http://www.sarahcypher.com/2010/03/30/on-rediscovering-the-art-of-bad-writing/ Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:48:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.sarahcypher.com/2010/03/30/on-rediscovering-the-art-of-bad-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-164 William Campbell Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:25:14 +0000 http://www.sarahcypher.com/?p=477#comment-164 I like the painting metaphor. Get the wall primed, all of it. But the wall is dirty and the paint is cheap, so it likes to bubble and peel. Get out the scraper and attack all the ugly bubbling spots until gone, paint some more, and more, another layer, another coat, then at last, when the base is sturdy, it's time to add flourishes of color. We're painting pictures and our only brush is the words. But it starts with a wide roller so we can cover a lot quickly on the first coat. I like the painting metaphor. Get the wall primed, all of it. But the wall is dirty and the paint is cheap, so it likes to bubble and peel. Get out the scraper and attack all the ugly bubbling spots until gone, paint some more, and more, another layer, another coat, then at last, when the base is sturdy, it’s time to add flourishes of color. We’re painting pictures and our only brush is the words. But it starts with a wide roller so we can cover a lot quickly on the first coat.

]]> http://www.sarahcypher.com/2010/03/30/on-rediscovering-the-art-of-bad-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-163 Kristina Wallace Knight Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:24:43 +0000 http://www.sarahcypher.com/?p=477#comment-163 I'm writing something right now with, for the first time ever, my eye toward revision. I never liked revision before, so I wanted my first draft to be as close as possible to perfect. I never believed I would be interested enough in a story to keep working on it "once I know what happens," but my current project is different entirely and I plan to be writing and re-writing it several times. It's fun to be actually looking forward to that! I’m writing something right now with, for the first time ever, my eye toward revision. I never liked revision before, so I wanted my first draft to be as close as possible to perfect. I never believed I would be interested enough in a story to keep working on it “once I know what happens,” but my current project is different entirely and I plan to be writing and re-writing it several times. It’s fun to be actually looking forward to that!

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