Dec 28, 2022·edited Dec 28, 2022Liked by Terry Freedman
Ah, Terry, Alicia is a delight, as are you. And I await your guest post with fevered anticipation. In the meantime some thoughts on this post, along my sincere thanks for the shoutout here, and I suggest that all who stop here read your post "Bravery" that touched my heart. More thoughts: The problem with the rule "show, don't tell" is that writers can "earn" their "telling"" as I argue D.H. Lawrence does --and I have _Phoenix II_ here in front of me to prove it. And I'm betting you would love Pierre Bayard's _How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read_ -- a wry wonder on the reasons to read. xo ~ Mary
Most kind of you, Mary. We have Bayard's book here -- somewhere. Our books are in some disarray since a bookcase collapsed under the weight. Interesting about the idea of earning not telling. We covered Lawrence on a course recently, The Golden Age of British Short Stories. One of the other participants was raving about Lawrence telling rather than showing. I responded by saying that although show-don't-tell is held to be the gold standard, if you're going to tell rather than show at least do it with panache, as does Lawrence. He grudgingly agreed. Besides, I am not sure that showing not telling is always the better option. I think it depends on what the author is hoping to achieve by way of response in the reader. I don't, in fact, like any of these rules, except Orwell's 6th one (if memory serves): break all of the above rules rather than produce execrable tosh -- or words to that effect.
Fear not: my guest post will be with you soon. Very soon. I hope you like it, and thank you again for the opportunity.
Hi, Terry, I'm not arguing that abstractions work well in good story, good novel or good memoir. I'm arguing that we get to use an abstraction when the concrete has "earned' it. Here's a brief example of what I mean by "earning" our "telling":
T.S. Eliot in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock":
I grow old ... I grow old.../
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
"Old" is surely an abstraction--and not a particularly original one, but Eliot "earns" it with that unforgettable next line.
Take your time on the guest post: A new one comes out tomorrow on my site "Only connect ..." that you've been so generous about.
Great post, Terry (and not just because of the very kind mention - thank you so much)!
I've been catching up on some reading, too - not just on Substack, although that's quite a thing - two days off here and there and it takes me at least that long to read everything I'd missed - but I've got two novels on the go AND I'm itching to get my brain started on the two books I've been given for Christmas....!
It's nice to have hit the 'pause' button just before Christmas, but I'm itching to gear up my writing again. I think a certain penpal of mine deserves a letter from me in the new year.....!
Thanks, Rebecca. I have a few books to read and review here, including one about meadows and stuff. As for letters, definitely. And to answer a question that I meant to answer in an email but forgot (we creative types cannot be expected to remember such mundane details), Wednesday postings would certainly work for me. :-)
I'm glad you like my posts, Rebecca. I hope you are printing them off and putting them into some kind of album. Alternatively you might wish to purchase my signed leather-bound copy that will be available soon, under the working title of The Thoughts of Dr Tel, or possibly the more up-market A Lord Speaks. I haven't decided yet.
These postal strikes are rather getting in the way of my letter writing... I am anticipating that the 'Dear Terry' backlog will be set to clear in the first week of January!
I'm sure I can clear a space in my bookcase for the first volume of 'Persiflage' by Terry Freedman. Do keep me posted. Please give me advance warning if shelf reinforcement is likely to be required.
It's my new favourite word - I only came across it the other week when you used it - and then you used it again in quick succession - so it's a word I will always associate with you, I'm afraid! #it'syourownfault
Oh thank you so much for the shoutout, Terry!! Mary's guest posts have been such a treasure trove of likeminded souls. Looking forward to reading you there too!
Ah, Terry, Alicia is a delight, as are you. And I await your guest post with fevered anticipation. In the meantime some thoughts on this post, along my sincere thanks for the shoutout here, and I suggest that all who stop here read your post "Bravery" that touched my heart. More thoughts: The problem with the rule "show, don't tell" is that writers can "earn" their "telling"" as I argue D.H. Lawrence does --and I have _Phoenix II_ here in front of me to prove it. And I'm betting you would love Pierre Bayard's _How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read_ -- a wry wonder on the reasons to read. xo ~ Mary
Most kind of you, Mary. We have Bayard's book here -- somewhere. Our books are in some disarray since a bookcase collapsed under the weight. Interesting about the idea of earning not telling. We covered Lawrence on a course recently, The Golden Age of British Short Stories. One of the other participants was raving about Lawrence telling rather than showing. I responded by saying that although show-don't-tell is held to be the gold standard, if you're going to tell rather than show at least do it with panache, as does Lawrence. He grudgingly agreed. Besides, I am not sure that showing not telling is always the better option. I think it depends on what the author is hoping to achieve by way of response in the reader. I don't, in fact, like any of these rules, except Orwell's 6th one (if memory serves): break all of the above rules rather than produce execrable tosh -- or words to that effect.
Fear not: my guest post will be with you soon. Very soon. I hope you like it, and thank you again for the opportunity.
Hi, Terry, I'm not arguing that abstractions work well in good story, good novel or good memoir. I'm arguing that we get to use an abstraction when the concrete has "earned' it. Here's a brief example of what I mean by "earning" our "telling":
T.S. Eliot in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock":
I grow old ... I grow old.../
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
"Old" is surely an abstraction--and not a particularly original one, but Eliot "earns" it with that unforgettable next line.
Take your time on the guest post: A new one comes out tomorrow on my site "Only connect ..." that you've been so generous about.
big time xo ~ Mary
Ah yes, I see
Great post, Terry (and not just because of the very kind mention - thank you so much)!
I've been catching up on some reading, too - not just on Substack, although that's quite a thing - two days off here and there and it takes me at least that long to read everything I'd missed - but I've got two novels on the go AND I'm itching to get my brain started on the two books I've been given for Christmas....!
It's nice to have hit the 'pause' button just before Christmas, but I'm itching to gear up my writing again. I think a certain penpal of mine deserves a letter from me in the new year.....!
Thanks, Rebecca. I have a few books to read and review here, including one about meadows and stuff. As for letters, definitely. And to answer a question that I meant to answer in an email but forgot (we creative types cannot be expected to remember such mundane details), Wednesday postings would certainly work for me. :-)
I'm glad you like my posts, Rebecca. I hope you are printing them off and putting them into some kind of album. Alternatively you might wish to purchase my signed leather-bound copy that will be available soon, under the working title of The Thoughts of Dr Tel, or possibly the more up-market A Lord Speaks. I haven't decided yet.
These postal strikes are rather getting in the way of my letter writing... I am anticipating that the 'Dear Terry' backlog will be set to clear in the first week of January!
I'm sure I can clear a space in my bookcase for the first volume of 'Persiflage' by Terry Freedman. Do keep me posted. Please give me advance warning if shelf reinforcement is likely to be required.
Wait! Are you saying that my collected works would be categorised as persiflage? 😨
It's my new favourite word - I only came across it the other week when you used it - and then you used it again in quick succession - so it's a word I will always associate with you, I'm afraid! #it'syourownfault
Typical. Hoist with my own petard. Again.
Take your time, O Elusive One. Elaine has decreed that our house has to be decorated starting next week. Omg. Do you take house guests?
Have you primed the cats that they risk being used as paint rollers...?
You can have the house as long as you redecorate it while you're here - we'll take the van! 😉
Re: cats. What a great idea!
Re: staying. The whole point of my wanting to escape is to AVOID decorating. Sigh.
😉 Yeah, I rather missed the point there, didn't I?! 🤣
PS I like your posts too, and your letters!
😊
Oh thank you so much for the shoutout, Terry!! Mary's guest posts have been such a treasure trove of likeminded souls. Looking forward to reading you there too!
Great round up and more for me to add to my vocabulary!
Thanks, Mark. LOL