(01-17-2016, 07:51 AM)rowens Wrote:  It always seems people are embarrassed to admit they feel anything at all when they sit down to write. To admit it if they do feel they're accomplishing something.

Interesting observation. I find that much of contemporary poetry, even the best, is great to read but easy to forget. There's too much stiff upper lip 'a poet is not a maudlin fool' thinking going on.
I recently bought 2 books of Ted Kooser's poetry. Much as a I admire his writing, at best it makes me go 'ahhhh....so beautiful', whereas when I read Dylan Thomas or Hopkins, I can feel my head spin.

(01-17-2016, 03:36 PM)Achebe Wrote:  

(01-17-2016, 07:51 AM)rowens Wrote:  It always seems people are embarrassed to admit they feel anything at all when they sit down to write. To admit it if they do feel they're accomplishing something.

Interesting observation. I find that much of contemporary poetry, even the best, is great to read but easy to forget. There's too much stiff upper lip 'a poet is not a maudlin fool' thinking going on.
I recently bought 2 books of Ted Kooser's poetry. Much as a I admire his writing, at best it makes me go 'ahhhh....so beautiful', whereas when I read Dylan Thomas or Hopkins, I can feel my head spin.

Rowens, I haven't been able to decide what you mean by this. Do you mean that writers don't admit their feelings about the act of writing and how they feel about their work, or that they write without emotion?

Achebe, yes, it's quite the feat when you can say both ahhhh, beautiful and also get that lasting pang of something that sticks. I have to say that I've read an overflowing handful of those here posted on this site, a real treat when they appear. I'm going to go look for one I remember now.

I mean, with the question Why do you write?, many people will answer it as rationally as possible. Writers who are rational enough not to take themselves too seriously tend to play down or deny any lofty visions or ambitions. Writers tend to want to be taken seriously as rational human beings not visionary creators. Many would attempt not to admit otherwise in public anyway.

I write because it's an autoerotic compulsion and I don't like being tied up.

You might like it, but you're just saying that because you like spontaneity and a partner who takes initiative.

(01-18-2016, 04:14 AM)Leanne Wrote:  I write because it's an autoerotic compulsion and I don't like being tied up.

I knew I was doing something wrong

(01-18-2016, 12:12 AM)rowens Wrote:  I mean, with the question Why do you write?, many people will answer it as rationally as possible. Writers who are rational enough not to take themselves  too seriously tend to play down or deny any lofty visions or ambitions. Writers tend to want to be taken seriously as rational human beings not visionary creators. Many would attempt not to admit otherwise in public anyway.

From John Lee Hooker:

"One night I was layin' down
I heard mama 'n papa talkin'
I heard papa tell mama, let that boy boogie-woogie
It's in him, and it got to come out

And I felt so good
Went on boogie'n just the same"

(01-15-2016, 04:05 PM)rowens Wrote:  I'm trying to remember something so obscure that no one will ruin it for me.

Chin up dude, if Qdeathstar can do it, so can you.
(Meta-ruination... just a few blocks away.)

I'm already thinking of many obscure things, but if I mention them those Family Guy bots will see them and use them as gags.

Quote:rowens the boat wrote: "Why do poems, short stories, novels and plays matter? What value do they have? Why do you write? If you hope to be able to write something of value, what motivates you or convinces you of this need for value in literature? There are many reasons: aesthetic, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, political, just for fun, out of boredom, need for attention, need to accomplish something, need for admiration, competition, struggle, need to emulate. But what real value?"

If you take the art from the human, all that is left is the brute, that and an artist has no choice but to do so: like an energy build up that has to be released and yes, not unlike an orgasm. Sex with the divine.

dale

On one hand, if I work for six weeks writing a genre novel, it will fulfill the needs of a majority of my country's readers. On the other, if I spend the next ten years writing and rewriting a novel in my piss stained and shit crusted pants, since I can't afford underwear, throughout that time period I'll be viewed and treated as a loony prick. So what do some of you here think about the importance of literature? For someone like me who can't concentrate worth a three leaf clover, would you rather stick with your creative impulses or take the proprietor of Slim Hills Tobacco & Number 2 Pencils Emporium up on his job offer and forget about concentration needed to try to write decently?

When I'm writing something that interests me my powers of concentration increase, actually to the point where I can't get it out of my head, I can shuffle those lines all day long. Maybe you need to be working on something that interests you more.

you may be confusing writing for pleasure with writing for vocation. If you are writing for pleasure you should write whatever you wish. If you are writing for vocation you should write whatever your employer wishes.

I'm asking questions that seem valuable to me. So for the sake of argument, have you ever felt distracted when trying to write a projected 900 some page novel? And more importantly, would you want to read such a thing?

If you are never distracted while writing 900 pages of anything then you are probably not human. I can rarely write more than 2 hours at a time.

I was in the middle of writing a retort to all the comments so far, but someone accidently knocked over the bottle of liquor I just got. So I feel like killing everyone and have to wait a half hour or so before making that loss part of my argument.

I make my own liquor now
It's more fun, tastes better
Cheaper too

(01-19-2016, 08:50 AM)milo Wrote:  I make my own liquor now
It's more fun, tastes better
Cheaper too

Ooh, what are you making?

(01-19-2016, 09:02 AM)ellajam Wrote:  

(01-19-2016, 08:50 AM)milo Wrote:  I make my own liquor now
It's more fun, tastes better
Cheaper too

Ooh, what are you making?

Typically I make brandy and rum. Making my first batch of whiskey right now - we'll see how it turns out

(01-19-2016, 09:02 AM)ellajam Wrote:  

(01-19-2016, 08:50 AM)milo Wrote:  I make my own liquor now
It's more fun, tastes better
Cheaper too

Ooh, what are you making?

Typically I make brandy and rum. Making my first batch of whiskey right now - we'll see how it turns out