This weekend I had several experiences that fired me up to revise BRIAR-BOUND: two books and a movie.
The first book is THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin, one of the fiction books I'm reading right now. What I'm taking away from it is how he uses voice in 3rd person-limited point of view. I believe the ebook was rushed out -- the section breaks are missing -- but I can usually tell who's the POV character for each new section by the voice. And it's just well-written. (Shouldn't all thrillers be that way?)
The second book is
TAKE JOY by Jane Yolen, a nonfiction book about writing that doles out all sorts of tough-love advice about making writing a career (as in, Take joy from it in case you don't also get money.). Besides Yolen's no-nonsense, this-is-writing-you'd-better-love-it words, the story paragraphs she wrote to illustrate her points are a delight to read. Many have a fairy tale feel and sound to them, which inspired me to jump back into BRIAR.
The movie was
Inception, written and directed by Christopher Nolan. My mind's still roiled by it, so I'll throw out thought fragments: complex story...complex physics...actions, logical consequences, logical reactions...external and internal conflict...flawed characters...no pure bad-guy antagonist. I love movies that make me think -- that don't simplify for the sake of broad box office appeal. Nolan's
Memento was another. Others include
The Prestige (also Nolan);
Stranger Than Fiction;
The Usual Suspects;
Donnie Darko;
2 Days in the Valley;
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; and
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Sure, I love a good, mindless laugh, or a gory fright flick, but the ones that keep me thinking for days are those that inspire my writing.
How about you? What have been some of your most inspiring experiences? Do they tend to involve books (fiction? nonfiction?)? Films? Music? Dance? Everyday events? Real people?
The first book is THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin, one of the fiction books I'm reading right now. What I'm taking away from it is how he uses voice in 3rd person-limited point of view. I believe the ebook was rushed out -- the section breaks are missing -- but I can usually tell who's the POV character for each new section by the voice. And it's just well-written. (Shouldn't all thrillers be that way?)
5 ate pie:
A lot of everything, actually, including the things you've mentioned. Books often do it, but I'll also get ideas for narrative structure from movies and TV, ideas for characters and set pieces from news stories, and random details from just about everywhere. Reading a new book by Adam Rex always gets my synapses firing (I just read FAT VAMPIRE). Signing with an agent was also a real bolt of lightning. :)
I have Take Joy - I'll have to dig into it soon.
Also, I often find that the advice I give in critiques is often the very same that I need to to apply to my own work. That inspires me to go back and make sure I'm eating my own dog food.
I am regularly inspired by books, music, movies...but lately, it's real life that has lit a fire under me. Things have been, well, rough...but the experiences have put me in touch with the emotional arc of a story I am currently working on - one that is hard to write. Finally, after struggling with capturing the right emotional tenor of the story, I have stewed and expereinced enough that I am able to do a better job with it!
I love Take Joy. It's such an inspiring little book. I also blogged about Inception today (probably half the world did) - definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a while.
Mike - TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY's been on my list for a while. *bumps it up*
Julie - dive in - there's a lot of good stuff in there! I like your dog food phrase. :)
Christine - rough times have to be useful for something, right? Hope they even out for you soon.
Anna - Definitely!
Post a Comment