Writing styles, then and now

[Alfonso Jones]

You're probably mixing up a comment Barbara made with something Ayn said.

Barbara makes a quip -- I've heard or read her say this several times -- that her method is to never use one adjective where several will suit. Her editor when she was writing Passion kept watch on adjective proliferation -- among other helpful assists. ;-)

AR said it. Somewhere in The Journals of Ayn Rand, probably in her notes when writing Atlas. I read it just a couple of days ago. Can't be bothered to find it again.

--Brant

AR said just that quip? So you're saying that BB stole it from AR?

I'd like to see the exact quote of what you read AR as saying.

(Notice, my comment was that I think MN is mixing up something BB said with something AR said. AR spoke of showing instead of telling. But BB has more than a few times made a quip about her, BB's, use of adjectives.)

Ellen

___

Ellen,

You are getting me into trouble. ;)

No, I am for sure not referring to Barbara. It's a theme of Rand's about sticking to the facts and the sparingly use of adjectives. Michael is right, it is explicit in The Romantic Manifesto about Spillane. Michael will probably cut and paste it out of his DVD. Last paragraph, page 95 RM paperback. But I remembering something from many years ago, maybe the transcribed book on fiction writing? But it was a note to herself about being very careful about the adjectives.

I find it a very interesting discussion. And I enjoy being the reader of different styles, and trying to figure why some writers touch me deeper than others.

Michael

From Romantic Manifesto:

The first excerpt is by Mickey Spillane, from his novel One Lonely Night. The second excerpt is by Thomas Wolfe, from his novel The Web and the Rock. Both writers had to re-create a visual scene and convey a certain mood. Observe the difference in their methods. There is not a single emotional word or adjective in Spillane's description; he presents nothing save visual facts; but he selects only those facts, only those <rm_96> eloquent details, which convey the visual reality of the scene and create a mood of desolate loneliness. Wolfe does not describe the city; he does not give us a single characteristic visual detail. He asserts that the city is "beautiful," but does not tell us what makes it beautiful. Such words as "beautiful," "astounding," "incomparable," "thrilling," "lovely" are estimates; in the absence of any indication of what aroused these estimates, they are arbitrary assertions and meaningless generalities.

Spillane's style is reality-oriented and addressed to an objective psycho-epistemology: he provides the facts and expects the reader to react accordingly. Wolfe's style is emotion-oriented and addressed to a subjective psycho-epistemology: he expects the reader to accept emotions divorced from facts, and to accept them second-hand.

Enjoy,

Bill P (Alfonso)

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I just did a search of the CD-ROM on adjective and adjectives. Barbara did not get her comment from Rand, although Rand had some very interesting things to say about adjectives. I will post a list later.

I posted the list in the Writing Techniques section for easy reference: Rand on Adjectives.

I am glad I went through all that. It was extremely instructive and most enjoyable.

Michael

[Brant Gaede]

You're probably mixing up a comment Barbara made with something Ayn said.

Barbara makes a quip -- I've heard or read her say this several times -- that her method is to never use one adjective where several will suit. Her editor when she was writing Passion kept watch on adjective proliferation -- among other helpful assists. ;-)

AR said it. Somewhere in The Journals of Ayn Rand, probably in her notes when writing Atlas. I read it just a couple of days ago. Can't be bothered to find it again.

--Brant

AR said just that quip? So you're saying that BB stole it from AR?

I'd like to see the exact quote of what you read AR as saying.

(Notice, my comment was that I think MN is mixing up something BB said with something AR said. AR spoke of showing instead of telling. But BB has more than a few times made a quip about her, BB's, use of adjectives.)

I got a little mixed up here. Barbara did, I believe, make this remark. I really didn't mean to mean what I said, but I read too much too fast. I did recall something about what AR said about adjectives. Sorry.

--Brant