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Post By Manga Shoggoth Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 10:41:21 am EDT |
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A Man and his Muse - Specially written in answer to one of AG's earlier posts. | |
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Note that I have no idea what AG's Muse is like, so I reverted to the classical approach. Similar problems were encountered with the other guest star...
[Scene: A small study somewhere in America. A writing desk is placed in front of a window to make use of natural light, and the desk is illuminated by a brilliant shaft of sunlight. A writer and his Muse (or vice versa) are musing.]
AG: So, what is the difference between "Script" and "Prose"?
Muse (leafing through a dictionary): Well, Prose is "The ordinary non-metrical form of written or spoken language", and Script is "Text of broadcaster's announcement or talk; typescript of film-play".
AG: Huh?
Muse: Well, you did ask.
AG (grabbing the dictionary): Hang on a minute! That is only the third listed meaning! This also says that "Script" means: In law, original document; Handwriting as opposed to printing and Examinee's written answer. So, What's the difference?
Muse: Well...
The Muse looked around the untidy study, as if trying to draw inspiration from the surrounding chaos.
"Let us start with the basics." she said in a pedagogical manner. "Script format deals with providing the bare details - The person speaking, what they are doing and so on - in a manner similar to that of a play or movie script."
AG (catching on): Like this?
"Yes." she sighed. "Exactly like that."
She walked across the study and perched herself on the edge of the writing desk. As she did do, she shifted her guise from the traditional Greek ensemble to a more modern blouse and skirt. She looked down at her writer, who had started staring for some reason. Oh yes, of course. The effect of sunlight on modern fabrics.
"Honestly! What sort of nymph do you take me for? Erato?" she huffed as she turned her clothes back to ancient Greek. Then she went back to her lecture.
"Prose, on the other hand, presents the details of the story in a flowing form, with description and discussion in a unified whole."
"So, what's the difference?" AG asked. "Stylistically, I mean." he added, noting the look his Muse was giving him.
"Roughly speaking, script is quicker and more compact to write, but is generally harder to read. Prose tends to be slightly harder, but is more pleasant to read."
"So," said AG, shifting slightly in his seat. "Script equals Bad?"
"Not at all - despite Manga Shoggoth's opinion to the contrary. In fact, many writers have used it in the past - John Bunyan used a variation of it in 'The Pilgrim's Progress', for example, and Galileo used a form of it in his writing. It's just that modern writing tends towards the prose forms."
AG gave this due thought.
"So, what should I be doing?" he asked at last.
His Muse gave him another look. "I am here to inspire you, not do the writing for you."
AG sipped at his mug of coffee. There were times, he thought, that his Muse wasn't much help.
"Well, if you really want advice..." the Muse said silkily.
"Yes?"
"...I could summon the Shoggoth and you could ask its advice."
A mouthful of coffee sprayed across the room, passing through the Muse to decorate the carpet and the walls.
"It is in the middle of multiple Staffware installations at the moment, and I am sure it could do with a break." continued the Muse, ignoring the strangled coughing coming from her writer.
"The poster or the character?" AG managed to cough out.
"Either suits." muttered the Muse, as she sketched a summoning circle on the carpet. "One's a sanity-mangling creature with an unhealthy interest in puns, Japanese comics and animations; the other is a fictional Elder Creature."
The Shoggoth was duly summoned. The Muse explained the request on behalf of AG, who had taken the opportunity to hide under the desk, in the process knocking the mug of coffee flying across the poor abused carpet. The mug itself landed amongst the Shoggoth's residual goo which, although it saved the mug from breaking, promised problems when the time came to do the washing up.
Well, burbled the Shoggoth, I can only really delineate the guidelines I use for writing, in the hopes that they are some use for you.
"That will be marvellous." the Muse assured it, watching as it formed part of its biomass into a screen, on which edlritch and disturbing glyphs formed up into approximate lines. "But perhaps your slides should be in something other than Alko."
I'm sorry, said the Shoggoth. They are old slides. Should the brief mortal really be doing that?
The Muse looked under the desk. "It's OK." she said. "Working underneath the desk was a technique pioneered in Marconi Communications in the late '80s. Think Maggie Mui."
Oh, I see. In that case, I shall continue.
Take joy in your writing. Enthusiasm can cover a multitude of sins.
Have something to write about. Stories with no content are empty boxes.
Write about what you know. If you don't know about a particular subject then at least do a little research.
Be ready to drop ideas and styles. If they don't work, then don't force them to work. By the same token, experiment with different ideas and styles.
Use prose rather than script. Master prose before you try to use script, because the bad habits you learn writing script will haunt you later.
The current convention in writing is to use the past tense, and I generally feel this to be more pleasant to read. Regardless of which tense you use, make sure you are consistent.
Always write to a high (or at least, good) standard, no matter who trivial you believe the work to be. There are two reasons for this: First, it will prevent you from developing bad habits; Second, it shows a measure of respect for your readers.
This does NOT mean that your work should always be perfect, however it should never be less than good. Speaking for myself, I am rapidly put off by bad writing.
(As always, the language exclusion applies - allowance must be given for people to whom English is not a first language).
If you think your work is bad, then solicit feedback. If you do solicit feedback then accept both positive and negative feedback in the spirit it is given. If you do not receive both then you will never be able to correct deficiencies in your work.
Take time over content and layout. Work that is rushed (or looks rushed) will always read badly.
Footsteps outside the study heralded the approach of one of the other inhabitants of the house.
"Honey, are you in there?"
"Oops." giggled the Muse. "Got to go..."
Terpsichore mentioned something about a party, noted the Shoggoth. Want to ascend the brightest heaven?
The door opened, to reveal AG's wife. She looked round the study with a mixture of puzzlement and annoyance, taking in the mug of spilled coffee and the husband cowering under the desk.
"What are you doing under there, and who do you think is going to clean this up?" she asked archly.
AG sighed. An author's lot was not a happy one.
Footnotes:
Erato is the Muse of lyrics and love poetry
Maggie Mui is a character from the Read or Die TV series, who does indeed prefer confined spaces. I'm not joking about Marconi either - one of the accounts clerks was notorious for working under the desk.
Terpsichore is the muse of dancing.
William Shakespeare, a man not unused to the whims of muses, started Henry V as follows:
O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment.
I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
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