personal clichés

[starlit__]

In selecting work for my portfolio, I had to read a lot of my own writing. There's an awkward, self-conscious, masturbatory pleasure in doing this, so I tried to read it in a critical way, as if someone else had written it. This led to me noticing a lot of repetition.

Comments

[rioohki]

Barely related: Once I saw a job advertised on the BBC website to be a writer for River City.

I thought about it, then realised every single idea I had ended with neds being attacked by Optimus Prime.

[medievalshadow]

I think River City could use more neds being attacked by Optimus Prime, personally.

[starlit__]

I applied for that job! I am so fucking qualified to write ned love triangles.

[rioohki]

You're kidding!

I sometimes wish I'd applied for it, even just to mess about at the interview and suggest the strangest things, like renaming every male character 'Jim' in order to have a more realistic portrayal of Glasgow.

[mobculture]

A lot of the stories I wrote when I was a teenager were basically allegories of my life & how I felt about what was going on. 'Write what you know' I guess.

[blueveinwrists]

Bones, birds, boys, bruises, drinking, ghosts, the sea, sex, violence, but mostly just the last two combined.

Please don't write about middle aged men who like sports or boys who have issues with their fathers, but please do write about seamonsters! But then, you already write about seamonsters, so just keep going!

[starlit__]

Ghosts and the sea? I like.

And yes, I am working on a story linking sea monsters and bisexuality - an obvious connection, I'm sure you'll agree.

[darkestmoorhen]

Mine: Hotels, The Closed Building, unreal companions, quantum physics, magic, religion, mentor/student relationships,orphans, our animalistic natures, deep science as related to everyday issues, temporal and geographical dislocation, self and entropy.

That's what's included anyway. It's harder to say what I don't write about as I have probably covered most things. At least tried my hand at most things. But then I have been writing for longer than you. When you're as old and worn out as me I doubt there will be much you haven't done at least once or twice.

Anyway, while it is always advisable to play to your strengths, it's also very important to challenge yourself, at least for practice. Maybe you should write something a little more macho. I have devious desire to churn out a template from the Dan Brown plot generator and then actually write the novel and try and get it published. Now that would be fun! Though time-consuming and ultimately worthless.

[starlit__]

I'd like to read a story about quantum physics and orphans. I think you need to challenge yourself too, which is why I keep banging on that you need to learn to write women.

One thing I like about you is that you say you've been writing longer than I have, and it's all terribly patronising, and yet I'm the one winning awards and getting published and Distinctions and suchlike. Maybe you need to stop writing in circles all the time.

[darkestmoorhen]

I write for women just as much as I write for men, probably more. I am actually far more comfortable writing from a female perspective.

And I care little for fame or money. I don't achieve such things because I never make the attempts. I would be content if I never got published. Though, having said that, there is now someone pushing me. So maybe that will change.