Drama
This week: Attention: Texture! Edited by: Joy More Newsletters By This Editor
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"Memory is quite central for me. Part of it is that I like the actual texture of writing through memory."
Kazuo Ishiguro
"I don't want to say I hear voices; well, actually I do hear voices, but I don't think it's supernatural. I think it's just that when characters are given enough texture and backbone, then lo and behold, they stand on their own."
Anne Tyler
"I search for the realness, the real feeling of a subject, all the texture around it... I always want to see the third dimension of something... I want to come alive with the object."
Andrew Wyeth
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. Our discussion in this issue is on the delicate subject of texture.
Note: In the editorial, I refer to third person singular as he, to also mean the female gender, because I don't like to use they or he/she.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
Texture is the feel of our writing. What an illusive craft definition this is, isn't it?
Generally, when we talk about texture, we usually refer to the sense of touch-the coarseness or the smoothness of a surface or, in the abstract sense, the difficulty or the ease and efficiency of an artistic piece.
The area around us can impress on our senses whether we are being aware of it or not. Either way, the impression is subliminal because the sensations we get are mostly intuitive as they form the texture of living in one special time and place. Texture in the arts, however, can be addressed from a few other different angles.
The television industry's texture stresses the visual sense, making it rise above all other senses. In music, texture refers to the properties of melody, rhythm, harmony, and timbre woven together as a composition. In stage arts, texture refers to the subject matter, actors, scenes, and placement of dialogue. In writing and reading--poetry, fiction or non-fiction, texture is what we notice and feel when we are not paying any special attention to it, because good writing is not only communication but it is also an internal experience that the author presents to his readers.
An average reader follows the action in the story without paying attention to the literary nuances or the fine-tuning of the relationships between the characters. Each reader pays more attention to what interests him: a certain subject, a twist in action, a familiar setting, or a phrase with a deep meaning that may refer to something in the past or the future of the plotline,
As readers, we and everyone else are at fault where recognizing texture is concerned, unless we read, re-read, and remember every word we have read while we take notes in the margin. On the other hand, as writers, we need to be aware of the gist and the fine points of our work.
As writers, to build good texture, we need to use dynamic characters, exciting storylines, strong emotion, and vivid language. We need to make it clear to the readers how the subplots overlap and tie to the main plot and how the characters are individuals and why they are suitable for the requisites of the story. We must also focus on the setting, backstory, word choices, language, and every other detail that may involve the five senses. Above all, we must decide on the emotion the work will evoke in the reader.
In the mechanics of the craft, a bit of advice to achieve good texture is: Spice up your expression. Define your voice. Pay attention to rhythm and pace. Be brief, focused and sharp. Don't bore the reader. Don't overload your work with unnecessary information.
Sometimes, in arts, the texture in one form of art influences so deeply another form of art that the two textures unite, as in operas. A recent example to such a union is jazz and blues composer Doug Wamble's Yoknapatawpha, the sound portrait of the literary works of William Faulkner. As we know, the overall grain of Faulkner's work is of a specific place, the South, but a more universal feeling we get from his works involves the human condition.
When the texture of writing is strong, the piece becomes more inviting; therefore, we should be aware of the feel of our work before we offer it to our readers.
Until next time.
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Enjoy the fine texture of these pieces!
| | BLAVATSKY'S BUS (E) Inspired by Carl Sagan, a personal journey that had stimulated the core of my psyche #1676003 by DRSmith |
| | Invalid Item This item number is not valid. #1866688 by Not Available. |
| | Peter Morton (E) "Make a pot of tea, girls, it's a long story. 2nd place What a Character.
#1761600 by Bikerider |
| | Invalid Item This item number is not valid. #1755732 by Not Available. |
| | Invalid Item This item number is not valid. #1873427 by Not Available. |
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