This may be your best writing yet, and love how you make the narrator female. At first I wasn't sure about the telling about the old days form, but you bring it alive by bringing it into the present. Remarkable skills.
On the one hand, I remember my Nan's words quite vividly, even after 50 years, so I have that to draw on; plus the huge factor that her life was genuinely varied and interesting, and interwoven with many of the 'big themes' of the era.
On the other hand, the form precludes a lot of my usual narrative techniques: no extended dialogues, in fact hardly any direct speech at all, within the overarching monologue; no beginning a scene in medias res and challenging the reader to work out the context; not as much freedom to vary the pace.
Also limitations imposed by what a 70-odd-year-old woman would admit to her teenage grandson, though luckily she was quite candid.
I'm a bit wary of smoothing out the narrative arc too much: the story as told to me was episodic and in no way chronological. It'll be interesting to see at the end how well it combines with the grandson Pauly's story (Friday Novella). I'm finding that the two narratives are difficult to intertwine as much as I'd hoped. For his story, though, I'm on familiar ground with my third-person-limited narrator and can use all my usual 'tricks'.
I'm delighted you admit to using tricks. I was asking, "How does he do it?" and disciplined hard work came to mind. But of course, it's tricks. I think you are exactly right to not smooth the narrative arc too much. Just enough, chef.
Hard work? Good grief, no. Where would the fun be in that? 😊
I mean, we have to invest some effort in our play, don’t we, and maybe some ambition to get better at it. But if I looked at it as work, I wouldn’t do it. This is precisely why I’ve backed away from my initial goal of formal publication – the fear of turning this hobby into a job.
That makes sense to me. I once did it for a living and it was fun, but I knew if I got the lede and bridge, it was a matter of description and quotes, and knowing when to close. As you can see I don't even bother with coherence in my old age, :-) But as with you, it makes me happy to put my thoughts outside me where I can have my way with them. It's fair enough, as there was a time when they had their way with me.
This may be your best writing yet, and love how you make the narrator female. At first I wasn't sure about the telling about the old days form, but you bring it alive by bringing it into the present. Remarkable skills.
Thanks, Dan. I'm glad you think it works.
On the one hand, I remember my Nan's words quite vividly, even after 50 years, so I have that to draw on; plus the huge factor that her life was genuinely varied and interesting, and interwoven with many of the 'big themes' of the era.
On the other hand, the form precludes a lot of my usual narrative techniques: no extended dialogues, in fact hardly any direct speech at all, within the overarching monologue; no beginning a scene in medias res and challenging the reader to work out the context; not as much freedom to vary the pace.
Also limitations imposed by what a 70-odd-year-old woman would admit to her teenage grandson, though luckily she was quite candid.
I'm a bit wary of smoothing out the narrative arc too much: the story as told to me was episodic and in no way chronological. It'll be interesting to see at the end how well it combines with the grandson Pauly's story (Friday Novella). I'm finding that the two narratives are difficult to intertwine as much as I'd hoped. For his story, though, I'm on familiar ground with my third-person-limited narrator and can use all my usual 'tricks'.
I'm delighted you admit to using tricks. I was asking, "How does he do it?" and disciplined hard work came to mind. But of course, it's tricks. I think you are exactly right to not smooth the narrative arc too much. Just enough, chef.
Hard work? Good grief, no. Where would the fun be in that? 😊
I mean, we have to invest some effort in our play, don’t we, and maybe some ambition to get better at it. But if I looked at it as work, I wouldn’t do it. This is precisely why I’ve backed away from my initial goal of formal publication – the fear of turning this hobby into a job.
That makes sense to me. I once did it for a living and it was fun, but I knew if I got the lede and bridge, it was a matter of description and quotes, and knowing when to close. As you can see I don't even bother with coherence in my old age, :-) But as with you, it makes me happy to put my thoughts outside me where I can have my way with them. It's fair enough, as there was a time when they had their way with me.