tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post5894466474980609378..comments2023-08-11T04:33:49.146-04:00Comments on Books, beer and barbarians: My problem with modern novels, part 2Tyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09192814826756623212noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-15765233083487577582007-11-19T19:29:00.000-05:002007-11-19T19:29:00.000-05:00those are some great themes, ty. and whatever one ...those are some great themes, ty. and whatever one chooses to call it, a book that resonates for the reader is so important. that's why i struggled so much with the ending. and i'm not even sure i got it right.cindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13911692378593865493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-82274930609392110922007-11-18T15:01:00.000-05:002007-11-18T15:01:00.000-05:00cyn,As for themes in my trilogy, I see the followi...cyn,<BR/>As for themes in my trilogy, I see the following:<BR/><BR/>The vanity and futility of vengeance and righteous anger.<BR/><BR/>The idea or feeling that one doesn't have to have a great big, huge destiny to make a difference in the world. Little things, but still important, can be accomplished by great people on a smaller scale.<BR/><BR/>Love isn't always enough, and you can't necessarily change the one you love into someone else. And if you could, would you still love them? Or, at least, would you still want to be around them?<BR/><BR/>There are others, minor ones, but those three are the main ones I see, especially that first one.Tyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09192814826756623212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-57884338752636848382007-11-18T14:57:00.000-05:002007-11-18T14:57:00.000-05:00Don't take anything I post here tooooo seriously. ...Don't take anything I post here tooooo seriously. Most of it's just ramblings in the middle of the night.<BR/><BR/>After thinking upon it, though, I'm not sure "theme" is the right word I should have used, maybe something like "emotional resonance."<BR/><BR/>Honestly, I wouldn't want any teacher or Cliff Notes or anybody else telling students what the themes are to my stories. Let them draw their own conclusions from my tales. I generally know what themes I see in my fiction, but I don't expect others to take away the same thing.<BR/><BR/>And I think one of the reasons I hate Charles Dickens is because I had his "themes" shoved down my throat in junior and high school.<BR/><BR/>BUT, I still believe themes (or "emotional resonance" or whatever) are a big part of what makes a story. If that's not there, there's not story. I think the author has to be aware of the themes he sees in his own work. If he or she doesn't see any, then there's some rewriting needing done.Tyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09192814826756623212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-23166146213527175672007-11-18T04:21:00.000-05:002007-11-18T04:21:00.000-05:00I think, at times, your search for theme may be to...I think, at times, your search for theme may be too obsessive, Ty. I don't mind themes, even see the need for themes - in some places, sometimes. <BR/>I was one of those guys - still am, as a matter of fact - who hated it (with a passion, I might add) when teachers questioned the 'theme' or 'meaning' of a work, both poetic and prose. I hated the words "What do <I>you</I> think the author meant when he wrote . . . "! Who the fuck cares!?! How about asking me how <I>I</I> feel right now, what <I>I</I> think it means? And you know what?! Why can't a story or a poem mean what it says? What super-smart asshole somewhere in time determined we had to decipher what every author 'meant' when he wrote anything?! Why cannot a word mean what it is, a tale or a poem mean nothing more than what we see and read? Huh?!<BR/>This probably reads a little stronger than it should - but it's 3:30 am and I'm tired and I just watched <I>Mr. Brooks</I> and think it should have ended with Costner dying across his daughter's bed rather than only dreaming about it.<BR/><BR/>:) See you all in the morning!Rogue Blades Entertainmenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03883732716295253790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-35202753701500570612007-11-16T17:45:00.000-05:002007-11-16T17:45:00.000-05:00novel writing is def being influenced by films. i ...novel writing is def being influenced by films. i mean, look how we write "scenes" and have to have a "hook". it's all movie talk. maybe our attention span can only deal with superficial soundbites these days?<BR/><BR/>i didn't write my novel with themes in mind, but they are there now as a final product. which is pretty nifty.<BR/><BR/>what are the themes in your trilogy?cindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13911692378593865493noreply@blogger.com