Respectfully Disagree

I've been pondering this post for a while now. Partly because I've been busy at work--a good thing in these times. Partly because I've also been busy with rewrites on MMG--an extremely good thing. And partly because I wasn't sure how to put it without maybe stepping on toes.

But I think have the time and a way of doing it.

Jenny posted about King's interview where he says that JK Rowling = good writing while Stephanie Meyer = bad writing. She questions who gets to make those decisions. Then Fleur posted about talking with her students about the same thing. Her final conclusion for them was that if they like it, it's good.

I have to disagree with that. There is a reason that in a previous time--not that long ago, really--critics were a rarefied breed. There just weren't that many around for books, art, music or movies. Why was that? Burly, hairy men standing guard at the gates to keep out the riff-raff? Well, in a way. The bodyguards however were education. A specific kind of education. These critics knew about movies or books or music or art or whatever else they were critiquing. It took time to learn about each art form and what the structures and standards were. And, also, to learn what was new and cutting edge. What broke the rules in an interesting and deliberate way and what just didn't have a clue.

Now anyone with a blog and the inclination can post a review of anything they want. See previous posts for examples from this author. Doesn't matter if you don't know a comma from a coma or a landscape from a landing strip. You have an opinion? It's call a critique.

Now, I can say whether or not I like something. And I have every right to that opinion and to post it wherever I want as long as it doesn't stray into libel. But liking something and knowing if it's "good" or not are too different things.

Case in point: I may love Big Macs. (I'm so-so on them, but do get the occasional craving). Does that mean they are an example of good cooking? Absolutely not. They fill one up. Can be tasty with enough tartar--I mean special sauce to cover up the cardboardy beef and wilted shreds of iceberg lettuce. But no one needs to study for years to figure out how to put one together.

There are movies that are not acted, written or filmed particularly well (The Cutting Edge comes to mind) that I watch every time they're on television. I can chew through some pretty horribly written mysteries when I've read too many heavier, and much better written, books in a row and just need to chill out for a bit. So there are examples of things I like that I know aren't particularly good.

Then take Dante's Inferno. As stated previously, I struggled with it. Called it 17th Century Burn Book. But I recognize why it's lasted all these centuries. Well, partly because of the religious aspect, BUT the structure, the artistry, the attention to detail are all amazing. I get it. I just didn't like it. My not liking it doesn't make it any less than what it is.

I think a better way to put it is: "If you like it, that's okay. It's sometimes enough just to like it. That doesn't necessarily mean it's well-executed. And just because you didn't enjoy something, doesn't necessarily make it bad. You may just need to learn a bit more so you understand why it's considered great. May not make you like it any better, but it just might."

We Got Fleur!

Just a quick one to say that Fleur is now blogging. Check her out at:

http://yasleuth.blogspot.com/

heh

Ack! Goals, Again.

It feels like I've just written the goals for one month before it's time to do it all over again.

How'd I do for January?

--Finish really really rough draft of TNN (DONE)
--Rewrite MMG (About 1/3)
--Write flash piece for anthology (Did 2)
--Read first book in Divine Comedy (DONE)
--Do CWC critique (1/1)
--UGWP critiques (3/3)

For February?

--FINISH rewrite of MMG
--Clean up enough of Vesta from NaNo to submit to CWC this month (added)
--Complete CWC critique
--UGWP critique

It's a short month, what can I say?

Frustrating and Fascinating

This is one of those days when we all cannibalize each other's blogs. But it's a good topic.

Revision. Or as Jenny says, re-vision. Looking at your work in a new way. It sucks. It revitalizes. It hurts. It inspires. It's both frustrating and fascinating.

Another Jenny comment was that we have to write the stuff that needs to be cut later. I found that helpful now that I'm about a third of the way through MMG rewrites. I'm slashing and hacking, and adding and tweaking. And all the while thinking "Why didn't I realize that I didn't need this crap?" But I did need it. I needed to write those words because they were what led to the words that I'm keeping. If it hadn't been for the 15-page funeral scene that was cut, I wouldn't have the cleaning out the house scene which stayed. If I hadn't written Thanksgiving (cut), I wouldn't have done Christmas (stays).

The good part of a critique group, especially one as thorough, talented and honest as CWC, is that you find out what didn't work and what did. The bad part is that you tend to hear the same things 4-5 times. And it starts to feel like water torture. Just that drip drip drip of what was wrong--because none of us are egotists so we tend to gloss over the what worked part. Which can turn into the feeling that nothing worked. But in Ali's case--as in all the stories that have been submitted so far--only a tiny portion of the whole didn't work.

What I'm going to take away from this discussion is the re-visioning of revision. Look at MMG with new eyes (because, frankly, the old ones were getting pretty tired of the story and that can be death to the process).

And, Ali, do ignore Juan.

Because Neil Asked

The one Coraline trailer he really likes.

Randomness

There have been so many things going on lately. Big things like our new President. Little things like knitting gloves. Things in between like a birthday party for my favorite 4-year-old. I keep thinking I should have enough material for a long, deeply thought-out post, but the truth is that all of this stuff just seems to crowd each other out. One minute a party is asking for attention. The next it's the idea that double-pointed knitting needles are one of the greatest inventions of all time.

I'd claim ADD, throw up my hands and have an excuse for not getting anything done, but we all know that I can focus like a laser (almost typed Lazar) when I put my mind to it. I think what the main roadblock has been is that the BIG thing has occupied a lot of my thoughts in the last few weeks. What it might mean for the country, indeed, the world. How high hopes, including mine, are and how that is going to both help and hurt Mr. Obama. Because we are a nation inflicted with a form of ADD. Yes, we're going to support him. Yes, we're willing to wait. Yes, we know it'll be hard work and what can I do to help. And, wait a minute? Didn't he say he was going to fix the economy? No, I don't remember saying anything about being willing to sacrifice and be patient and helping out. So that worries me a bit. But this isn't a political blog.

All I can think of to say about knitting gloves is that it's near instant gratification, unlike sweaters and afghans. If the cat agrees to sit on the arm of my chair instead of my lap, I can knock out one a night. You'll see my running count on the side bar. She's not cooperating. But the rhythm of knitting is soothing, therapeutic even. And double-pointed needles are a wonder. The knitting just goes round and round, seamlessly.

Elizabeth is a wonder. Not that I'm biased at all. Cute, smart and funny. Mostly funny. She can be so serious one minute and a complete goof the next. And she's at the age where she's making up stories. They go from first person to third to second within one sentence. Her cast of characters gets unwieldy and she drops characters without warning. But they are exciting tales of giant girls with green skin who climb mountains with Ariel and Belle (pronounced Bell-le). Somehow we never seem to reach the end of the story. And I think that's a good thing.

Facebook never ceases to amaze. Just a little over a month on it and I've reconnected with people from former jobs, other social networks (I guess that's what you'd call the old AOL MST3K message boards) and from high school. And here's a question: How can I not remember a guy from my graduating class when there were only 125 kids in it? Weird.

So that's the update for this week, such as it is. I'll try to be more focused next week. We'll see how that works out for me.

I Hate It When They're Right

So, I've been chugging along on my MMG rewrites, pretty happy with the results. Until I realized that I'm 85 pages in and Kitty's only had one brief contact with the man who will change her life. Now I believe it's important to show her life before the change. But 85 pages? How can I shorten it? Ah, cut one of the holiday gatherings and move any important info to the other one. Great idea.

The problem is that that was one of the comments made by several of my readers from the first time through. Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family was too repetitive, and I should cut one or the other. I balked (as I have been known to do on one or two occasions). They were both important. She was with different relatives at each one. It gave me a chance to introduce two different hauntings.

But they were right, dammit. I can just rejigger the hauntings.

This is all by way of saying that I'm extremely thankful for my writing friends. Now I just need to listen to them from the get-go. Although I do think the normal reaction is to question what they're saying. And that's not necessarily a bad thing as long as I make myself justify why I disagree. If the answer doesn't serve the story, it's not a valid reason.