Btw, I literally just made up the term "braiding."
And I want to talk, in future posts, about another idea, "avoidance." This is where we do something - make a frame, or a "braid" or about a million other things - in order to avoid something in our story. In my experience, it's a form of the subconscious saying, "I'm not ready to go there, so let me push that decision down the road."
Btw, I literally just made up the term "braiding."
And I want to talk, in future posts, about another idea, "avoidance." This is where we do something - make a frame, or a "braid" or about a million other things - in order to avoid something in our story. In my experience, it's a form of the subconscious saying, "I'm not ready to go there, so let me push that decision down the road."
I like that term тАЬbraidingтАЭ a lot. ItтАЩs active and tangible. And we saw it in тАЬThe Falls,тАЭ didnтАЩt we, with the duelling mental commentaries of Morse and Cummings?
Don't mean to be rude, but I think I first learned of the term braiding in the book Tell it Slant. And it is a form taught by Priscilla Long, who teaches several different forms for structuring one's writing. Priscilla and you are both brilliant, so--brilliant minds think alike!
Tell It Slant: Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction was written by Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola (2019). A Braided Heart: Essays on Writing and Form was written by Brenda Miller (2021). Great books! It's all good.
BTW After 40 years as a technical writer with "Omit needless words!" as my mantra, I've spent the last few years trying to unwind from all that in my own writing. So advice on when to let it be or not would be great. Tuned in at Part 1 of "The Incident," and I am really enjoying this. Thanks!
Hi Charlie. About a year ago following a long spell of editing I had the feeling I was stripping my own writing back to below zero, so I tried an exercise in Ursula K. Le Guin's "Steering the Craft." After a few example paragraphs (Kipling, Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, Molly Gloss, etc.) she suggests "being gorgeous." Her focus is on writing crafted for the ear, i.e. to be read aloud, but for me that word "gorgeous" unlocked something тАУ like being given permission to put on diamonds after wearing sackcloth. I still love the (sci-fi) paragraph I wrote. It sparkles! Try it тАУ you might enjoy dressing your prose up too...
I loved the 'being gorgeous' exercise in Steering the Craft and found all Ursula le Guin's exercises and explanations brilliant. She's a wonderful writer.
Hi Em. Thanks for your suggestion. I've always had so much respect for Ursula Le Guin and a while back a writer friend suggested "Steering the Craft" but I didn't follow up. After your suggestion, I'm definitely going to get that book. Thanks so much!
I also loved the Le Guin. I felt it really changed the way I thought about sentences. The exercises aren't easy and I still like to go back to them from time to time to see what they unlock.
I am looking forward to the discussion about avoidance! I can see how in less skilled hands (like mine!), braiding could be used as an out, or a device to make a point about a character, or the story arc, that could have/should have been made through the main story.
"Braiding"--I think this comes up often with personal essayists, too-- a "braided essay" is an essay type I recall linked to Judith Kitchen and to Brenda Miller to describe the double narrative effect in essaying. I like this idea of a braid as a diversion tactic!
IтАЩm happy to see you use this term! But IsnтАЩt a braid made up of 3 or more interlaced parts? I ask only because IтАЩm working on writing now in which the story gets handed off to different characters and IтАЩve been describing it as тАЬbraided.тАЭ For sure IтАЩm going back into it to make sure IтАЩm not avoiding something.
Pretty sure you're asking George your question, so I hope you don't mind me answering. A braid in writing, from my experience, can have two or three strands that interweave (or, I suppose, even more). Here's from Priscilla Long's book: "The two-strand structure takes two topics and weaves them. Each pulls on the other, stretches the other, pushes against the other..... Like so many writing strategies, it is not only a writing plan but also a thinking plan."
IтАЩm very glad to have your reply, Mary.- and also found your later comment where you first reference LongтАЩs book- and thank you for the quote which IтАЩve copied and tacked to my desktop. My only reference has been what one does to get hair out of the face of children.
fishtail braid - 2 strands, however it looks a lot more complicated. Maybe we say braid instinctively because our stories go off in all directions and - phew - we pull the strands back and weave them in.
Btw, I literally just made up the term "braiding."
And I want to talk, in future posts, about another idea, "avoidance." This is where we do something - make a frame, or a "braid" or about a million other things - in order to avoid something in our story. In my experience, it's a form of the subconscious saying, "I'm not ready to go there, so let me push that decision down the road."
Does this mean we're going to get more hair analogs? "This is a mullet story-short on top and long on the sides..."
"Tolstoy has really 'crew-cut' this section!"
Navy cut^^
I love a story with good bangs.
I like that term тАЬbraidingтАЭ a lot. ItтАЩs active and tangible. And we saw it in тАЬThe Falls,тАЭ didnтАЩt we, with the duelling mental commentaries of Morse and Cummings?
Yes!
Don't mean to be rude, but I think I first learned of the term braiding in the book Tell it Slant. And it is a form taught by Priscilla Long, who teaches several different forms for structuring one's writing. Priscilla and you are both brilliant, so--brilliant minds think alike!
It was new to me, anyway. ЁЯШЙ
So it is a double braid^^
Tell It Slant: Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction was written by Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola (2019). A Braided Heart: Essays on Writing and Form was written by Brenda Miller (2021). Great books! It's all good.
BTW After 40 years as a technical writer with "Omit needless words!" as my mantra, I've spent the last few years trying to unwind from all that in my own writing. So advice on when to let it be or not would be great. Tuned in at Part 1 of "The Incident," and I am really enjoying this. Thanks!
Hi Charlie. About a year ago following a long spell of editing I had the feeling I was stripping my own writing back to below zero, so I tried an exercise in Ursula K. Le Guin's "Steering the Craft." After a few example paragraphs (Kipling, Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, Molly Gloss, etc.) she suggests "being gorgeous." Her focus is on writing crafted for the ear, i.e. to be read aloud, but for me that word "gorgeous" unlocked something тАУ like being given permission to put on diamonds after wearing sackcloth. I still love the (sci-fi) paragraph I wrote. It sparkles! Try it тАУ you might enjoy dressing your prose up too...
I loved the 'being gorgeous' exercise in Steering the Craft and found all Ursula le Guin's exercises and explanations brilliant. She's a wonderful writer.
Couldn't agree more, Heather.
Hi Em. Thanks for your suggestion. I've always had so much respect for Ursula Le Guin and a while back a writer friend suggested "Steering the Craft" but I didn't follow up. After your suggestion, I'm definitely going to get that book. Thanks so much!
Most welcome. Have fun!
I also loved the Le Guin. I felt it really changed the way I thought about sentences. The exercises aren't easy and I still like to go back to them from time to time to see what they unlock.
Yeah I must do that too, Ellis. YouтАЩre right, they arenтАЩt easy. But worth every hard yard.
The Writer's Portable Mentor by Priscilla Long (2010, republished in 2018). She covers different structures in writing including collage and braiding.
TX Mary^^
Well, you could look at Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style", timeless, readable, enjoyable, useful.
I am looking forward to the discussion about avoidance! I can see how in less skilled hands (like mine!), braiding could be used as an out, or a device to make a point about a character, or the story arc, that could have/should have been made through the main story.
"Braiding"--I think this comes up often with personal essayists, too-- a "braided essay" is an essay type I recall linked to Judith Kitchen and to Brenda Miller to describe the double narrative effect in essaying. I like this idea of a braid as a diversion tactic!
I call it braiding, too! And now I'm doing a little happy dance at the coincidence :)
IтАЩm happy to see you use this term! But IsnтАЩt a braid made up of 3 or more interlaced parts? I ask only because IтАЩm working on writing now in which the story gets handed off to different characters and IтАЩve been describing it as тАЬbraided.тАЭ For sure IтАЩm going back into it to make sure IтАЩm not avoiding something.
Meanwhile, hope you got the mud shoveled.
Pretty sure you're asking George your question, so I hope you don't mind me answering. A braid in writing, from my experience, can have two or three strands that interweave (or, I suppose, even more). Here's from Priscilla Long's book: "The two-strand structure takes two topics and weaves them. Each pulls on the other, stretches the other, pushes against the other..... Like so many writing strategies, it is not only a writing plan but also a thinking plan."
IтАЩm very glad to have your reply, Mary.- and also found your later comment where you first reference LongтАЩs book- and thank you for the quote which IтАЩve copied and tacked to my desktop. My only reference has been what one does to get hair out of the face of children.
fishtail braid - 2 strands, however it looks a lot more complicated. Maybe we say braid instinctively because our stories go off in all directions and - phew - we pull the strands back and weave them in.
I just googled fishtail braid! Wow!
like your story - will look really fancy when you're done, but just two strands!
Thinking of a girl again?^^
Ah. You have my attention. I have been thinking about this recently.
Painfully true for me