Comments on: What’s The Story?

By: cidwrites.com » Blog Archive » Blog Round-Up Week 11

cidwrites.com » Blog Archive » Blog Round-Up Week 11 — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:21:56 +0000

[...] just started following JJ, and I’m already glad I am! In her blog, What’s the Story? she talks about story vs issues and touches on some of the topics of race that I’ve seen [...]

Rate: 0 0

By: Amy Jane (Untangling Tales)

Amy Jane (Untangling Tales) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:23:53 +0000

I understand the distinction you make here.

My example is from the picture book world:

There is a book called “What’s wrong with Timmy?” or something like that. It’s a watercolor-wash book *about* downs syndrome using a little boy named Timmy as the reason to talk about DS.

What I’m trying to write (and I hope I’m close) is a story about a girl with DS that explains nothing *about* DS, just tells an incident/adventure in her young life, like any other good picture book.

A good (picture book) example of what I’d like to do is “Marc Just Couldn’t Sleep” by Garbiela Keselman and Noem Villamuza.

Rate: 0 0

By: JJ

JJ — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:54:23 +0000

I don’t have problems with literary novels that are “about” something. (Remember, you’re talking to a Joyce nerd.) I have problems with “problem novels”, some of which may be literary. Many are not.

Rate: 0 0

By: JJ

JJ — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:49:12 +0000

I make a distinction between story and plot. I won’t lie; I do prefer plot-driven novels.

Here’s how I draw the line. I’ll take THE GREAT GATSBY as an example.

Story: A self-made man chases the memory of thwarted love, only to be disappointed in the reality.

Plot: Nick moves to New York City where he reconnects with an old school friend named Gatsby. Gatsby throws a few expensive parties to lure in his old sweetheart Daisy, now married to a rich man named Tom. Tom is unfaithful, so Daisy uses Gatsby to get back at her husband, although her “affair” with Gatsby goes nowhere. Daisy murders Tom’s mistress. Tom murders Gatsby.

The story is “about”: Money (old vs. new), class, jealousy, desire, etc. etc. etc.

Rate: 0 0

By: Katranna

Katranna — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:42:44 +0000

Hmmmm… I’m not so sure about this distinction. What it tells me is that, even though you say it’s “not about plot,” your preference is for plot-driven novels. I should think that many figurative, literary novels that have nothing to do with exploring race or any other hot-button issue would still fall under the “the story’s about” rather than “what’s the story” heading.

Any sort of “day in the life” or “exploration of character” novel in which nothing really *happens* would fall under “the story is about____ (modern ennui, coming to terms with disappointment of naive expectations, finding your place in the world, finding you have no place in the world, etc).” And I don’t think those novels are somehow “worse” because they are not story-driven.

Rate: 0 0