alternative styles

[ysd]

I've recently written a story in an (attempted) fairytale-esque style for adults. Although it was difficult to construct a language structure to bear the weight of the 'queer' end of the plot it was still an enjoyable intellectual task. I was just wondering what you guys thought about such experiments? Do they add anything to our communities or do people sort of 'gloss over' them? I mean, I'd count "The Secret Life of Billy Chase" as a prime example of it working really well while being a great read. It's in a stylistic format that is quite ungeneric of the stories we have all come to know. Yet I feel my own attempt to break the mould lacks something. Just a random thought train I wanted to share ...

 

... P.S. my 'fairytale' is at YSD's Story Page and is called 'A Sorta Fairytale' funnily enough. hope you stop by and have a read and, ofcourse, let me know what you think!

[reapersharvest]

Anyone who's ever plodded through the Nifty archives understands the importance of setting your story apart when there are so many others out there. Going for a different style is often the only way in which an author's work can seem truly original, if plot-wise, it's another 'gay story' out of dozens. I think a fairy-tale writing style applied to a gay romance is an opportunity for many puns and enjoyment on the part of the reader. I was just watching Big Fish today, which is essentially a very well done fairy tale and presents an interesting view on that style of writing. That sort of feeling of weaving an epic off the top of your head.

[Comicality]

Actually, I think it's a great idea! I saw your post on the library and will be sure to stop by your webpage too to check it out.

 

Fresh ideas are always a good thing. Even if it feels a bit funny when you first try it out, with a little practice fitting into the format you've chosen to experiment with, it can grow into something incredibly different. As they say, if it's never been done before, be the first. And an actual fairy tale would be an original way to go.

 

With "Billy Chase", I wasn't sure how that was going to turn out, or how people were going to take it. Folks had to sorta let it grow on them before it had any real following. And I was downright terrified when I was trying to write the first "GFD" chapter! I was sure that people would either dismiss or laugh at this weird 'kiddie' version of vampires and weirdness...and then try to make it erotic. But little experiments like that can really inspire some truly beautiful stories. I remember seeing one story that was told through a series of emails from one person. Even when you only got to see one person's side of the conversation, his reactions and questions and all told you everything you needed to know. I thought that was GENIUS! And the "Robin" series on the IOMfAtS website started as a story as it was being told to another person. (I'm not sure about now, but it was in the beginning.) And there have been various other formats used, including different perspectives per chapter, that were equally as entertaining.

 

So I say go for it! Get a few chapters finished, and let folks read it. It might be a whole new way to approach gay writing in general.

[reapersharvest]

I'm going for multiple narratives in Underworld. It's awkward trying to maintain different perspectives when doing it all in the third person. At first it would just be the two main character's point of view up until they met, but soon different narratives kept popping in as the situations became more complex. Now it's unpredictable who will be speaking next, and it gives me a chance to build suspense when switching form one narratvie to another, lots of mini-cliffhangers.

[Comicality]

Now, it can be a challenge keeping up with different perspectives. But it must be really difficult to do so in third person! I can see how that would have a lot of advantages, however, as far as keeping up suspense and all.

 

I've been working on a story called "The Experience", that I'll be posting in a few weeks, where I tried to change things up a bit. It's kinda hard to waiver from the way I'm used to writing, but it's fun at the same time. Awkward...like you said, but fun.

 

How far did you get in Underworld so far?

[reapersharvest]

Belive me, it;s quite a balancing act to get as into the character's point of view as I want to while at the same time managing the omniscience I need in my narratives to further the plot. In the grand scheme of things plot-wise? I haven't gotten anywhere at all. In terms of how much have I written? A decent amount. It needs major meat-cleaver editing though.

[ysd]

Fresh ideas are always a good thing. Even if it feels a bit funny when you first try it out, with a little practice fitting into the format you've chosen to experiment with, it can grow into something incredibly different. As they say, if it's never been done before, be the first. And an actual fairy tale would be an original way to go

 

Well it seems to have got a decent reception - which is always nice - and on rereading it a few days later I didn't hate it (which is a big problem I have with most of the stuff that I write). I guess my problem with what I chose to write was that actual fairytales (non of that Disneyesque prescribed nonesense) are fairly complex pieces of literature and can be difficult to get involved with. You can find yourself alienated from them very easily. I wasn't sure if it was the kind of thing people would enjoy reading, especially when many of them are reading partially for the erotic elements of the text (I'm not even slightly suggesting this is a bad thing btw. Erotic stories are totally cool, especially since mind is the most erotic organ. Hehe.) I guess you never know till you try.

 

I'm thinking about extending it extensively. Not really sure how that would work since it would take it from the realm of fairytale into fantasty adventure which is an entirely different kettle of fish. There does seem to be a 'market' for that genre though, as I'm sure Com can attest what with the popularity of GFD.

 

P.S. hope everyone had a killer Easter break!

[reapersharvest]

That's the problem with fairytales, they all end the same way. A Fantasy might be an interesting transition. I thought you meant applying the style for writing to a modern setting, but still, it's a good concept.

 

My easter break isn't until the end of April, unfortunately.

[ysd]

Well the original idea was just that I wanted to write an actual fairytale. I wanted to see if I could construct something with similiar iconic figures, repetitions and movements. It then moved onto a queer fairytale. Not particularily anything that taught any real lesson - 'cause fairytales rarily do - but just something that had a homosexual element. It spread from there. The only deference to modern literature that I made was the postmodern symbolism and language-image structures. I thought it would make the entire thing more engrossing if the imagery and word choice was unusally striking in an Eliotian kinda way.

 

It's the tension between the fairytale format, the queer plot and the language that I don't think exactly works. I don't think I got the balance correct. I'm not entirely sure how I'd rearrange it so I don't want to start fiddling with it in case I ruin any of it's good qualities by overworking.

[Whatsifsowhatsit2]

Well you know? It's been months since I got the idea of something like this, this very fantasy like story... I'd been writing on it for weeks, at the ending less and less, until I stopped, as usually... but I lasted a lot longer than I usually do! And I still liked the idea, so I started a new story that was a bit similar to see if this works better... if I can actually hang on to it, I mean (which I never can, but you never know )

 

So what I really wanted to say is that I'm sure lots of people like a change of style... argument = that I was trying such a style of my own, so if I liked it, other people must too... okay maybe the argumentation sucks, but still, I think a change of style is great

 

:S

[zchildree]

Question: i know that every other fag has re-written the cinderella story for gay boys, but alas i am undeterred and i am commencing a re-write. is there anyone who would be willing to read what I have so far and give me some suggestions?

thanks

Z