But I Know You



An OK night. I've come to not expect very much from the night any more. If I get back to sleep then I'm fine with it. I've got plenty to think about while I lie awake, the problem comes when I slip off the tracks and start down the negative thoughts. Then it can get to where I almost panic. It's very hard to break out of that thinking for me. I guess I should be getting up about then and writing. Maybe that would stick a lever under the wheels and get me back on.

Anyway, I was OK last night. Again I tried to think of a story last night and that is a mistake. I'm in that special place now that I wrote a good story yesterday and now I worry if it was a one-off deal. Yesterday I thought I knew how I was doing it. The farther I get away from my hands on the keyboard, the less sure I am of how I did it. It's like the story of the Father's radio, almost.

The idea that a brief breakthrough or success can add pressure to you. Like making a series of A's in school, Everyone turns and looks and you have nowhere to go but down. That was a long time ago but the story is still true. It might be interesting to use that in a story but in another way, it probably wouldn't be interesting at all. Just another neurotic whine, like people who have a lot of money complaining that it limits what they can do.

No, people want to read the tricks, the shiny things. The twist is what makes people sit up and take notice. They work all day, fight with the kids, duck the boss, worry about lumps, put off purchases, and then they read some story that's about all that shit and they just throw the story down and move on. They don't want to read about everyday shit unless it's funny and mean or wicked.

No, they want the twist, put the protagonist into a corner and then instead of just living there, the way they themselves do, the protag pulls a trick, does something against the rules and escapes certain life-ness.

I don't think the reader wants to like the hero, they're not looking for a friend, they want to see somebody get out of the jam the easy way, the way they would if they had the guts to.

Think of a little story like that.

More later,


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