And have faith. This is proof that you don't have to write one massive perfect thing. You only have to write many, smaller perfect things. Then mix and match to determine sequence.
You're welcome! If there's any other short stories you want to visit, I have the Bad Dream Factory Syllabus retyped, except for the Charles Baxter story so far...
I’ve been thinking about this story ever since I first read it like 20 years ago. But I’ve never been able to remember the title. I do recall that I came across it around the same time that I first read Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff. These two stories have been very influential for me.
Note how the "brain time" sequence in the Tobias Wolff story allows for a similar collage sequence. The bullet's progress allows Wolff to move from the unspooling bank scene, to a quickly cut montage.
So I have a scene in my book that I’ve written with these two stories in mind. These stories showed me how to move the reader through both a rapid-fire event and also a far-reaching event (one that is affecting multiple people in different ways nearly simultaneously).
I’ve been working off of memory with Wickedness, because it’s only ever lived in my head since the day I read it. But now, here it is again. Thank you so much!
I'm overwhelmed. Incredible storytelling. Got so lost in it I have to retrospectively think of it in terms of pointillism, but yes. The blizzard is like a centipede with each vignette acting as a leg carrying it along.
Not done yet but the story is already bringing back Southern stories. The South is so lawless in a way. You simply cannot call the cops or an ambulance for help when you're in the deep South and in serious trouble. You are simply too far away and there are too few people around. You are on your own. This is why us Southern folk are half crazy and like guns. My bad.
Having seen Alien one Saturday afternoon when my mom wasn't home, it has always been in my top 10. Maybe top 5. The poster with the cracked egg emanating alien green light and with that tagline.
I posted a novelette a few days ago about miners on another planet and I modified the tag to say: In space, only God can hear you scream.
It just occurred to me that the murderous alien is like the snow storm. So Alien is also pointillismtastic.
Has anyone else read "Hand-carved Coffins" by Mr Capote? Same vibes. "Music for Chameleons" is one of my favorite things. Death by methed-up rattle snakes. If that's not southern I don't know what is.
This is an unforgettable story. It reminds me of a story in McSweeny’s about 20 years ago that featured a man riding a bull, then the bull’s back breaking. I never forgot that and I still haven’t been able to locate that story.
Thank you for sharing that. Years ago I wrote a bunch of paragraphs, one each, of the worst 9-1-1 calls I heard as a dispatcher. Brought it to writing group but we didn't know what it was. Not a story. Just this morbid MARCH of death: the alcoholic spews so much blood out of every orifice onto the walls and ceilings of an apartment where drunks go to die that his cirrhosis death is investigated as a homicide; the bi-polar who lives in a van with a llama he walks on the beach every day gives up and handcuffs himself to a buoy down near the ocean floor; the old man reports, "I just killed my wife with an axe," says, "Hold on, she's still breathing ..." chop! chop! chop! "Okay, now she's dead." And so forth. The stories don't have a connecting piece like different stories from the same blizzard, but I see some potential now that they could be made into a quilt of some kind. A blanket to warm the Grim Reaper between harvests perhaps ...
The connecting piece could be the main character being a 911 dispatcher who everyone knows. Like a minor celebrity in town. And he/she visits certain places regularly, a local bar, grocery store, post office, etc. And everyone at each of these places knows this person. Like how you get to know people who work at the places you go as life forces you to go there. And they always get excited and ask if there were any good calls. Because this is the kind of morbid humor developed by first responders. And each inquiry offers an opportunity to share a gruesome call. And then the people always get disturbed and act all offended, when they were the dumbasses who asked the question. Maybe something like that. Or you could go full Fight Club hommage and have them visit a support group.
I thought to listen to it at first but then realized this is one to be savored with the eyes.
Space breaks might be tricky to read aloud.
It read the # as “hashtag” and I was like damnint why do I have to be at work rn?
My biggest takeaway after retyping this was that I'll never be as good a writer as Ron Hansen.
*sigh*
Many writers trained by rekeying the authors they wanted to emulate. That's supposed to be a good method for analyzing style. And thank you.
And have faith. This is proof that you don't have to write one massive perfect thing. You only have to write many, smaller perfect things. Then mix and match to determine sequence.
You're welcome! If there's any other short stories you want to visit, I have the Bad Dream Factory Syllabus retyped, except for the Charles Baxter story so far...
Thank you, Colton! I just loved that story.
Of course not, because you will be a better writer. Shoot for the stars man. You have it in you. Like Master Yoda would say, "A way there always is."
Hunter Thompson typed up The Great Gatsby several times to learn to write.
Several?!
Thats what they say. He also typed up some other book multiple times. but I forget which one.
Thanks for keyboarding Colton!
:gasps:
I’ve been thinking about this story ever since I first read it like 20 years ago. But I’ve never been able to remember the title. I do recall that I came across it around the same time that I first read Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff. These two stories have been very influential for me.
Note how the "brain time" sequence in the Tobias Wolff story allows for a similar collage sequence. The bullet's progress allows Wolff to move from the unspooling bank scene, to a quickly cut montage.
Yes exactly! Wow.
So I have a scene in my book that I’ve written with these two stories in mind. These stories showed me how to move the reader through both a rapid-fire event and also a far-reaching event (one that is affecting multiple people in different ways nearly simultaneously).
I’ve been working off of memory with Wickedness, because it’s only ever lived in my head since the day I read it. But now, here it is again. Thank you so much!
I'm overwhelmed. Incredible storytelling. Got so lost in it I have to retrospectively think of it in terms of pointillism, but yes. The blizzard is like a centipede with each vignette acting as a leg carrying it along.
And note -- like the panels in a graphic novel -- you forget about the transitions. You glean only what's needed and move forward.
Not done yet but the story is already bringing back Southern stories. The South is so lawless in a way. You simply cannot call the cops or an ambulance for help when you're in the deep South and in serious trouble. You are simply too far away and there are too few people around. You are on your own. This is why us Southern folk are half crazy and like guns. My bad.
"In space no one can hear you scream"
That isolation is the essence of the Gothic tradition. Space, the House of Usher, Gilligan's Island. You're on your own.
Exactly.
This story was so good!
That sounds incredibly relaxing. I'd like to sign up for space, please.
Having seen Alien one Saturday afternoon when my mom wasn't home, it has always been in my top 10. Maybe top 5. The poster with the cracked egg emanating alien green light and with that tagline.
I posted a novelette a few days ago about miners on another planet and I modified the tag to say: In space, only God can hear you scream.
It just occurred to me that the murderous alien is like the snow storm. So Alien is also pointillismtastic.
Has anyone else read "Hand-carved Coffins" by Mr Capote? Same vibes. "Music for Chameleons" is one of my favorite things. Death by methed-up rattle snakes. If that's not southern I don't know what is.
No, but good pitch. I'll find it.
It's such a great short story. I would love to hear what you think!
It was all checked out at the online libraries I have access to so I ordered it in book form. Will let you know when I read it
"Every window view was as white as if butchers’ paper had been tacked up. " What a fantastic line!
This is an unforgettable story. It reminds me of a story in McSweeny’s about 20 years ago that featured a man riding a bull, then the bull’s back breaking. I never forgot that and I still haven’t been able to locate that story.
Thank you for sharing that. Years ago I wrote a bunch of paragraphs, one each, of the worst 9-1-1 calls I heard as a dispatcher. Brought it to writing group but we didn't know what it was. Not a story. Just this morbid MARCH of death: the alcoholic spews so much blood out of every orifice onto the walls and ceilings of an apartment where drunks go to die that his cirrhosis death is investigated as a homicide; the bi-polar who lives in a van with a llama he walks on the beach every day gives up and handcuffs himself to a buoy down near the ocean floor; the old man reports, "I just killed my wife with an axe," says, "Hold on, she's still breathing ..." chop! chop! chop! "Okay, now she's dead." And so forth. The stories don't have a connecting piece like different stories from the same blizzard, but I see some potential now that they could be made into a quilt of some kind. A blanket to warm the Grim Reaper between harvests perhaps ...
Wow!
The connecting piece could be the main character being a 911 dispatcher who everyone knows. Like a minor celebrity in town. And he/she visits certain places regularly, a local bar, grocery store, post office, etc. And everyone at each of these places knows this person. Like how you get to know people who work at the places you go as life forces you to go there. And they always get excited and ask if there were any good calls. Because this is the kind of morbid humor developed by first responders. And each inquiry offers an opportunity to share a gruesome call. And then the people always get disturbed and act all offended, when they were the dumbasses who asked the question. Maybe something like that. Or you could go full Fight Club hommage and have them visit a support group.
That's a great idea!
Can't wait to read it!
So did Axl Hansen and his wife make it?????