Almost as stubborn as the universal bemuddlement concerning the meaning of
words - is the notion that techniques can be considered independently of the
purposes to which they are to be applied.
Why should anyone be concerned with the writer who says his technique is a
"prolonged lunatic binge" or consists of "character-notes
and structure charts" -- unless we really care about what he wrote?
And yet -- this bemuddlement continues full-force and unabated -- I suppose
because the reasons for caring are far more difficult to discuss -- especially
for the artists themselves -- who would much rather just take it for granted
that their work is important enough to deserve further study of their
techniques.
**************
Many years ago I assembled a book titled "Afterwords: Novelists on Their
Novels".
I did it by going to a number of prominent novelists and inviting them to
write about the writing of one of their novels. "Describe the campaign of the
book -- how it began, what it looked like to you at various stages, what
problems came up and what solutions you devised, how explicit were the
considerations of craft we think we see -- in other words, what was going on
when you worked."
For me the greatest impact of the book came from seeing how different the
writers were -- in their aims, techniques, and satisfactions, and in their
range:
Some were cool, deliberate craftsmen delighted to show their character-notes
and structure charts, like architects proudly displaying how their blueprints
accommodated the anticipatable needs not just of tenants but also of the
electricians, plumbers, and even trash-disposal folks. At the other end was
the man who responded to the invitation by saying, "I can't do it. For me the
writing
of a novel is prolonged lunatic binge, and much as I'd like to describe the
event, I find it's impossible."
_____________________________________________________________
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