tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post86276513525939890..comments2023-05-21T14:46:54.138+01:00Comments on FictionBitch: Guest Article: Julian Gough on Short Stories and Winning the National CompetitionElizabeth Baineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193751871434773972noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-52002113137271980972007-05-08T18:46:00.000+01:002007-05-08T18:46:00.000+01:00Fabulous! Thank you.Fabulous! Thank you.Stephanie Ziahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07009923261529219522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-78300472423840205362007-05-07T15:57:00.000+01:002007-05-07T15:57:00.000+01:00Thrilled you're answering the survey. I believe al...Thrilled you're answering the survey. I believe all writers want to know this kind of nonsense about other writers.David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-72193765565555547662007-05-07T11:43:00.000+01:002007-05-07T11:43:00.000+01:00Well, David, I don't usually respond to being tagg...Well, David, I don't usually respond to being tagged, since I have this thing about the Cult of Personality, but since this one's about writing, I'll say a gracious thanks and get around to doing it some time this week.Elizabeth Baineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17193751871434773972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-46583878002241611392007-05-07T11:23:00.000+01:002007-05-07T11:23:00.000+01:00I don't think Julian is saying that each writer ne...I don't think Julian is saying that each writer needs to have the ability to write at any length; I think he's simply saying that writers need the freedom to write to whatever length suits both them and their idea (whereas of course media restraints like time-slots put restrictions on this.)<BR/><BR/>I would agree with Damien that being forced to write to a specific length is very good for the CRAFT of writing: it can flex those muscles of ingenuity. But writing is an art as well as a craft, ie it makes its own rules which are separate from the rules (financial etc) by which the media need to operate. Certain ideas require forms which may not always be catered for by the media, and innovative art/writing most certainly does by definition: it's doing something which hasn't been done before. Many of our tried and tested forms, which do now sit happily in the media, (as Julian points out re Chekhov) were once innovative in this way, and to make them the writers/artists had to write against the prevailing customs and available platforms. Take 'flash fiction': once upon a time you could never get a story that short published; with the advent of the internet it is becoming one of the dominant forms.<BR/><BR/>Writing against the prevailing custom with regard to length is not necessarily an indulgence, it can take guts, and any good writer who is setting up new rules is nevertheless doing just that, setting up rules (indeed, difficult ones) for him or herself.Elizabeth Baineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17193751871434773972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-52710167221420731862007-05-07T01:05:00.000+01:002007-05-07T01:05:00.000+01:00Oh, and Elizabeth:You’ve been tagged.Oh, and Elizabeth:<BR/><A HREF="http://davidisaak.blogspot.com/2007/05/faye-made-me-do-it-survey.html" REL="nofollow">You’ve been tagged.</A>David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-32482947796537776432007-05-07T01:04:00.000+01:002007-05-07T01:04:00.000+01:00Wonderful article. And I enjoy reading short stori...Wonderful article. And I enjoy reading short stories, but I'm not sure everyone is suited to write them. I know I'm not. <BR/><BR/>And although I agree that everyone ought to write at whatever length suits their needs rather than strapping their ideas and passions to the bed of Procrustes, I'm not convinced that it's "incredibly important" for a writer to be able to write at any length. Not all painters can paint on any size of canvas.<BR/><BR/>But, still, a wonderful post.David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-70254311376350772512007-05-06T16:02:00.000+01:002007-05-06T16:02:00.000+01:00I think there are many ways to work, and we all fi...I think there are many ways to work, and we all find the one that suits us. I tend to agree with Julian... I love the freedom of being able to write very short, short, longer, minuscule... it's what makes the writing thing zing (for this writer... not for all, I know that)...and not knowing which length a piece will turn out to be gives a sense of the unknown on every journey.<BR/><BR/>Now IM writing 'something longer' but still have no idea what it will be... <BR/><BR/>VanessaVanessa Gebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00833187671441310234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-61489405536414534792007-05-05T23:10:00.000+01:002007-05-05T23:10:00.000+01:00Julian Gough wrote:It is incredibly important for ...Julian Gough wrote:<BR/>It is incredibly important for writers to be able to write at any length.<BR/><BR/>I don't agree. The discipline of writing to a format is an important part of the craft. Freedom is a much overvalued part of creativity. Restrictions of format, genre and purpose are essential to creativity, without them the imagination has nothing to anchor itself upon and risks simply swimming around in esoteric circles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-15930061236810222282007-05-05T19:57:00.000+01:002007-05-05T19:57:00.000+01:00What a wonderful and inspirational post!Thank you....What a wonderful and inspirational post!<BR/>Thank you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00597852661913928616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-89855212396652025782007-05-04T20:56:00.000+01:002007-05-04T20:56:00.000+01:00This was wonderful, the champagne and all! But, pl...This was wonderful, the champagne and all! But, please be careful with Byatt; I want her in one piece when she comes to see me in Lyon at the end of the month! Bravo for these words, which really shake up the whole basket of mixed ideas on the short story.S. Kearneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03976476273818980832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-70505294030832107062007-05-04T16:41:00.000+01:002007-05-04T16:41:00.000+01:00Oh, sorry!Oh, sorry!Elizabeth Baineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17193751871434773972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26654079.post-74164172082062590802007-05-04T16:27:00.000+01:002007-05-04T16:27:00.000+01:00YES!!!!!Vanessa(and PS, it's not a row, it's a dis...YES!!!!!<BR/><BR/>Vanessa<BR/><BR/>(and PS, it's not a row, it's a discussion, I think.)Vanessa Gebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00833187671441310234noreply@blogger.com