I thought I would transition away from what I've been blogging about, at least for awhile. I believe that one of the strongest elements of writing is the paragraph. So, that's it, a blog built on paragraphs. Not only this, I will focus on things other than writing. I hope you like what I'm doing.
And now, to begin.
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Authors of the short story I would recommend, for enjoyment and for study, are Anton Chekhov, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry James. While not limited to the short story, I believe these three, among others, can teach through their writing, and are well worth reading.
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Recommended for study in the cinema include the films of Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, and and Alfred Hitchcock, each for their own reasons. From technical expertise, to lighting, to the conveying of suspense, they tell good and well thought out stories. Their films rate high with me. I believe the novice, and experienced filmmaker, are well served by studying these three masters of film making.
***
In major League Baseball, can there be anything as exciting as the triple play? Yes. The even rarer unassisted triple play. And the plays at third, whether catching a screaming line drive or a third to first out, when seemingly it would fail. It's no wonder third is called the Hot Corner.Of course, there's reaching over the fence to take a home run away. What are yours?
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In the world of music, with all the choices to listen to, I tend to come back to jazz. And my favorite instrument, the saxophone. And the great player of the same, John Coltrane. His rendition of My Favorite Things is, in my opinion, among his greatest pieces. I think there's no player of the saxophone quite as good, quite as good. Oh -- wait a minute. There's Sonny Rollins.
***
Which is more difficult for the writer to grasp, the short story, the novel, or poetry. All have their degrees of difficulty. But which is the most difficult? The answer may well lie with the individual writer. The short story, because of its conciseness, ans having to be so well thought out within its limited scope, gets the nod from some. Because of my preference for the short story, I disagree. Some say poetry. I've herd it said the novel is the easier of the three, probably owing to its length. And the opportunities for story and character development, divergent points of view, and for backstory it gives the writer. I find the novel particularly taxing. My experience tells me I have neither the patience, nor the desire, to write what I consider a pleasing novel. For me, I would rank the novel as the most difficult.
***
I enjoy a well pitched baseball game.When that well pitched game reaches the point when the closer is summoned, my attention level increases. The closer of today's game is so specialized that he is frequently called upon to pitch the ninth inning, and sometimes less, when his team is ahead. His job is to protect that lead. Protecting the lead, saving the game, is the measure of his worth. His role among pitchers is unique. There are times when the closer will win, or loose, games, or have an inflated Earned Run Average over a span of innings. To me, these don't matter as much as his saving the game. Because saving the game is why he's on his team.
***
In fiction, is there an ideal paragraph length? The term ideal can confuse. A few sentences would seem to be a good bet. But, wait. I've read paragraphs ranging from one page to several pages. James Joyce and Samuel Beckett are examples of the later. Paragraphs limited to a few words? Single word paragraphs? Yes. Long, short, a few words, one word, the story may be better off, perhaps better explained, by these various paragraph lengths. I remember having having been taught that some things in a story, taken in context, are "understood," rather than rigid. It is this that justifies single word paragraphs. When applied to fiction, stream of consciousness, a kind of dream language, is particularly well suited for muti-page paragraphs. The ideal paragraph length, if there is such a thing, may very well depend upon on what the writer wants to say. Or how he wants to say it. Unorthodox paragraph lengths should not be dismissed just because they don't fit some prescribed idea of what a paragraph should be.
***
And now, to begin.
_________________________
Authors of the short story I would recommend, for enjoyment and for study, are Anton Chekhov, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry James. While not limited to the short story, I believe these three, among others, can teach through their writing, and are well worth reading.
***
Recommended for study in the cinema include the films of Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, and and Alfred Hitchcock, each for their own reasons. From technical expertise, to lighting, to the conveying of suspense, they tell good and well thought out stories. Their films rate high with me. I believe the novice, and experienced filmmaker, are well served by studying these three masters of film making.
***
In major League Baseball, can there be anything as exciting as the triple play? Yes. The even rarer unassisted triple play. And the plays at third, whether catching a screaming line drive or a third to first out, when seemingly it would fail. It's no wonder third is called the Hot Corner.Of course, there's reaching over the fence to take a home run away. What are yours?
***
In the world of music, with all the choices to listen to, I tend to come back to jazz. And my favorite instrument, the saxophone. And the great player of the same, John Coltrane. His rendition of My Favorite Things is, in my opinion, among his greatest pieces. I think there's no player of the saxophone quite as good, quite as good. Oh -- wait a minute. There's Sonny Rollins.
***
Which is more difficult for the writer to grasp, the short story, the novel, or poetry. All have their degrees of difficulty. But which is the most difficult? The answer may well lie with the individual writer. The short story, because of its conciseness, ans having to be so well thought out within its limited scope, gets the nod from some. Because of my preference for the short story, I disagree. Some say poetry. I've herd it said the novel is the easier of the three, probably owing to its length. And the opportunities for story and character development, divergent points of view, and for backstory it gives the writer. I find the novel particularly taxing. My experience tells me I have neither the patience, nor the desire, to write what I consider a pleasing novel. For me, I would rank the novel as the most difficult.
***
I enjoy a well pitched baseball game.When that well pitched game reaches the point when the closer is summoned, my attention level increases. The closer of today's game is so specialized that he is frequently called upon to pitch the ninth inning, and sometimes less, when his team is ahead. His job is to protect that lead. Protecting the lead, saving the game, is the measure of his worth. His role among pitchers is unique. There are times when the closer will win, or loose, games, or have an inflated Earned Run Average over a span of innings. To me, these don't matter as much as his saving the game. Because saving the game is why he's on his team.
***
In fiction, is there an ideal paragraph length? The term ideal can confuse. A few sentences would seem to be a good bet. But, wait. I've read paragraphs ranging from one page to several pages. James Joyce and Samuel Beckett are examples of the later. Paragraphs limited to a few words? Single word paragraphs? Yes. Long, short, a few words, one word, the story may be better off, perhaps better explained, by these various paragraph lengths. I remember having having been taught that some things in a story, taken in context, are "understood," rather than rigid. It is this that justifies single word paragraphs. When applied to fiction, stream of consciousness, a kind of dream language, is particularly well suited for muti-page paragraphs. The ideal paragraph length, if there is such a thing, may very well depend upon on what the writer wants to say. Or how he wants to say it. Unorthodox paragraph lengths should not be dismissed just because they don't fit some prescribed idea of what a paragraph should be.
***
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