Week 98
I read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen this week. Mistake. I decided a while back not to take any notice of the advice not to read novels while you are writing one (supposedly it can have an effect on your writing). Sometimes I’ve noticed that. In particular, that my writing loosens up when I read modern fiction that’s written in my vernacular, compared to nineteenth and early twentieth century stuff.
More obvious though is the envy factor – it’s hard to remind yourself every time you read something that it is the sixth or seventh or even twelfth draft, and you can’t really compare it to your first or second (or version 0.2 as I’m calling this one).
So Austen is a mistake. Her style is so polished and her dialogue so pitch-perfect that it’s hard to believe she did anything but write it out first go. Plus I found myself writing the following sentence: “or disavowal, followed by a passionate and ardent restitution of my qualities above all women.”
So maybe they were right after all.
Word count this week: 8,818
Second draft so far: 87,102
First draft: 128,661
Glad your Greek jaunt has been productive, Kat! I ‘caned’ (as you young people say) lots of the Victorian stuff in my late teens and early twenties. Having returned to them recently (free downloads for my e-reader!) I’m finding that I’m impatient with the elaborate style.
It must be because I’m nearer the grave now, and feel that time is running out, so I haven’t got time for stuff that doesn’t zip by!
Nx
Blimey Neil, that’s pretty morbid!
I love Austen’s style, and she is funny (not in a “isn’t Shakespeare funny, hur hur hur” way, but actually funny), but maybe it’s just cos it’s so far removed from my way of speaking I found it had a cumbersome effect on my writing. Still a joy to read though! Others not so much (George Meredith, Diana of the Crossways, I’m looking at you).