This weekend I spent a fair amount of time at my local bookstore, pulling books by new authors off the shelves and reading them in the attached cafe. I came across one that had beautiful, flowing script. Each sentence was masterfully constructed to be nothing but pure poetry full of descriptive words and lyrical syntax that, if it were a song, could have made its listeners weep. If such words had been a statue, they would've been made of flawlessly cut marble made from the hands of a European Renaissance master sculptor.382Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOA41cOpUXn
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And after five pages I promptly put it back.382Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWaPdhGUwp
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The thought that the entire book would read like its first 5 pages filled me with dread. It could be as simple as me not liking stories written in that flowing style (which is funny given my past love of poetry) but ultimately, when it comes down to it, I don't want to read a high-art novel where I need to work in order to dissect the meaning of every sentence. After 5 measly pages my eyes had glossed over to the point where, much like listening to an opera sung in Latin, I was enjoying the prettiness of every phrase and absorbing none of the story.
In my mind it is more effective to save such terrific prose for high-value moments rather than to write an entire novel that shows off the author's skill with poetic narration. It's one thing to wax poetic, but another thing to dunk a novel in wax, add a wick, and reveal every word only as the candle burns down at a centimeter per minute. 382Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoR2pY4TSAp
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Maybe there are more people out there who enjoy stories like the novel I describe here; after all it did get published and sold at a major retailer, which is no small feat. Maybe I'm merely a philistine. Maybe I'm too dumb or ADD. I only argue here that my main duty as a story-teller, as I see it, is to make sure that my story is understood and thus more easily enjoyed. For instance, everyone raves about The Three Body Problem as a masterpiece in science fiction writing, but that novel took me 1-2 months to parse given how much actual math and physics went into writing it. Because of that I didn't enjoy it, and I certainly don't intend to buy the second novel. 382Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOx5cC1oRs
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It's the same thing as watching a Michael Bay movie. The action never stops. If you go in looking for that then that's fine; Bay certainly hasn't made any excuses about his style, nor should he. But after a while of nonstop explosions I get fatigued and want to watch something else because there's nothing to serve as a break in the flow.382Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6lMBMAQiI
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My argument is that there is a time and place to show off one's skills. If you aim to make high art then so be it; make it with pride. I'd never judge you for it. Only know that you may be writing for a niche community, and ask yourself what's more important to you at the time of writing: showing off your talent, or conveying your story in an accessible way.382Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gIKPsusDx
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For those of you like me I say this: much like Mr. Miyagi, remember the golden rule of 'Wax On, Wax Off.' Or in this case, Wax Poetic On, Wax Poetic Off. Do your best in learning when to do each.382Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJX9Yt2QqWM
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Sincerely,382Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwiHJBefXq
Chris382Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPjrtaCZYX
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