Although I perceive Paul Darcy Boles to be an
uppity, egotistic, and somewhat euphorically rambling old man from his style of
writing, there is some beneficial information for someone wishing to create a
commercially viable short story. However, I feel that creating a story with the
goal of marketability is a grave mistake that ruins countless numbers of
otherwise perfectly enjoyable works of literature. It is no surprise that this
style of writing is being taught to the new generation, which promises to be
far more creative than it's predecessors.
Boles' first advice is to follow Chekhov's
observation: "The art of writing is the art of abbreviation." A story
of 3000 words or less has no need for excessive 1 paragraph descriptions.
"Today's reader" (whoever that is) has no need for the descriptive
style found in older works. So much for Alistair MacLeod.
A lot of importance is put on not stringing
random sentences together. Each sentence should be aimed towards a specific
goal. The sum total of these sentences is your story. Boles' views a sentence
as a factor in a mathematical equation. He also gets almost romantic about the
sentence as a living, sentient being. Once you shovel the pop-lit drivel where
it belongs, you are free to apply his suggestions to your own work.
It is a good idea to check your story for too
much obvious meaning. Not only will this make the story shorter and clearer,
the hidden meanings imbedded in the story will have a chance to be probed and
discovered. As well, avoid "signpost" sentences that could easily be
replaced by more legitimate conversations or actions.
A lot of emphasis is put on simulating a sense
of "in-ness"; that is, giving your work a believable lived in
feeling. When reading the story, one should have a clear picture of the
environment around it's characters, and it is of imperial importance that it is
realistic.
In conclusion, Boles discusses the important of
a strong beginning and ending. The first word or sentence should be powerful,
but be prepared to follow through with similar statements throughout the story.
If the beginning is too shocking, the rest of the story will have a tough time
following it's lead.
Likewise, the ending is equally as important to
the overall stability of the story. Know
when to end it - most likely as soon as the conflict is resolved. Don't
waste the reader's time and attention with fluffy conclusions.
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