My brain matter is changing, rerouting, and revisiting. Serving coffee and selling jams today at the Farmer’s Market is going to take a new life through words again— I feel like a journalist all over— damn, I miss writing for a newspaper. Those council meetings I attended… good reporting, right there.
Fascinating that minimalism is anything but minimal. It's sparse on the exposition, yes, but packed with sensation and experience. I've heard so much about Tom. I was shocked that he is so soft-spoken and humble. Not what I expected. Thank you for sharing that video. It hit home the concepts of on-the-body and unpacking.
"Andrea took me aside and suggested I not come back the next week. Certain other writers no longer felt safe around me." And this was thirty-plus years ago, pre-wokeness, snowflakes, etc. Imagine trying to workshop something like that today.
Also, on the topic of Dangerous Writing, I've been thinking about this w/r/t my own writing lately, and was wondering how to define DW in the current cultural moment (I asked this earlier, sorry to repeat myself but I don't think I got a response).
Chuck, would it be correct to assume that one of the first successful steps in achieving good writing would be to successfully blur the vicarious lines between character and writer without any fear of comparison? To achieve a realistic/authentic voice that includes dialogue, actions and mannerisms that are all befitting of a well fledged out fictional creation, does a writer have to - in some capacity - give them self over to their fictional character, creating a kind of symbiotic relationship in which the creation becomes a kind of ‘spawn’ of what ever it may be that a writer is trying to achieve with them, or I am extrapolating wildly out of left field here? The first time a tried my hand at writing something serious (by this I guess I mean to completion) I felt that I was able to somewhat successfully create separately distinct voices in two separate stories. The content matter in both stories could be seen as taboo and both feature actions which are candid/private. I sometimes get a little concerned about people thinking that these fictional narratives are anecdotal or feature unpleasant things which I condone. But then I remember that while you did some public readings of “Guts”, a few people would believe that the story was anecdotal to your life. I think I recall you saying that it might be a little embarrassing at first, but that it then soon becomes liberating, in a sense. If you’ll excuse the half-baked and ineloquent way in which I’ve tried to ask the question, Is there validity to what I’ve said?
I've never been to a writer's workshop, or even really talked about writing in public. It feels too exposed. This forum is probably the closest thing to one I've come across.
Tom's video actually made me cry. Not like, full-on bawl, but made me well up with a feeling that I guess is closest to... vindication? Like everything he was saying was exactly how I feel about not just writing, but creation.
Just want to add (and sorry if you were saving this, Mr. P) that there is a shorter second part to the video interview. I quite enjoyed it, have questions about how accurate Spanbauer’s recollections are, but will save them for a time when it’s not off-topic for the subject of dangerous writing. Highly recommend it, since everyone gathered had one thing in common and the second part is all about that commonality. :)
"The way we destroy a sentence shows character". I like this from the youtube video very much. I am struggling with giving a distinct voice for a female character. I attend a writing workshop and the leader said he could not distinguish my main male and female characters. Maybe they spend too much time in their own heads istead of talking to others. Have to reconider...
My brain matter is changing, rerouting, and revisiting. Serving coffee and selling jams today at the Farmer’s Market is going to take a new life through words again— I feel like a journalist all over— damn, I miss writing for a newspaper. Those council meetings I attended… good reporting, right there.
Thank you, Chuck.
Fascinating that minimalism is anything but minimal. It's sparse on the exposition, yes, but packed with sensation and experience. I've heard so much about Tom. I was shocked that he is so soft-spoken and humble. Not what I expected. Thank you for sharing that video. It hit home the concepts of on-the-body and unpacking.
Off topic but I keep wondering: if there was a Chuck Palahniuk sandwich, what would be on it?
"Andrea took me aside and suggested I not come back the next week. Certain other writers no longer felt safe around me." And this was thirty-plus years ago, pre-wokeness, snowflakes, etc. Imagine trying to workshop something like that today.
Also, on the topic of Dangerous Writing, I've been thinking about this w/r/t my own writing lately, and was wondering how to define DW in the current cultural moment (I asked this earlier, sorry to repeat myself but I don't think I got a response).
What's the status of the Lullaby movie?
Chuck, would it be correct to assume that one of the first successful steps in achieving good writing would be to successfully blur the vicarious lines between character and writer without any fear of comparison? To achieve a realistic/authentic voice that includes dialogue, actions and mannerisms that are all befitting of a well fledged out fictional creation, does a writer have to - in some capacity - give them self over to their fictional character, creating a kind of symbiotic relationship in which the creation becomes a kind of ‘spawn’ of what ever it may be that a writer is trying to achieve with them, or I am extrapolating wildly out of left field here? The first time a tried my hand at writing something serious (by this I guess I mean to completion) I felt that I was able to somewhat successfully create separately distinct voices in two separate stories. The content matter in both stories could be seen as taboo and both feature actions which are candid/private. I sometimes get a little concerned about people thinking that these fictional narratives are anecdotal or feature unpleasant things which I condone. But then I remember that while you did some public readings of “Guts”, a few people would believe that the story was anecdotal to your life. I think I recall you saying that it might be a little embarrassing at first, but that it then soon becomes liberating, in a sense. If you’ll excuse the half-baked and ineloquent way in which I’ve tried to ask the question, Is there validity to what I’ve said?
I've never been to a writer's workshop, or even really talked about writing in public. It feels too exposed. This forum is probably the closest thing to one I've come across.
Tom's video actually made me cry. Not like, full-on bawl, but made me well up with a feeling that I guess is closest to... vindication? Like everything he was saying was exactly how I feel about not just writing, but creation.
I'm going to have to seek out some more I think.
Thanks for sharing.
Didn't expect that to be what he meant by Dangerous Writing. Truly appreciate his words. Thank you Tom! Thank you Chuck!
I wish we could read this
Just want to add (and sorry if you were saving this, Mr. P) that there is a shorter second part to the video interview. I quite enjoyed it, have questions about how accurate Spanbauer’s recollections are, but will save them for a time when it’s not off-topic for the subject of dangerous writing. Highly recommend it, since everyone gathered had one thing in common and the second part is all about that commonality. :)
Very grateful for this interview. I've never seen him speak. Such a kind and sweet man.
I read Spanbauer's 'In the City of Shy Hunters' last year and it was so damn good and one of the best NYC novels I've ever read!
Super post thank you !
Did that scene sneak its way into Snuff? It feels very familiar but it has been a bajillion years since I read it.
"The way we destroy a sentence shows character". I like this from the youtube video very much. I am struggling with giving a distinct voice for a female character. I attend a writing workshop and the leader said he could not distinguish my main male and female characters. Maybe they spend too much time in their own heads istead of talking to others. Have to reconider...