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> a lot of things makes it into books just because it happened to come to mind while you were writing. Can’t you ask yourself why this is what came to mind, an
by 6gvONxR4sf7o 5y ago
> a lot of things makes it into books just because it happened to come to mind while you were writing.
Can’t you ask yourself why this is what came to mind, and why you kept it on in later drafts? It seems like the same question. Said differently, it’s asking why this part works, rather than why you wrote it, right?
- vidarh 5y agoI could, I do, and often there's just no basis for looking for a deeper meaning other than that it happens to work, or that you need more words to not make things sound too rushed for example. You might as well ask a Markov chain why it produced the outcome it did, because sometimes the process of writing those specific words is no more guided by anything meaningful than that. This of course does not hold for everything. Some parts are essential plot elements. Some writers in some works absolutely do pound you over the head with symbolism on purpose, or layer in things you might never notice. But that doesn't mean everything in a book has a message or a purpose other than to read well. Some things are just filler.
- 6gvONxR4sf7o 5y agoOh yeah i totally agree. I wish there was more emphasis in these circles on “for pacing” rather than “for social commentary” because that kind of reason is just as interesting, if not more interesting, and it’s more likely to actually be the reason that sentence is there.