Quoting Post Archived Topic: It will not be bumped to the top of the forum. Topic So, you want to write? Membername   Not a member? Sign Up Free (takes 20 seconds) Password   Forgotten your password? Post Font: Verdana Arial Black Georgia Comic Sans Impact   Size: Tiny Normal Big Huge   Color: Default Dark Red Red Orange Brown Green Olive Cyan Blue Dark Blue Indigo Black [ Check Spelling ] [ Post Preview ] [ LiveTags ] Quote: from [m]lil punk girl[/m] at 5:52 am on Mar. 20, 2007[quote]im sorry but writing shouldnt be structured, our whole world is structured, we're told how to breathe how to live how to dress walk and talk, we have no freedoms, maybe you think that some of the pieces in here are 'god-aweful' as you say but to those that wrote them this is their story it's their right and their freedom to do as they so want. You have no right to tell them it's crap, unless of course you're doing it in a HELPFULLY critical way. Writing is the last non structural thing many of us have... dont screw that over for us as well!!![/quote] FAQ Keyword Search: Post Options Favorites Manager Notify me of new replies to this topic by email Notify me of new replies to this topic by private message Original Post chalkboard sonata Posted at 12:49 am on Mar. 19, 2006 This board is unfortunately flooded with hordes of godawful, no-talent hacks who wouldn't know good writing if it hit them in the mouth and stole their wallets. Page after page of trite, juvenile garbage; a perennial infestation of bad poetry, puerile rants and narratives replete with netspeak and grammatical holes. Reading these physical manifestations of word-vomit and literary acne cause me pain. I'm not talking about an intellectual pain either; I'm referring to an actual physical pain over my sternum that feels a little like heartburn. It's not heartburn though, no no - it's the feeling you get when you die a little bit inside. So I'm here to help. This isn't going to improve your grammar, your punctuation or your body odour (if you're still struggling with the first two, it's probably time to resurrect the crayons and Little Mermaid colouring book), but it will help you to create work with complexity and subtext - two things that are sorely lacking in the vast majority of the literary output of teeny-boppers and maladjusted adolescents. This is a diagram based upon the literary theories of a certain Sloan (a large version can be found here) that was drawn for me by my old English teacher at the end of year eleven (at the time of writing, I am in my second year of university). I was already a fairly accomplished writer at the time, beginning to discover the joys of competent phraseology and other such textual flourishes that make a work not only competent, but memorable. At any rate, I found it to be useful, and I would hope that you do too, once I have explained it. You will notice that the dichotomous relationship between Innocence and Experience dominates the diagram, and it is a schema by which all narrative texts may be interpreted. Associated with Innocence are positive concepts such as comedy and romance, culminating in the societal model of the utopia - itself a marker for the Promised Land/Heaven/Paradise/idealised past (id est: The Garden of Eden, the Golden Age of Man, Atlantis, Satya Yuga etcetera). These markers (comedy, romance, utopia) operate as exemplars, bereft of subtextual complexity. Texts that correlate to these exemplars include I Love Lucy (comedy), Sonnet XVII (romance) and Island (utopia). Conversely, associated with Experience are the negative aspects of those aforementioned exemplars - irony, tragedy and dystopia (with associated symbols). Once again, these operate as idealised metatexts, into which other texts slot into (completely or not). Examples include Variations on a theme by William Carlos Williams (irony), most of the bullshit on this forum (tragedy) and Brave New World (dystopia). However, the texts I have mentioned, though all classics of television, literature or poetry (with one notable exception), lack something crucial. Subtext. I'm sure a lot of people are going to have apoplexy at the suggestion that such hallowed and exalted texts are one-dimensional, but it is true. But there is a secret to complexity. To write something that has elements of complex and ambiguity, one must traverse the canyon that separates Innocence from Experience. Truly (and I mean truly) great pieces of literature blend genre and form, thereby giving substance and weight to otherwise rather yeastless narratives hopelessly bound by genre. And thus were born the tragicomedy, the black comedy, the tragic romance and the ironic romance. I have little doubt that scores of you little munchkins eternally lament why your work is never quite as good as equivalent work in the public sphere - and I can guarantee you, that this is a factor (along with being functionally illiterate, of course). Life is not diced nicely into discrete units, so there is no reason why art should not be a similar goulash of genre and form. Don't be afraid to take risks. Remember Sturgeon's Law (90% of everything is crap) when writing - it's okay to write garbage. Just make sure no one sees it. Learn the rhythms and sighs of the language. Have an affair with words. Be creative. Finally, I must advise you to read and write, read write read write read write readwritereadread writewrite read (and I don't mean reading Goosebumps and The Baby-Sitters Club either. I mean meaty texts with taste and extra gravy - Hemingway, Tolstoy, Heller, Grass, Marquez, Camus, Mann. Go crazy). Down the right hand side of the schema is a list of texts, each with a very distinct voice and tone. Learn to emulate and ape these styles. Make them giggle. Tweak their nipples occasionally. Write 100 000 words of your own, then burn them. Now, you are ready to be good. (Edited by chalkboard sonata at 9:45 am on Aug. 2, 2006)

Replies Mish34 Posted at 2:55 pm on Sep. 8, 2008 You, sir, are a god walking amongst mere mortals. Perhaps if modern writers actually follow a structure and realise there's more to literature than simply "omgwtf 1m soo totaly EXPRESIGN MASELF" there is hope for another generation of Shelleys, Byrons and Keats. If not, at least you are one of the few who tried. A self confessed literary snob. breathesrain Posted at 7:37 pm on Aug. 11, 2008 Can someone fix the link or link to an updated version? ajmcal Posted at 10:40 am on July 8, 2008 I've been selected as an ambassador for Childline, to tell you about this great new competition for 13-18 year olds. The idea is that you have to write 100 words on something that matters to you. This can be anything from friends to music to your dog! And that's only about 8 lines of writing! Celebrities like Taio Cruz, Kirsty Gallagher, Rick Edwards, Zezi Ifore and Nick Hornby are also participating because this is such a great cause! Plus if you win, you get a years supply of penguin books and your text published If you want to enter, you can at www.spinebreakers.co.uk/Competitions/Pages/papercuts.aspx Natsy Posted at 3:44 pm on June 13, 2008 I'm gonna write now!! even though i can't see the diagrams!! lol Darraaagh Posted at 2:08 pm on Feb. 6, 2008 The diagram isn't showing up for me. Anahi 18 Posted at 2:15 pm on Jan. 22, 2008 when i see u u make me fell wonderful OglaighSeamus Posted at 3:14 am on Jan. 10, 2008 Quote: from cutie2 at 9:29 am on May 4, 2007 Don't not post something just because you read this. Don't let it intimidate you into giving up. You're allowed to be imperfect - just so long as you are willing to consider criticism and aren't just posting your work expecting everybody to say "its cool." here here.. I dont know how I missed that comment pmsl OglaighSeamus Posted at 2:55 am on Jan. 10, 2008 What is with the big words?! I'm a journalist and I've never been told any of that- I'm not saying it's not true- But jeez! And my dad's a poet too- So I know I would have heard about that.. juninho Posted at 6:52 am on Dec. 1, 2007 Quote: from Mediocre at 3:38 pm on Nov. 28, 2007 OP is the worst kind of writer. I could've said the same in a paragraph. I could probably even come up with an acronym to sum it all up. Christ. You're not a patch on Ryan. STFU. Mediocre Posted at 3:38 pm on Nov. 28, 2007 OP is the worst kind of writer. I could've said the same in a paragraph. I could probably even come up with an acronym to sum it all up. Christ. Acid World Posted at 1:06 pm on Sep. 5, 2007 It was easy to comprehend really... The words in his post aren't that incredible. And if they are you get the gist of what they mean from the overall sentence or paragraph. As others said though, it basically says "be deeper" And his advice to throw it up a little bit, mix genres etc. But I don't understand the people that say it's "brilliant". More like a huge cock slap to all the angsty shit in here. jirmz Posted at 12:56 am on Aug. 31, 2007 Post from this position was omitted due to content violations Scui Posted at 6:55 am on May 14, 2007 I quite liked the post. A long winded way of saying, "Writing needs depth" but at least it got the point home. But I agree that for a teen forum it won't do much good and so far, appears to have caused more offence than gratitude. cutie2 Posted at 1:29 am on May 4, 2007 Don't not post something just because you read this. Don't let it intimidate you into giving up. You're allowed to be imperfect - just so long as you are willing to consider criticism and aren't just posting your work expecting everybody to say "its cool." LeviRyan Posted at 11:46 am on May 3, 2007 I have a story to post but I scared to do it. You'll see it soon though Most recent 15 of 65 previous replies displayed.