Brandon was a mix of extremes. He was very thin-looking and extremely wiry, but his doctor said he ate too much. He talked loudly, but people hardly ever heard him. He wore glasses, but he had 20/20 vision and the only real reason was to correct a lazy eye. He had long, thin fingers and short, fat fingernails. He was as calm as a rock, but had a dozen nervous tics.
Brandon loved hating things. His favorite pastime was forming hatred for his friends. Susan had been his friend for twelve years, and he hated the way her hair curled over her ear, the way she always scraped plates with her forks, and the way that she forgot to laugh sometimes and laughed after everyone was done. David had been his friend for five years, and he hated the way Daniel's left hand was never still and it always tapped out the beat in his head. Lulu had been his friend for seven years, and hated the corners of her eyes and the shape of her teeth. He loved hating things, so he loved his friends more for the things he hated about them. He reveled in it, and he loved being in their presence.
Then, he met her. She was despicable. Her hair and her toes and the clothes that she wore and the occasional smell of her skin and her inordinate love for birds. Everything was just too much, or not enough, or wrong.
He loved her.
When he asked her to marry him, she ran away.
[There was a crapload more of this in my head. I can keep going. I could write about him following her, and her reactions to that, and how she eventually came to love him, and he hated her for it, and he loved hating her, and he was bitter and caustic and she dealt with it. Finally, a guy approached her and said he liked her and she became friends with him and realized that Brandon was not the real thing, so she ran from him, and he thought that she was right to do so, and he finally respected her and loved her genuinely without loving what he hated about her and finally imploded in hate/love layers because he hated that he finally loved something about her and found something so positive to love about her and that he's so screwed up that he could do that . . .
Some stories are better left unwritten.
This is too sad.
It has nothing good to say.
I am done.
I hope in the future to figure out why I do this.]
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I find this interesting. I think it's a story that doesn't often get told because its ending is . . . weird? Except that this is the way real life works, but that makes it hard to write because it doesn't fall into regular plot lines because there isn't a regular plot line.
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by the dichotomy between love and hate, though, because . . . well, hmm. It's like in Percy Jackson: "I definitely have strong feelings for you-- I just haven't decided whether they're positive or negative yet."
I think there's a reason so many love stories start with two main characters who despise one another, and why so many stories end with characters that were madly in love once hating each other fiercely. ("Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.")
They say the true opposite of love, and really, also of hate, in some ways, is indifference. I think there is something to that.
Whether one is obsessed with being constantly with or praising something/someone or being constantly away from or criticizing something/someone, one is still . . . obsessed.
Obviously that's not something you can take to the bank and cash, but I think sometimes it makes sense.
Maybe Brandon just doesn't know that the difference between love and hate is the choice. I don't know.
It is not like Percy Jackson. In any way. I'm sorry to just shut you down like that, but I watched the movie once. It basically rapes an old mythology for the sake of some otherwise sub-par story. I didn't read the book. It's true.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I see something wrong with adapting (read: "destroying") old ideas instead of coming up with new. As a matter of fact, I don't just see something wrong with it, I hate it. Twilight, Percy Jackson, and any other derivative garbage just makes me angry.
There is a continuum.
Percy Jackson: completely bad. Why? It blatantly rips off an old mythos and uses it for its own selfish means.
Twilight: almost completely bad. Why? It rips off an old mythos almost wholesale and only changes it superficially.
Harry Potter: on the edge. Why? It created a new mythos and environment with old themes.
Lord of the Rings: more acceptable than Harry Potter. Why? Because it took the pieces of old things and changed how they work. For example: wizards. Changed, forever.
My moon stories: almost good. Why? Because they take the names of an old mythos and use them to give a new story worth and significance in a very simple way, but use a totally new environment and character set.
That sounds really harsh, but what I meant to really say is "I do not want to be like Percy Jackson, because I don't respect the author yet." It would take a lot of convincing to make me think that Percy Jackson was good.
ReplyDeleteSorry to just totally jump all over a single point of yours like that. I like the rest of your comment, but I wanted to get this off my chest before lunch.
I will respond more later.
Oh, Robby. I can understand that. I'm not comparing your story to Percy Jackson, though. I just used the quote to try to make a point. By using that quote, I'm not saying, "Oh look! You're copying people." I'm saying, "Strong feelings are strong feelings, be they positive or negative, and they say something interesting about people." That quote popped into my head, and I couldn't not record it without feeling unjust.
ReplyDeleteBut regardless of that, I have to say I think Twilight is worse than Percy Jackson. I don't like ripping off of old themes to parrot off a boring plot that's been used a thousand times before (aka, Twilight), but I do like using old themes to explore new plots or telling old stories in a new way.
Percy Jackson is good writing, and it introduces all kinds of people to a past they would not know anything about otherwise (yes, I know, you could argue that Twilight does that, too, but I disagree because Twilight destroys vampires). It tells old stories in a new way. The movie, I'll agree, was not that great. The books, though . . . I think they deserve a bit more credit (still not, say, Jasper Fforde, but decently good).
I think your thinking is a little flawed if you truly believe that taking old words and making them mean something completely different is more respectful to them than using them for what they originally meant. I'm not condemning that, exactly, but I don't think it's really better than reminding people of their original meanings.
Have you read Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories" or CSL's "On Stories" (probably; you DID work for Dr. H)? They . . . insinuate . . . something I think has merit: There is one Story in the universe, one great Story that trumps all other stories. In fact, all other stories are taken from that great Story. Although they rearrange details and change names and leave stuff out (they can only use sections of the plot because the story is so incredibly long and complex), pretty much every author, good or bad, is trying to tell that Story. No one can ever do it justice, but the best authors sometimes have . . . glimmers.
The more I read, the more I see the same themes, plot devices, and archetypes cropping up. It's the same story, or type of story, over and over and over again. The only author whose plot twists I cannot guess by reading the back of the book is Jasper Fforde, and he BLATANTLY uses all of those things in his work (literally; the characters know that they're fiction and sometimes even critique his writing style or mention that he must be using Plot Device #26).
I think, deep down, everyone is looking for the same things; everyone wants to be part of the Story. I think God placed that desire in all of us. So we put together fragments of fiction and rearrange them and try to make them make sense at least in part because, deep down, I think it's what we wish we could do with our own lives.
I can't explain this very well, but basically what I'm saying is, if an author writes well and combines the old devices in new ways, I am happy (again, Jasper Fforde). I have never read anything that didn't steal things from somewhere or wasn't influenced by something (or somethings). Everybody writes fanfiction, but only some people write it well, and some people don't even acknowledge that they're doing it.
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean it's not creative? Does that mean that plagiarism is okay? Of course not. But Solomon had a point when he said there's nothing new under the sun. It just wears different clothes, and how well one writes those clothes is what I think matters most in fiction.
In saying this, I'm not defending Percy Jackson (I saw the movie, and it wasn't wonderful, and the books were decently good but not awesome) or trying to trash your moon stories (they were interesting, even if I have read a gazillion books that had similarities). I'm just saying your argument goes a little too far for me to completely accept it.
I'd use more examples, but this is already ridiculously long. Just know that I had stuff in mind, and I'd really enjoy chatting with you about it (although really, I think I'd probably end up talking AT you and not let you answer until I was done but then we could totally talk).
gotta say robby, I like this a lot. it may not be 'happy' but I do still find enjoyment in reading it. I like the 'depressing' stuff you write. They DO say that all the best writers are twisted, and you are twisted something fierce lol.
ReplyDeleteI understand your comments, Janelle. I appreciate them. I do not agree with them. I know we cannot truly create anything, as the true creative power lies with God . . . but I just feel dirty whenever I read something that rips off an old story/legend/myth. Homer is cutting it by taking oral traditions and melding them into a written story.
ReplyDeleteI would further like to point out that stories that steal can make very interesting and uplifting reading. But not especially for Robby Van Arsdale. Example one: Earagon. It was well-written and the universe was rich, but the whole time I felt sick to my stomach.
I'm not saying I'm right. I'm actually probably less right than you, or Chris, or other people. But it's how I feel.
SO!
Sorry for reacting so strongly, but I was just like "PERCY JACKSON!" Haha lameo Robby.
And thank you both, Kyle and Janelle, for saying nice things about it.
ReplyDeleteJanelle, I think your saying that most stories start with two people who can't stand each other . . . something I hadn't thought about. Really insightful.
It's true though, in most love stories, the people hate each other until WOAH NELLY WE'RE IN LOVE?
P.S. I have no idea what's wrong with Brandon but he needs to see a psychotherapist.
. . . And just like that, you sound all reasonable again. :-)
ReplyDeleteI still want to see what you think of Jasper Fforde. He steals, but he does it . . . honestly? I don't know. He is one of the few authors whose books I buy just because he's the author. I have rarely been so delighted by books. He does steal, but . . . it's GOOD stealing. Like your moon stories.
ALSO: I hated Eragon. So . . . I think maybe you're just reacting poorly to bad stealing? I especially hated Brisingr. Oh man. I barely got through that one. It was just so very, very, very dull and whiny and angsty and blah blah blah (which is funny because that is pretty much how I do things, but I guess I expect better from people who actually get PUBLISHED even though I read Twilight (but that wasn't my fault; they made me do it and they kept saying, "It gets better, Janelle!" but it didn't get better and I have the mental scars to prove it)).
Yes. Read Jasper Fforde and then we can talk. Speaking of which, I finally have the first two books back from my uncle.
HAHAHA yes I knew you would see it! How have you not thought of this? Every girl I tell immediately says something like, "Yeah! Obviously!" . . . Oh wait. :-S
I think either Brandon thinks too highly of himself or too lowly of himself, and either problem is based on not understanding how God sees a person. I don't know if that makes sense. It's late, and my mind works . . . weirdly.
ALSO: Can I say that debating with you about just about anything is super fun and sometimes I'm tempted to disagree with you just to disagree with you and see what you will do, but that would probably be unethical, so I just wait for moments like these?
ReplyDeleteYeah. This was interesting, but I can't get over how like anime manga it is. Hating/loving, running/pursuing, angst/joy...everybody else liked it, so I feel free to state that while you wrote it well, I don't like the idea behind it. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you really don't like disagreements or being told that you're wrong, that will be super fun at some point, and I'm surprised Janelle doesn't take advantage of that quirk more often. I would. Will. Whatevs.
:)
AAAGH
ReplyDeleteChris does the same thing. "Often I take your standpoint, but it's the debate that's amusing. It's fun." So he disagrees with me because HE CAN. UGH. UGHGHGHGHGHGHGH YOU PEOPLE GIVE ME ULCERS.
But oh, well. I guess I deserve it.
@Janelle: Jasper Fforde writes like a woman, which throws me enough that I am not superthrilled about the books. If Jasper was a woman and wrote like a woman, okay. If he wrote like a man, okay. But neither is true and it's weirding me out.
@Lyssa: That is evil. Evil evil evil. Chris does it to me all the time. As a matter of fact, I read your post to him and he did it to me again. He started a conversation just to make me angry.
And I didn't like this story either. I actually hate that I wrote it and I kind of want to delete it. BUT I wrote it. I think that even negative things can have value, so I left it.
Caveat: I don't like the idea behind my story. I hope to high heaven that it isn't true of me or anyone I know.
Hey, hey, hey that's not fair. I DON'T do that. I'm just . . . super, super tempted to. Because it lets me see how your brain works, and your brain is--and also, the thing about Jasper Fforde . . . he's writing from the perspective of a woman, though, so . . . maybe . . . that should count for something? But oh goodness, he thinks so much like I do and I've never met anyone who does and conversing with him through his books is so refreshing and surprising and how can you not like him that makes my head hurt and now I am rambling goodbye.
ReplyDeleteI do think it comes down to choice. If you choose not to "love-to-hate" someone, and you're working on your character with God, then I don't think you will.
^^This comment does not even begin to tell you how I think. I may also have overemphasized the run-on-sentences. :-S
ReplyDelete