The thing with elliptical writing is that it makes writing a big fat book as easy as writing a small skinny one. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true: it’s just as hard to write a small skinny novel as it is to write a big fat one. Sucks.
Each section is treated discretely. It becomes a kind of mini story in itself. For a novel, just link them all together. Beauty.
I didn’t invent all of this, by the way. I learned it, back when I was writing short stories in the writing program at the University of Victoria. It happened because my mentor at the time, Jack Hodgins, was sly enough to see where I was at in the whole process, and guided me to the books on writing fiction written by John Gardner.
I still recall reading Gardner’s description of what he did with the opening paragraphs of his novel, Grendel. My jaw dropped to the floor and stayed there for about three months. Until then, I really had no idea just what was possible in writing.
Gardner didn’t talk about elliptical writing, and I don’t know if anyone has, apart from me. But what he showed me was how to use language itself, the precise weighting of word-choices, the way messing with rhythm can achieve particular effects. In short, he showed me just how thoroughly a writer can fuck with a reader’s head, mostly without them knowing it.
It’s diabolical and a little frightening. But you can easily look around, say, at the newspaper you daily peruse, to see how that power can be expressed to achieve what can only be called evil. So I don’t use the word ‘diabolical’ lightly.
The language of popular journalism invites intellectual laziness in the reader. The old adage about ‘just the facts’ is a whitewash. I can just state facts and still manipulate emotions — it’s easy, actually. Comes down to which facts one chooses to reveal, and in what order. The rest is all down to the reader.
In popular journalism, the whole process is cynical beyond belief, but it works (Fox news anyone?). Push buttons, trigger hatred, cold-heartedness, and fear. Easy peasy. Of course, what they’re really saying is: we think you’re a fucking idiot and you’ll believe anything, and then they smile sweetly and it’s time for our sponsors hallelujah amen.
I admit to being dismayed at how often it seems to work. I also admit that I hope there’s a special place in hell for those writers who reduced politics to sound bites, and for those on the tube who turn every tragic event into a television production, replete with billboard titles and juicy graphics. These days, we are all potential entertainment to an audience of millions. Who decided that was a good idea?
I’m reminded that I have actually met fans of the film Starship Troopers who didn’t know it was satire. Huh?
For this installment, as you may have noticed, I’m taking a break from deconstructing that excerpt, to see if there will be more commentary on whether I should resume the exercise, or not. So instead, this is mostly your average blog rant. Hey, I’m only human.
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As I write this, I am about to head off to a conference in Orlando. The International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts. I’ve been going for a few years now, but I still feel slightly out of place there. The conference is an academic one, with a few token writers invited to give readings and just sort’ve hang around beside the pool.
Apart from one scholar who happens to be a good friend of mine (and hanging out with him is one of the main reasons I still go, along with Steve Donaldson regularly attending), I’ve yet to see anyone tackle my writing.
It occurs to me that even within fantasy as a genre, there exist internal stigmas. As a writer of ‘epic’ or ‘heroic’ fantasy, well, unless one is a dead Englishman with J’s and R’s in his name, we don’t much rate as serious fare for serious discussion (of course, if I went in the opposite direction and wrote about adolescent virgin seduction fantasies and threw in a few moody vampires, well, I’d be fighting ’em off!). Sometimes I think about all of that and I sigh. But mostly, I just sit at the pool bar and have a good time not worrying about anything.
So perhaps I have an ulterior motive in analyzing my own writing here, as if to say: ‘Hey you, no really, I know what I’m doing. Honest. I even think about it. And look at this excerpt — not a sword or busty bodice in sight!’ (Good thing I didn’t use that other excerpt.) But if that purpose is there, it’s not the main one. Apart from hoping to inspire beginning writers, I might also be providing a kind of primer to my readers — not that most of them need it, as they’ve already discovered the pay-off in re-reads. Right?
To close, I’ll return briefly to that diabolical matter, to assure my readers that while I am entirely and absolutely engaged in manipulating your emotions through the stories I write, I won’t do it to lie to you. Ever. I am a believer in Aristotle’s argument on the value of catharsis in tragedy. We need to feel to be reminded of what feeling is like. Now more than ever. My novels are an invitation to compassion, for what that’s worth. And finally, I can’t make you feel anything unless I feel it first.
For Malazan fans: ten chapters left…
Read Parts I to IV of Steven Erikson’s “Notes on a Crisis”. Visit his Life As A Human biography page for links.
Photo Credits
“Monster in the Sky”sakura_chilhaya+. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
“Sean Hamity and Karl Rove on FOX!” dutchlad @ flickr.com. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
“Puppet or Puppeteer” Jonathan @ Flickr.com. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
Recent Steven Erikson Articles:
- Deconstructing Fiction (For Writers and Readers): Excerpt Deconstructed (8)
- Deconstructing Fiction (For Writers and Readers): Excerpt Deconstructed (7)
- Deconstructing Fiction (For Writers and Readers): Excerpt Deconstructed (6)
- Deconstructing Fiction (For Writers and Readers): Excerpt Deconstructed (5)
- Deconstructing Fiction (For Writers and Readers): Excerpt Deconstructed (4)
Very good. Enjoyable as always. Cathartic, even… : )
Aye. Add another for the deconstruction. ‘Tis interesting to learn about the thought processes of successful writers, and techniqes an aspiring one can employ.
Also, ’twas funny.
Yet again, excellent blog post! I, too, vote for more deconstruction, though will be loyally reading regardless of what you post about! 🙂 I enjoy reading your prose, period.
Moar blogs!
And please dont stop writing, ever. Your books are orgasms for the mind.
“not a sword or bodice in sight”
Just remember that we fans NEED more Hellian.
Completely agree with you with regards to the media and the way major issues and large political discussion are boiled down to one or two taglines. That a-hole Karl Rove and Fox (Rupert Murdoch) have a lot to answer for. As a former student of marketing, as well as working in mining and being married to a lawyer it’s very easy to see the way omission, emphasis, order of presentation and expectations can be used to play magic tricks on readers and viewers. I would definitely be interested to see your take on this.
Btw, great to hear about your progress! As always, your speed continues to impress. Definitely looking forward to the Crippled God. Good luck, and hopefully we’ll see book 10 soon!
Everything I have read to this point has been worthwhile. It is nice to know that you are human as well as a brilliant author.
Agreed, agreed, agreed. More deconstruction and more general blog rants! Thanks Steve and thanks moreso for the excellent MBoTF. Fantastic stuff.
Another awesome post!
And yeah, it can be depressing thinking about all the petty manipulations go on around you every day…just as long as you don’t go too conspiratorial and stir-crazy about it, it just stays depressing. XD
+1 for more deconstruction, though I loved this post as much as any.
Great Blog! Does ICE have a blog ? Keep up the great work Mr. Lundin.
definitely a go on the excerpt deconstruction. Though other random thoughts are always appreciated.
10 chapters left! Good news.
And I again, vote for more deconstruction. I thoroughly enjoyed getting inside your head.
Your blogs are great, I think you should definitely continue with the deconstruction, although I’m sure whatever you decide to blog about will be either entertaining or enlightening. 🙂
Funny. I liked this post the most. I know the others were full of adventure and insight but this post was, well, human. Whatever you write I’ll read be it deconstruction or musings.
I found this post interesting, but of the five you’ve written so far I liked it least. That probably won’t surprise you, as the others involved Mongolian adventures and getting inside the boggling mind of an amazing writer. I’d like to add my vote to the ones for more deconstruction. I’d also like to second what J. Mark Miller said about wanting to learn more about your personal path to becoming a professional writer.
Only ten chapters left…. Hood’s Balls, I don’t know whether to happy that the book is that much closer to being done or a little sad that this is the final chapters in the Book of the Fallen
And the deconstruction is interesting as well, go give the academics a Malazan boot to the backside, they’re just to scared of what they might find if they do look outside of their narrow confines…
Thoroughly agree with J. and Fizish. As an aspiring writer, hearing about your methods was a real thrill. it gives me a new context in which to view your writing – your own – and that is a gift I don’t take lightly!
I’m very excited about this blog and really love hearing about your world and your thought processes. It’s a tragedy that people don’t take fantasy literature seriously unless the author’s dead. I know that I’ve found more meaning for my life in your books than I ever did from LotR, and that’s because you’re contemporary, because you’re alive and living in the same world with me. Fantasy literature like yours (one in a million by any reckoning) touches on the full gamut of human experience and should be treasured in its own time. But, like you say through the characters of the MBotF, we prefer our heroes dead.
I hope you enjoy your time in Orlando and shake up those dusty academics. Give ’em a shot of Malaz straight to the adrenal gland!
More deconstruction please! The first bit of it was fascinating.
You’ve got my vote for some more deconstruction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this post as well. I’ve always wondered about the stigma of fantasy in general, but didn’t realize it existed within the inner circles of the genre as well. I wonder why? Fear? Jealousy?
Strange.
I suppose something I would like to see you touch on in the future is more of your own personal path to becoming an author. Though the road is different for every individual, I believe there’s value for those of us still in the starting blocks anytime we can get a glimpse of where someone’s come from and what they’ve been through.
Thanks again for sharing your world with us.