Big Frickin' Swede

@allisonwyss@zirk.us

They sound interesting! Also sound like something that would be good to explore more. I love good description but don't think I'd get as much from that one (it feels like one of my strong points in writing).

@allisonwyss@zirk.us

I enjoyed The Art of Subtext with our Loft class--I recall you saying you liked the others from Graywolf, but are there any you'd recommend more than the others?

@allisonwyss@zirk.us

That space between metaphorical and actual can be so good, but also so tricky. To me it just has to be in the service of something... if not clear, at least powerful? Murakami's stuff is case in point: it generally seems to be both real and metaphor, but the better ones for me seem to have some sort of clear metaphorical leaning (e.g., loss, social ills, etc.). Not clear cut, per se, but it's got to be indicating something.

@allisonwyss@zirk.us @orionkidder@writing.exchange @klforslund@mastodonbooks.net @Caution@tech.lgbt @strangeseawolf@mindly.social

I like approaches where the author can at least lead in or discuss some during the feedback. I've been in workshops that left me feeling lost about my piece after taking notes for over 30-40 minutes... when really a workshop should hopefully leave a writer knowing what's working like they want it to and with maybe some ideas for what isn't working like they want it to.

@orionkidder@writing.exchange @strangeseawolf@mindly.social @allisonwyss@zirk.us

Oh, that can be a great, natural way of doing it! You can't be too ostentatious or it's overly obvious, but it's easy to inflect things gently with objects. Laundry can be snapped or tossed or thrown down, fidgeted with, etc.

@GGCollins@creativewriting.social

Servers on Mastodon don't mean quite as much for finding people, I don't think. It's more about following different writing tags, following writers you find using those, etc. There's no algorithm stuff tracking you to posts here, so there's a bit more investment in finding people at the start.

@Saposcat@mendeddrum.org @allisonwyss@zirk.us @colorblindcowboy@mastodon.art

Oh, I'd highly recommend reading Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses. He does a great job of taking to task the idea of "objective" standards, placing them in a more accurate cultural context. ("said" being glossed over by readers is one example he gives)

@allisonwyss@zirk.us

I'm in! Sounds like a lot of fun and it's been too long since I've been in a craft class/group. :)

@MLISrevenge@gilbertredman.masto.host @jam@mastodon.social

When he gets there the team dynamic just goes to 11, and it wasn't bad before that!

@allisonwyss@zirk.us

That's a delightful example and I am saving it for future use as an example (and inspiration)!

@jam@mastodon.social @MLISrevenge@gilbertredman.masto.host

Ah, we enjoy Atlantis, but SG-1 is one of our absolute favorite sci-fi shows. Lot's of good stuff there. :)

@alinapete@mastodon.social

Ugh, your rent is supposed to cover them doing, you know, maintenance. Of which part of said maintenance is replacing stuff like that. Give me a break.

Stuff like that is only slightly less annoying than a landlord selling out to a new one who promptly raises prices for... doing nothing but buying the place.

@allisonwyss@zirk.us @colorblindcowboy@mastodon.art

That's a great way of thinking about it! It really brings to mind the green light in Gatsby: it recurs and echoes enough a reader generally gets what it means, but it still has that beauty and mystery from not being too obvious (and it feels like just the most clear of many other potential reminders and reinforcements Fitzgerald has in there for characters).

@allisonwyss@zirk.us @colorblindcowboy@mastodon.art

I maybe missed someone saying this already, but besides the other great advice I saw from Allison and others, I think this also shows why having others read your work is important. You can make your best judgement call and learn from how other writers have done it, but having someone read your work really can tell you if it's more or less clear.

I also asked this question of a mentor in my MFA program, and he was a fan of being more clear than not!

@jam@mastodon.social

Our shelter recommended keeping Rosie in one room initially (when we first adopted her), but we should have let that change sooner, she actually came to hate that room afterward and only went back in it willingly months later. And that was after debating letting her out for all of a couple of days!

@allisonwyss@zirk.us

Oh, that sounds fun! :)

@samlitzinger@journa.host

It's been one depressing legislative session. Only good things have been the few bills the governor vetoed. :(