happy medium
[Boring Character Study or Silly Action Fest]
From the article: "Happy medium, please. Happy glorious, interesting and exciting medium.
It's not too much to ask."
Actually, in a way is is quite a bit to ask.
I'm not saying this person is unreasonable or wrong. A good story DOES have a happy medium, I'm painfully aware of this. I'm just not sure the author knows what goes into "a happy medium". They're also forgetting another part of this "happy medium" that is shoved onto writers have to watch out for: originality. Being original's much harder (and nerve-wracking) than this person probably believes.
Why I stumbled on this article: I am the first one to admit that I suffer from both, actually: if it isn't a character study that I'm doing, it's pretty much action for the sake of action--I rarely write action to get anything done. And it seems less and less likely that I'll come up with any kind of plot any time soon. Or, I have a goal for them to get to--no idea how to get there, it's frustrating.
From the article again: "The sad part is that those who attempt literary novels, are probably trying to create something of value by distancing themselves from the action obsessed, violence without purpose, junk that passes for fiction today. The problem is that in their obsession to create something meaningful, they manage to suck the life out of their work. What they end up with is a dry husk littered with boring characters, and uninteresting situations that put even the most avid readers to sleep."
YES. YES. I feel that is exactly what's happening to me. And it sucks. So...thanks for describing the problem that everyone knows--how about how one gets out of it?
From the article: "Happy medium, please. Happy glorious, interesting and exciting medium.
It's not too much to ask."
Actually, in a way is is quite a bit to ask.
I'm not saying this person is unreasonable or wrong. A good story DOES have a happy medium, I'm painfully aware of this. I'm just not sure the author knows what goes into "a happy medium". They're also forgetting another part of this "happy medium" that is shoved onto writers have to watch out for: originality. Being original's much harder (and nerve-wracking) than this person probably believes.
Why I stumbled on this article: I am the first one to admit that I suffer from both, actually: if it isn't a character study that I'm doing, it's pretty much action for the sake of action--I rarely write action to get anything done. And it seems less and less likely that I'll come up with any kind of plot any time soon. Or, I have a goal for them to get to--no idea how to get there, it's frustrating.
From the article again: "The sad part is that those who attempt literary novels, are probably trying to create something of value by distancing themselves from the action obsessed, violence without purpose, junk that passes for fiction today. The problem is that in their obsession to create something meaningful, they manage to suck the life out of their work. What they end up with is a dry husk littered with boring characters, and uninteresting situations that put even the most avid readers to sleep."
YES. YES. I feel that is exactly what's happening to me. And it sucks. So...thanks for describing the problem that everyone knows--how about how one gets out of it?