Being John Malkovich

For anyone who read my earlier post and hasn't seen "Being John Malkovich" here is a trailer (in video and link.)

Writing Tips (from Charlie Kaufman)

Charlie Kaufman is one of my favourite writers and I recently came across an article on the Guardian website (Kaufman article) where he discusses why he wrote "Being John Malkovich" and also gives a lot of good writing advice.  First he talks about writing in your own voice, adding that "the major obstacle to this is your deeply seated belief that 'you' is not interesting". He definitely doesn't mean that you should only write from your own life experiences (if you have ever seen any of his movies it is obvious that he does not), but I think that it is all about finding your own style -- telling a story in your own unique way.  I think the hardest part about this is not necessarily even thinking that 'you' is not interesting at all, but that it is not as interesting as those who have written before you, or maybe even at the same time as you. I think its about not just trying to imitate those voices, who you admire or think or superior to you, because then the best you will be is an imitation of something better, whereas if you write as yourself you can be something more.  


When he talks about writing "Being John Malkovich" he says, "I had this idea that someone finds a portal into someone's head, and I had another idea that somebody has a story about someone having an affair with a co-worker.  And neither one was going anywhere, so I just decided to combine them."  I love this idea.  I have never done this with any of my story ideas even though I often have ideas that I write down and then am never able to or inspired to really make anything out of them. My favourite stories, especially in films, are usually ones that have synopses that sound at the same time amazing and potentially awful.  I think that the possibility of failure is positively correlated to the possibility of creative success; not to say that the more likely you are to fail, the more likely you are to succeed because that makes no sense at all -- but that the story ideas that are more risky, that have more of a chance of failing, also have more potential. If executed properly they can be so much more creatively fulfilled than the safe ideas.  Since, combining stories likely increases the possibility of failure, hopefully it can increase the possibility for real success.  I will definitely experiment with this because of this idea, but also because Charlie Kaufman suggested it, and I love "Being John Malkovich".  


The last main point that he discusses is that "it's very important that what you do is specific to the medium in which you're doing it, and that you utilise what is specific about that medium to do the work. And if you can't think about why it should be done this way, then it doesn't need to be done."  He states this in relation to a story he tells about a man that he passes jogging in the morning -- a man who says the exact same thing every time they pass, and as a result Charlie's ideas about this man change drastically from 'here's this funny guy' to "I am not jogging at this time anymore because I want to avoid that guy'.  It's a great example of a story that cannot be told in all artistic mediums, but the overall idea is more complicated than his story lets on.  At the same time, I agree with him.  Although stories can be told through poetry, short stories, novels, and films (among others, but I am not going to list them all) and many times a singular story that begins in one format is told in another.  Short stories and novels are often made into films.  People often say that the stories are  better (they often are) but I think this is also partly because the transition ends with a different product.  The story cannot be the same, but on film because the medium is so different.  Even the short story as a medium is so different from the novel.  I usually don't pay much attention to the medium I work in, but I think I should.  It's important to answer why a story is in a certain medium.  Why is it a short story instead of a poem, what does the medium bring to the story, or allow you to bring to the story?  I often think about trying to write my stories as scripts or lengthening them into novellas, or potentially novels, but his words have scared me slightly.  They haven't deterred me, but made me think that I need to examine these mediums more and to really understand what changing the medium will add to or detract from these stories.  Right now I don't know if I can answer these questions, but the process of trying feels like I am making progress as a person who participates in the act of writing.

Collaborative Characters + Questionable Content = FUN

Like Cassidy, I had a great time in class today.  Although it's always a good class I think the collaborative freewrite added some fun energy.  I never really collaborate with anyone in writing projects, other than getting some feedback from the class or friends, and although I wouldn't say that David's and mine's character will be appearing in any of my stories, he has inspired a lot of ideas that may.  More importantly than that, the process of creating him reinvigorated an intense appreciation for the creative process.  Sometimes trying to write can be difficult, especially when attempting to write within parameters of assignments that fifteen other people have and trying to be totally unique at the same time.  At times writing is frustrating and at times I hate it (though only ever for a short while).  And now whenever I feel that, I can remember this freewrite assignment -- this man who only wants to be a good dad, but won't give up his valley girl speech, while having guests to his house, all the while fearing that he is an incompetent lover and that he may one day face an actual sea snake, which somehow might be explained by the fact that he was once caught playing doctor by himself!?? and whether he is a dynamic, realistic, or in any way a good character or not, I believe he will always remind me how much I love writing.

Scary Movies

This post has nothing to do with writing, although I guess it may inspire some later. I want to know what people's favourite scary movies are, maybe not even favourite, but what movies they think are the scariest.  Its not for a project, but just because I want to watch some really scary movies. I will be watching them with a small group of people in a fairly secluded cabin after going to what is supposed to be a very good haunted house production in Strasbourg.  Keeping that in mind, anything that would make us paranoid into thinking a slasher was outside might be good, but anything scary should work and suggestions are much appreciated.

writers, Writers, authors, and Authors . . . oh my

Natasha recently posted in her blog, "The Frazzled Ant", an entry questioning the definition of writer and her own feelings about herself as one.  She said, "I just think of myself as a person who participates in the act of writing", and suggested that a writer perhaps has to be published to gain the title of writer, just as her professor said a painter, sculptor, or photographer must have their work curated and exhibited before they can be called an artist. I understand this notion, especially when questioning or deciding if you, yourself can be called a writer (at least when the you = me) but this idea strikes me as very capitalist and anti-artistic.  I was once in a class all about the Author; in that class we discussed the difference between writers, Writers, authors, and Authors.  I don't remember if we ever came up with clear definitions.  I'm not sure that there can be any, but I do recall that the difference between the author and Author that was most commonly referred to was quality.  The Authors wrote works of literary significance, whereas the author wrote low quality popular fiction -- a very prominent author referred to in this class was Stephenie Meyer.  I don't think we discussed the writer as much as author, but if there is a need to differentiate between (which I am some times pretentious enough to think that there is) I like the idea that a writer is someone who writes, but is unpublished, an author is a published writer, and the capitalization distinguishes between the quality of there work.  Obviously this last aspect is completely subjective, but I think that with such any abstract idea, subjectivity is necessary.  At the same time, I really like Natasha's quote.  I know she meant it to be modest, but I don't think that being "a person who participates in the act of writing" is less important than being a writer, in fact I like the idea that although there are social and monetary differences between writers and authors, and even people who write, but don't consider themselves either, they are all connected by the act of writing -- and the need, desire, and ability to write.

Short Story Inspiration

My short story, currently titled 'Glamazon', was largely inspired by Raven (a drag queen from season 2 of Rupaul's Drag Race, as well as a professor on Rupaul's Drag U).  If anyone is interested in watching one of her performances, here is the one that is partially described within the story.  Also, as a side note, during the workshop a few people mentioned being unsure what 'fish' meant and when I got to talk I forgot to clarify.  If a drag queen is fish, they look like a real woman, or what they might refer to as a biological woman.  Anyway, here is the video.

Considering, Describing, and Writing 'The Moment'

I often choose to write in images.  It seems to work for short stories.  I don't necessarily have much plot. I get basic ideas and I start. I might even finish without realizing that my story doesn't really have a plot -- sometimes I don't even realize this until somebody else tells me.  Even then, I often think they are wrong at first.  When I discovered this I became too focused on plot.  I realize that there needs to be some purpose behind the descriptions of a specific moment, behind the colours and smells, but reading David's post (http://www.8secondsofawesome.com/post/10758325575/i-will-be-working-on-the-basis-of-the-small-units) reassured me that writing in this manner is a good thing.  Whether I need to go back and reconsider or add responses and reactions from my characters or not, stories can begin and end within small units -- a short story can be contained within a singular moment.  I hadn't finished a complete short story in about a year because I think I lost sight of this.  I was always concerned with the plot, and could never get back to writing the details, to exploring the 'space and time'.  Rediscovering this allowed me to write again.  I even started writing my latest short story with the words 'The moment . . .' because that is what I want to focus on -- it's what I want to write about.