The “White Album” anecdote being centered around musicians is a neat coincidence given that the repetition of phrases in the piece by Didion gives the prose a rhythmic, musical quality.
Lately I’ve been pulling out shelved works and trying to comb over sentence after sentence to eliminate anything that distract from the scene and aren’t needed. Pronouns and proper nouns are so hard but it’s good practice.
I think part of the genius of Burgess’s “A Clockwork Orange” is the nadsat narration. Reading the book gives you a satisfaction like learning to read for the first time and the prose is just so rhythmic and theatrical. There are words you’ll never have encountered before but yet the sentences flow so fluidly, your glazzies will be crisscrossing over the lines and before you realize it, o my brothers and sisters, the real horror-show words will be stuck in your gulliver.
What do you think of Harmony Korine's storytelling? Taking slices of life and knitting them together without much of a narrative at all. I found "Gummo" to be really jarring yet it didn't have much of a story.
Reminds me of the part of Goodfellas where the main character is trying to finish a drug deal, avoid the cops, avoid his former co-criminals, get rid of the guns Jimmy wouldn't buy, deal with his wife, deal with his babysitter and make sure his brother stores the sauce, all while being drugged out.
"the chief benefit of knowing music people is the getting of free drugs. Writers are far too stingy to share their drugs."
I am at a charity auction reading this under the tablecloth and I laughed out loud on this line.
Hah! Thanks for the Christmas card.
The “White Album” anecdote being centered around musicians is a neat coincidence given that the repetition of phrases in the piece by Didion gives the prose a rhythmic, musical quality.
Right? It also suggests the rock music in the Tom Wolfe depiction of a party.
Been using proper nouns vs pronouns half time. Except that one of them is a repeating chorus in a certain context.
I think it works, but we'll see.
Lately I’ve been pulling out shelved works and trying to comb over sentence after sentence to eliminate anything that distract from the scene and aren’t needed. Pronouns and proper nouns are so hard but it’s good practice.
Shwoiing should be a word.
this is not much related but as i received this email i entered a gay bar called fight club. not really sure what to do about that
In New York, visit the Durden Bar. If it's still around, it's all Fight Club themed.
In Birmingham (UK) we have a darts bar called Flight Club.
I think part of the genius of Burgess’s “A Clockwork Orange” is the nadsat narration. Reading the book gives you a satisfaction like learning to read for the first time and the prose is just so rhythmic and theatrical. There are words you’ll never have encountered before but yet the sentences flow so fluidly, your glazzies will be crisscrossing over the lines and before you realize it, o my brothers and sisters, the real horror-show words will be stuck in your gulliver.
Exactly. The consistent complaint leveled against 'A Handmaid's Tale' is that Atwood didn't reinvent the language enough for a sci-fi classic.
Weren't Tolkien and Burgess both linguists by trade??
DeepSeek does a good “recording angel” apparently.
What do you think of Harmony Korine's storytelling? Taking slices of life and knitting them together without much of a narrative at all. I found "Gummo" to be really jarring yet it didn't have much of a story.
Oh i think this would work well to add chaos to a comic con scene in one of my cosplay short stories and then pay it off. I will have to try it out.
Reminds me of the part of Goodfellas where the main character is trying to finish a drug deal, avoid the cops, avoid his former co-criminals, get rid of the guns Jimmy wouldn't buy, deal with his wife, deal with his babysitter and make sure his brother stores the sauce, all while being drugged out.
The editing in that sequence is fantastic.
I love the examples here and how many tricks you’re highlighting. Can’t wait to forget and use this cascading finish trick.
Also, wtf with that unexpected ending of that John Newman - Love Me Again.