Everyday Canvas

Extreme Eccentricity in Writing

Prompt: Does extreme eccentricity add to a story’s literary value, as in an eccentric character, plot, or setting or is it just a cute trick?

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Yes, I love eccentricity, even extreme eccentricity, as it adds to a story in the hands of a capable author. According to Scientific American, there is a strong similarity between creativity and eccentricity.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-unleashed-mind
Then, if we unearth the word “eccentric,” a correlation between certain traits typical of schizophrenic people and creativity pops up, too, which doesn’t necessarily mean all creative people have schizotypal personalities.

In addition, from a totally different point of view, what is extremely eccentric depends on the era in which the work is written. When Kurt Vonnegut’s writing first showed up, people thought he was an eccentric. Yet, when I read him about a decade or so later, I thought he was brilliant and wasn’t afraid of the truth, just like any other creative person. Now, he has become a classic.

A few years ago, while I was borrowing a book from the library, I ran into an acquaintance who looked at what I had in my hand and said, “Oh, he is way too eccentric for me.” After reading the book, I thought the young author was brilliant. He was Dave Eggers and the book was You Shall Know Our Velocity! I could see why my acquaintance would say something like that, though. Sometimes the older generation may find the younger generation a bit too eccentric.

I think even eccentricity needs to be genuine. The writer has to believe in the truth of his story and his characters, although out of his eccentric thinking he may sometimes babble and blather over the tiniest details, words, and ideas. To me, that is perfectly all right if the work is authentic.

What is not acceptable to me is the writing when the authors force themselves and their stories to be original and eccentric. That forcing element messes up their work.

This made me laugh.

From Collins English Dictionary:

plenum (ˈpliːnəm)
n, pl -nums or -na (-nə)
1. (General Physics) an enclosure containing gas at a higher pressure than the surrounding environment
2. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a fully attended meeting or assembly, esp of a legislative body or assembly, esp of a legislative body

Congress is gas-filled?