 Short Stories: September 20, 2006 Issue [#1267] |
  Short Stories
This week: Edited by: Mavis Moog  
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Parody and pastiche is a genre of writing which has been somewhat belittled by the modern concept of fanfiction. It is however, a respectable and extremely rewarding literary endeavour, and I hope to convince you to have a go at it, if you haven't already.
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Parody and Pastiche
Parody is the imitation of a style. It requires careful analysis of the original source, and perceptive literary sensibilities to achieve. This is why I recommend it as a writing exercise. In order to execute a worthy parody one first has to identify the techniques, strengths and weaknesses of the work to which one wishes to pay homage, or maybe even ridicule.
Many amateur writers lack formal literary analysis skills. I don't fear contradiction when I say, no great writer never read the work of other great writers. In other words, we must read in order to improve as authors. Reading is the first step, but not by any means, the whole journey. It is not enough simply to read, and enjoy. We should also try to understand how a piece of fiction works. This involves identifying the components of fiction (see my SSNL last month) and recognising how a great writer uses them. Young engineers spend time at their father's work benches, pulling electrical appliances apart and working out how to reassemble them. This is how novice writers must learn too.
A useful way to achieve a better understanding is to attempt to imitate. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I suggest one first tries this with something one admires, but finding fault through parody is also a enlightening experience.
Linda Hutcheon is Professor of English at The University of Toronto. In her book, The Theory of Parody she identifies parody as one of the major forms of modern self-reflexivity, one that marks the intersection of invention and critique and offers an important mode of coming to terms with the texts and discourses of the past. Examples of parody include works as diverse as Tom Stoppard's Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Brian de Palma's Dressed to Kill, Woody Allen's Zelig, Karlheinz Stockhausen's Hymnen, James Joyce's Ulysses, and Magritte's This Is Not a Pipe, ~ quoted from a review from University of Illinois Press.
Here is an amusing short story written for an International Raymond Chandler Contest. It won an honourable mention. I reproduce it here, with the kind permission of the author, and hope it inspires you to have a go. I chose this story because there will be few who do not know the story of Hamlet, so the references made here should be readily accessible. This story is also interesting because it succeeds in parodying Raymond Chandler while also referencing William Shakespeare. Here you get two for the price of one.
My Editor's Picks this month are all WDC examples of parody. I hope you read them all and gain further insight into, and inspiration to attempt, this much neglected form of literature.
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Raymond Chandler's Hamlet
By Jonathan Vos Post
"Something was rotten in Denmark, rank and gross, as rotten as a dame named Gertrude in bed with her husband's killer while the caterer recycled the funeral baked meats for the wedding reception, at which the bride did not wear white.
Hamlet was sharp for a prince, good with a knife, but not sharp enough to handle his old man kicking the bucket with an earfull of murder.
My name's Horatio, Hamlet's gumshoe buddy, trying to stay clean in a dirty castle. A grizzled ghost pleaded the Fifth when I gave him the third degree, then split the scene when the cock crew, like a guilty man before a marshall serving a summons.
King Claudius, cool as a cucumber after offing his brother, twisted nephew Hamlet's arm not to return to college at Wittenberg, Caltech not having yet been built.
The air bit shrewdly, it was very cold, when the ghost came again. It was Hamlet's father's spirit. His tale would freeze blood, pop out eyes, and make your hair stand on end like porcupine quills. He demanded revenge for murder most foul. The snake that killed him wore the crown. Me and Hamlet took the case.
Hamlet's main squeeze, Ophelia, a green girl, griped that Hamlet was pale as his shirt, in dirty sox, acting weird. Fortinbras was gangbanging Polacks. The sun bred maggots in a dead dog.
Hamlet played mad, but when the Santa Ana blew, he knew a hawk from a handsaw. A bunch of non-Guild actors showed up for the castle venue.
"To be or not to be," mused Hamlet, thinking of a one-way ticket to the morgue.
At the play , "The Murder of Gonzago, " an actor dumped poison in the play-King's ear. The real King freaked. Polonius hid behind Queen Gertrude's bedroom curtain, but Hamlet smelled a rat and stabbed him dead.
"I'll lug the guts into the neighbor room," he said, then hid the corpse where worms ate brunch and didn't leave a tip.
I heard Ophelia do the hey-nonny-nonny gig, singing about flowers and Valentines, but a Valentine's Day Massacre was more like it. Laertes found his sister Ophelia, poor wretch, in the weeping brook, drowned in muddy death. It was time for the great axe to fall.
A couple of clowns found a skull a scream, when they tipped Ophelia into the grave. Hamlet jumped in on top of her. Hamlet and Laertes got down to business with a couple of long knives while the Queen gulped down some poison Pinot Noir the King meant for Hamlet.
The Queen falls. Hamlet and Laertes cut each other up, then Hamlet swigs from the deadly cup and stabs the King stone cold dead. Instant karma, I guess.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were snuffed. Fortinbras stomped into Denmark with his gang, and lots of drums.
I was the last guy left. I heard a gunshot. I looked off into the distance, a solid heavy man like a rock.
Then I began to wonder where my next paycheck was coming from.
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All these stories are written in the style of famous writers.
This story is in the style of Charles Dickens.
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Raymond Carver provided the inspiration for this tale.
Edgar Allen Poe is a favourite author for the parody treatment. I think this is a particularly fine example.
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The writing of Anne Rice is the inspiration for this story.
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Did William Shakespeare have writers' block too?
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Arthur Conan Doyle would have been proud of this.
This lovely little tale was inspired by Lewis Carrol.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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Thank you for sending your feedback to this newsletter. I need to know what you like and what you don't, so don't limit your feedback to praise. Treat it like a review, and give me your straight opinions and suggestions.
Don't forget to pose some questions. If I can help I will, and I'm sure other readers will have some excellent advice.
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Last month Strange Wulf asked this question:
"My problem is not a lack of ideas, but drive. Motivation comes hard for me. I often find there are little habits that keep me from what I love, yet sitting down to write can be stressful when I don't know which story to work on!
Perhaps you or someone else could do an NL on this? = Would be very helpful if I could get tips on how to focus and produce! Once every couple weeks is driving me crazy!
Here are some answers for you:
Breezy-E ~ In College
I list my stories in order of priority: this is book one, that doesn't interest me as much, this one will go faster. As for motivation, new ideas for the story are constantly coming to help drive me to write them. Of course, most are for later in the story...
By the way, I have trouble keeping off games and out of books, too. Other people's answers should be interesting.
Breezy-E
gmcferon
Strange Wulf, could read a little Hemmingway for inspiration. He was the same way as I think we all are. Creative minds are easily distracted. Hemmeingway made writing the first priority every monring. Then by 10:00 he was down in some wine bar, talking with the characters that filled his books and stories.
Cheers,
Gary
Editor's response:
Thank you Gary. I agree, many writers see writing as a job and have a structured routine. Iain M Banks (sometimes without the M), author of "The Wasp Factory," "The Crow Road" and many more novels, writes solidly from 09:00 to 17:00 for three months to produce a book. Then he takes 9 months off to record rock music and take flying lessons.
I find writing is a pleasure, and something I have to actually tear myself away from. If I have an idea, I have to get it down, or it will bug me until I do. So maybe I'm not the best person to give advice on this. When I was writing to deadlines for a newspaper, I found the motivation a little more difficult, but then writing about what women should be putting on their faces this week is less inspiring than many topics.
I find when I'm writing for more than a couple of hours a day I don't talk very much. My friends and family notice I am calmer, maybe even more receptive. I think it is a good idea not to talk about what you're planning to write. You should go to your keyboard with the ideas fresh and unrehearsed. Sometimes, talking about it dulls the need to write about it.
A good way to develop a regular writing discipline is to keep a blog. Some bloggers complain that their on-line journal keeps them aways from creative writing, but I think it helps to get the ideas flowing. If you write a short journal entry each day, at a set time, it does wonders for your time management.
I have always found that working on more than one story at once (other than just the final stages of editing) doesn't work for me. Maybe you should limit yourself to getting one piece finished before starting another.
It all depends how serious you are about wanting to be a writer. You wouldn't decide you didn't feel like work, and just not bother to turn in I hope, and that's how you need to see your writing. If you give it the importance it deserves, you will make time and soon look forward to your writing sessions - maybe even extending them. Good luck ~ MM 
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Other Feedback Messages
salliemoffitt
Re: short story newsletter 08/24/06
Great advice on writing short stories. I found the information on creating hooks in your story quite helpful.
Sallie
shaara
Very interesting article on the writing short stories. I especially enjoyed your section on Pattern and Hooks. But were absorbed with enthusiasm. Thanks!
Big smile,
Shaara
animatqua
I am teaching a Creative Writing class this fall. My qualifications are: writing for over 50 years and story telling for 25. I have an overall structure for this, but the concise presentation here is wonderful.
May I use it as a handout for this class?
Of course you can. I use it as two separate hand-outs. Then the workshop can be based on one or more of the issues raised. ~ MM
schipperke
Good points about writing a story. I can also tell you took a good bit of time finding these great picks for your newsletter.
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