiction, I'd think about: green grass, wooden houses, orange, blonde, brown dirt roads, steel, blood, peach colours, and ramen. (I could go on.)
There's always a feel of familiarity with these fan fictions in these fandoms. I think I feel it in series of books I read from the same author. But to also see it from multiple authors is pretty awesome. Each story is different with different writing styles, yet somehow, they all are able to convey the same kind of feeling (of course, granted, they're writing about the same universe but you get my point, hopefully).
Another thing that ivyblossom wrote that made me think - she said, "Awkward writing, I think, often comes from thinking too much about words. The words are important, of course, but what you’re aiming for when you write fiction is to transport the reader. You don’t want them to be hyperaware of the words. They words are just tools, they should disappear. Your reader, ideally, should be in your scene, feeling what your characters are feeling and experiencing space and time along with them. They shouldn’t be fixating on your phrases and your word choice. That’s the argument for not replacing “said” with some other, more flowery word; why draw attention to something that your reader doesn’t even see? Your reader just hears the words being spoken; that’s what you want. That’s what you’re after. Words are only the medium for your message. Even the really good phrases: is this what murder your darlings really means? You write a phrase that’s great and it makes your reader stop, drop out of the story, and admire your wordsmithing. Is that really what you want? The ego says yes; the story probably says no."
Which brings me to a conversation I had with one of my coworkers a while back. He had said, "Writing... It's just a bunch of words and you put the words together and somehow, it creates something. Everybody has the tools and you don't need to use hundreds of dollars to get these tools like a musician or a painter might have to. If you know how to read, and write, and think, then you're good to go. And in our society, then it looks like everybody has an equal chance to somehow create a great piece of literature. There's no discrimination there."
So that made me think: yeah, true. No one can say, "I'm sorry, my pencil isn't the new updated model with tech-lead and state of the art wood so the quality of my words will be really poor." In English, the letters are all there and the words are all there for you to use.
Mind you, then there's the skill level and dedication involved. You've got the tools, but you need the will. I don't know how I got the status of "really good at English" in high school but I somehow did (even though I never showed anybody my writing except for Simon and my teachers and I never heard them advertise me as anything like that) and people would ask me, "How do you write so well?". Besides me shrugging and asking how they know I'm good at all, I tell them, "Read."
Because I'm truly disappointed in my friends and other people I know that say, "I only read when I have to." And then go on in life being all exasperated about their "inability" to write well and how they hate writing essays and research papers and how "I've been learning English my whole life, why is it so hard???". And I owe it to all the books I've read to get me to this point in my writing where I'm proud of it and enjoy it and find myself telling myself (smugly and proudly and full of ego) that I'm good at it.
Anybody can call themselves a writer. It's sort of like the title of Doctor. You can be a Doctor in the medical field, or a Doctor teaching first-year English literature. It's a vague title.
My point? Not much of a point, really. I'm just reflecting in what I've been told a lot and what I've heard a lot from others in my own life on the subject of writing. There are the people who read your work and say "You're amazing" and "so good in English because you got an A" and "I suck at writing, How do you do it?? I want to be like you". There are the people who think of writing as a tool they possess and have and therefore, will use it like a saw and cut their steak with it (in other words, people who just write for the sake of "I want to write this idea and I don't care if it's not good or developed or coherent"). And there's the rest who are amazing at writing and blow people's minds out of the water and make the mere mortals weep in their godliness.
So yes, everybody can write. Everybody can form words and put them together and create things. I can be a chemist, too, without taking a single chemistry class in my life. I'll just put this chemical together with this other one and create this reaction. Boom. Instant chemist. I can be a singer and belt out the highest note I can manage. I've got the tools: my voice. Instant singer.
Like ivyblossom said, "words are just tools". Writing is about putting words together but it's also about creating that picture and evoking that feeling. Of story-telling and thought-provoking. Of transporting others to another universe in another time until they forget it's a bunch of cursive letters grouped together to form words that become sentences with (or without) grammatical structures.
So that's why I love to write and read. I don't know batshit about correct grammar use and will put shame to the title of Grammar Nazi. I didn't exactly enjoy all the material I have to read in all of my English courses and I didn't get straight A's in those courses. I love to write because it's my way of painting a picture without brushes and acryllic paint. It's my way of singing a song that brings tears to everybody's eyes and them rewarding me with a thunderous standing ovation. And it's my way of creating a fatal chemical reaction that will indeed blow everybody's mind.
This post was sort of my love note to writing. My declaration of dedication. And just explaining that I view writing (and all its entirety - whether it be writing poems, stories, textbooks, reports, papers, e-mails, or fan fiction) as strictly serious business. Also my love note to the people who take writing even more serious than I do myself and would write an advice post based on fan fiction for no money and on their own time. Or writing stories after hours of research and plot development and hair-pulling for others and sharing them.
Just amazing.
[in which I go on and on about writing]
The gist of Diane's post is to advise writers to explain and expand their writing rather than lying back (she even explained the variants on 'lie' and 'lay' which I had difficulty with until a few months ago when I got off my ass and figured out what the difference was) and using one (overused and highly recognizable) word (in the fandom) and dismissing all the potential space for great writing.
Basically, instead of writing, "A yellow-golden light surrounded her, painting the outline of her face and hair with shining warmth", the word, "illuminated" would replace all of that to "She was illuminated in light." The first sentence creates a picture whereas the second one instructs and leaves the reader to their own devices.
And she continues to point out more specific words found in Johnlock fiction and explaining the proper usages of them or explaining why it's better not to use them at all. Etc. etc. etc.
Then I read ivyblossom's response to Diane's post where she provided her opinion that these idioms are part of the culture of a fandom. And I agree with her (I also agree with Diane, too, of course). Those words only found in Johnlock fan fiction "evoke specific meanings or emotions that are part of this particular shared fandom experience." I could also probably pick out specific words only used in Harry Potter fan fiction ("aristocrat" is probably one of the earliest words I recognized as distinctively Harry Potter and specifically describes the Malfoy family or anybody part of the higher class in the Wizarding World and most likely, if they went to Hogwarts, was in the house of Slytherin. All that out of "aristocrat".). These words are then passed down from author to reader, then author to author and so forth until it sort of becomes fandom lingo. It sets the mood for a Sherlock fic, or a Harry Potter fic, or whatever fandom you read from. It becomes part of the characters and its surroundings and people pick up on that unconsciously.
When I read Sherlock fan fiction, the words I would describe the way I feel/see while reading would be: dusty, black/brown, blue, purple, racing cars, clear glass vials, sunlight filtering through grey windows, and night time. When I read Harry Potter fan fiction, I see: the lake, grey skies, trees - lots of trees, bed sheets and duvet covers, red, and lots of good food. And when I used to read Naruto fan fiction, I'd think about: green grass, wooden houses, orange, blonde, brown dirt roads, steel, blood, peach colours, and ramen. (I could go on.)
There's always a feel of familiarity with these fan fictions in these fandoms. I think I feel it in series of books I read from the same author. But to also see it from multiple authors is pretty awesome. Each story is different with different writing styles, yet somehow, they all are able to convey the same kind of feeling (of course, granted, they're writing about the same universe but you get my point, hopefully).
Another thing that ivyblossom wrote that made me think - she said, "Awkward writing, I think, often comes from thinking too much about words. The words are important, of course, but what you’re aiming for when you write fiction is to transport the reader. You don’t want them to be hyperaware of the words. They words are just tools, they should disappear. Your reader, ideally, should be in your scene, feeling what your characters are feeling and experiencing space and time along with them. They shouldn’t be fixating on your phrases and your word choice. That’s the argument for not replacing “said” with some other, more flowery word; why draw attention to something that your reader doesn’t even see? Your reader just hears the words being spoken; that’s what you want. That’s what you’re after. Words are only the medium for your message. Even the really good phrases: is this what murder your darlings really means? You write a phrase that’s great and it makes your reader stop, drop out of the story, and admire your wordsmithing. Is that really what you want? The ego says yes; the story probably says no."
Which brings me to a conversation I had with one of my coworkers a while back. He had said, "Writing... It's just a bunch of words and you put the words together and somehow, it creates something. Everybody has the tools and you don't need to use hundreds of dollars to get these tools like a musician or a painter might have to. If you know how to read, and write, and think, then you're good to go. And in our society, then it looks like everybody has an equal chance to somehow create a great piece of literature. There's no discrimination there."
So that made me think: yeah, true. No one can say, "I'm sorry, my pencil isn't the new updated model with tech-lead and state of the art wood so the quality of my words will be really poor." In English, the letters are all there and the words are all there for you to use.
Mind you, then there's the skill level and dedication involved. You've got the tools, but you need the will. I don't know how I got the status of "really good at English" in high school but I somehow did (even though I never showed anybody my writing except for Simon and my teachers and I never heard them advertise me as anything like that) and people would ask me, "How do you write so well?". Besides me shrugging and asking how they know I'm good at all, I tell them, "Read."
Because I'm truly disappointed in my friends and other people I know that say, "I only read when I have to." And then go on in life being all exasperated about their "inability" to write well and how they hate writing essays and research papers and how "I've been learning English my whole life, why is it so hard???". And I owe it to all the books I've read to get me to this point in my writing where I'm proud of it and enjoy it and find myself telling myself (smugly and proudly and full of ego) that I'm good at it.
Anybody can call themselves a writer. It's sort of like the title of Doctor. You can be a Doctor in the medical field, or a Doctor teaching first-year English literature. It's a vague title.
My point? Not much of a point, really. I'm just reflecting in what I've been told a lot and what I've heard a lot from others in my own life on the subject of writing. There are the people who read your work and say "You're amazing" and "so good in English because you got an A" and "I suck at writing, How do you do it?? I want to be like you". There are the people who think of writing as a tool they possess and have and therefore, will use it like a saw and cut their steak with it (in other words, people who just write for the sake of "I want to write this idea and I don't care if it's not good or developed or coherent"). And there's the rest who are amazing at writing and blow people's minds out of the water and make the mere mortals weep in their godliness.
So yes, everybody can write. Everybody can form words and put them together and create things. I can be a chemist, too, without taking a single chemistry class in my life. I'll just put this chemical together with this other one and create this reaction. Boom. Instant chemist. I can be a singer and belt out the highest note I can manage. I've got the tools: my voice. Instant singer.
Like ivyblossom said, "words are just tools". Writing is about putting words together but it's also about creating that picture and evoking that feeling. Of story-telling and thought-provoking. Of transporting others to another universe in another time until they forget it's a bunch of cursive letters grouped together to form words that become sentences with (or without) grammatical structures.
So that's why I love to write and read. I don't know batshit about correct grammar use and will put shame to the title of Grammar Nazi. I didn't exactly enjoy all the material I have to read in all of my English courses and I didn't get straight A's in those courses. I love to write because it's my way of painting a picture without brushes and acryllic paint. It's my way of singing a song that brings tears to everybody's eyes and them rewarding me with a thunderous standing ovation. And it's my way of creating a fatal chemical reaction that will indeed blow everybody's mind.
This post was sort of my love note to writing. My declaration of dedication. And just explaining that I view writing (and all its entirety - whether it be writing poems, stories, textbooks, reports, papers, e-mails, or fan fiction) as strictly serious business. Also my love note to the people who take writing even more serious than I do myself and would write an advice post based on fan fiction for no money and on their own time. Or writing stories after hours of research and plot development and hair-pulling for others and sharing them.
Just amazing.