Writing with Meaning - What Writers Can Learn from Cormac McCarthy
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- čas přidán 13. 11. 2022
- Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road is one of my favourites. I learned a lot about writing from it.
Here's a few things that I wanted to highlight that might help other writers too.
Here’s the book I mentioned: The Linchpin Writer: Crafting Your Novel's Key Moments amzn.eu/d/3NIrdmo
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It doesn’t matter how many words you say, it’s all about how the writing makes you feel as you read it. Words need meaning, not just about words.
Absolutely! That's what matters.
There's a Russian saying: Simplicity is a sign of mastery. Every true master I've met has pretty much lived up to that... :)
My fav. passage:
"On the far side of the river valley the road passed through a stark black burn. Charred and limbless trunks of threes stretching away on every side. Ash moving over the road and the sagging hands of blind wire strung from the blackened lightpoles whining thinly in the wind."
Reading that last part about the lightpoles out loud is a treat. How the vowel sounds match is poetry.
So good. The little movements in the description just bring the scene to life I think. Thanks for sharing your favourite bit ☺️
@@KierenWestwoodWriting Thank YOU for the great video!! The Road is a fabulous example of poetry in the simple that we can all learn from.
I pick up any of his books on any page and McCarthy's prose is just jawdropping. I don't know that a more consistently phenomenal writer has ever existed. Indeed, I am both motivated and demoralized by his greatness. But … no one can match him. The greatest writers alive today can't match his mastery. And that has to be okay. It is okay. :)
No one can be him, but we can be the best version of us, and who knows, maybe that will mean as much to a reader someday, but in a different way.
It took me a while to realize simplicity has power. Cormac McCarthy is definitely one of the writers who taught me that.
I read The Road when it first came out, when I was dabbling with writing. Reading it again now and have come to appreciate it much more.
Thankfully my first drafts are wordy and subsequent ones are about cutting instead of adding.
Absolutely. I much prefer cutting to adding as well.
Simplicity really does have power, even the plot of The Road (or as some have said, the lack thereof) demonstrates that I think.
@@KierenWestwoodWriting Yeah, I'm constantly amazed at how engaged I am in the book when not much happens. The mark of a master storyteller.
The irony of saying words fall short as is always the case when you're talking about a book is... definitely entertaining. :)
I get that, but this is a truth to me. Describing a colour, or a feeling, for example, is next to impossible. It's not a failing of us as writers, words just aren't good enough tools, in my opinion.
@@KierenWestwoodWriting I didn't bash the comment, I just found it ironic.
I know! No worries ☺️☺️☺️
Something something "beyond all things". Something something "reckoning".
I’m currently reading The Road and have just stumbled upon your channel. Thanks for sharing these wonderful insights. His writing really grabs you by the collar, wonderful stuff.
It's a fantastic book! It certainly does grab you. Thanks for watching!
Thank you! Cormac was brilliant.
That he was!
what a great video. inspiring. thanks for sharing. not read this book but that simile you mention brought a tear to my eye. i want to write like that. i want to be able to move my readers to tears with such imagery. truly beautiful.
There's an awful lot of those lines in the book, it's an emotional read. I'd highly recommend it!
@@KierenWestwoodWritingi will be reading it soon. thanks for your reply. you have some great content. really motivating. was telling my boyfriend about your channel and how it’s helped me. we both write and are writing novels just now - so thanks for all you share. very helpful - especially through those sticky patches.
Ooooh I love this point about simplicity and communicating meaning. As newer writers, I feel like it can be difficult to strike the right balance between under explaining and over explaining…these examples really are of showing and not telling, trusting the reader to get the subtext.
Thanks Nicole 🙂 I catch myself over explaining a lot, going into detail about stuff that just isn't complicated. McCarthy is great at leaving the reader to their own devices, sometimes he can go too far the other way, but most of the time it's just right.
love what you said about the power of writing less but conveying more by using more simple dialogue.
I am a relatively new writer, and I love writing simply. Often, I'm told it's really deep.
Absolutely! One of the most common mistakes new writers make is thinking their writing has to be poetic or complex, the best writing is very often neither of those. The ability to translate complex stories in simple terms is hugely valuable.
One day I will find the right words and they will be simple
Fantastic work!
This is very helpful!
Thank you....
Wow your channel is such a gold mine and it is absolutely criminal that your don’t have more subscribers ! Thank you so much for your work and your passion!
Thank you, that's great to hear! I'm so glad my vids can be useful :)
It really is down to the words you choose rather than how many of them there are
For sure, it just takes time to get comfortable with that, or at least it did for me :)
Not sure if what i'm about to put fits into this but, I feel like I should say it:
When I first got the feeling that I should start actually writing my story I was overwhelmed at first. Me and my best friend would work for hours in the night trying to figure out really appealing and creative sentences that held some beautiful imagery and hidden meanings. After about 4 hours of work, we came up with 1 small paragraph; yes, we created just 1 paragraph of beautiful and creative sentences in over 4 hours.
The next day, I went to start doing that again but, I realised that what I was doing was very draining. I was pushing myself extremely hard to come up with sentences that could form creative imagery in my head. From what I can remember, the first paragraph was going into complete detail of the environment around my protagonist. I would mention the chestnut-coloured gazebo with curtains of rain showering over it whilst the trees in the back were flustered, striking their leaves across the playground. These sentences sure do bring imagery into my head however, what really bothered me after writing that was I was focusing way too much on the world around the protagonist and not the protagonist themselves.
Like why was the protagonist in the gazebo? What was he doing in the gazebo. Was he with friends or was he alone and if it's the latter, why is he alone? Did he upset someone or did someone upset him? These were the questions I should've answered but instead I focused on the creative imagery of rain falling off the gazebo roof going past the windows or the rustling trees behind it as leaves fell off and flew with the wind.
I can't remember who said it but, someone mentioned that the only way to understand that you're doing the wrong thing is to experience doing the wrong thing. This definitely applies here. I didn't know this would be (for me personally) the wrong way to write a story as I thought it would be fun to create imagery in my head with powerful sentences. Clearly I was wrong as it put me in such a bad mental state. On the other hand, by writing my story in a way I didn't like, I now understand that I need to simplify on things. Instead of spending hours upon hours creating just 1 paragraph where each sentence was perfectly put together, I need to just write and focus more on the protagonist instead of what's around them.
Again, not sure if this is the correct place for me to put this comment but when you mentioned simplicity, this all just came to mind for me
This is always the right place to talk writing! :)
I'm a big believer in making mistakes when you're learning something. Failure is the best teacher. Even if that's not necessarily 'being bad' or 'getting it wrong', it might just be producing something you're not that fond of. I think if writers got stuff right from day one, mistakes, when they eventually came, would be harder to recover from. I'd rather have lots of little bumps in the road than drive off a cliff!
@@KierenWestwoodWriting I completely agree. It also reminds me of when you want to write a story and the first story idea you have you stick to it. When I first had the realisation that I wanted to write stories, I had 1 idea that I was really happy about but, as time went on, more new ideas kept popping up and the first idea slowly disappears and brand new even better ideas remain.
From that experience, I realised that you shouldn't stick to your first initial idea but rather look for a barrage on different ideas. That way to could combine some of them to create even more ideas. When I have my first idea for something, whether it's for a story or something in the story, I tend to cling to it for a while as I want it to work but, obviously this isn't the right way to go through things as i'm not looking for more new ideas. So, once I drop this idea and try searching for more new ideas, I become more creative and more motivated to create things i'm passionate on.
Trying new things/ things you don't fully understand is something I highly recommend. Never take the easy route on something you already know or just simply taking the first idea. When I wanted to come up with names for my fantasy world, I just slapped english words together and left it at that. However, after letting go of that idea, I went to search for new ways to be creative and now i'm in the process of trying to create my own unique language. It's insanely tough but, if I really want this to work and i'm passionate about doing it, then i'm sure it will work out great in the end
One thing ( of many ) that I like about Brandon Sanderson's writing, is how he tends to use simple words and short sentences, and there is nothing to distract you from flowing along with the story. Like, pacing comes first and the exact words come second.
That’s a really good style/philosophy to have I think. I haven’t read his work but I’ve heard good things ☺️
His writing, to me at least, is rather pedestrian. But I've only read a bit of his work.
@@t0dd000yes I agree. I this he does this on purpose to free the reader up to focus on the worldbuilding and story.
@@paweld Maybe that's his intention, but you can do that with more elegant prose. To me his writing is simply very flat and uninspired. But, hey, he seems to be doing okay. :)
Unexpectedly inspiring video. I've been struggling to get back into the right headspace to write after finishing a draft six months ago, but I think your words here have triggered something. For that, I thank you. Keep up the great work, and take care 😊
Thank you! I’m so glad I was able to help ☺️
I pretty much stopped at the part when they reached the safehouse or basement of supplies. It felt like a perfect ending.
And then i looked up the real ending lol
I just knew this was the type of story to just depress you.
I dont mind a very dark story or movie, but i felt so much investment for the father and son that i want them to live and be happy together.
They deserve to be happy in a terrible world like that.
Cormac is a legendary writer, probably the best of his time. A true novelist.
Sometimes I wish I stopped there too! It was defnitely a hard ending, but well written.
RIP King Cormac
Indeed! Was saddened to see the news. He leaves a great legacy behind though.
One of my favorite moments in the book is a very brief flashback to the beginning of the apocalypse, perhaps a paragraph or two-and I’m gonna have to paraphrase it because I don’t remember the exchange off the top of my head, but it’s when he goes into the bathroom, and the wife asks why he’s running a bath, and he says, “I’m not.”
And that very brief exchange sets up the world in a more powerful and impactful way than a whole litany of world building paragraphs and chapters and explanations ever could. One word more, and it almost would’ve been too much
Absolutely. I know the exact part you’re talking about. I feel like many writers would explain more after ‘I’m not’ and I think that would rob it of its impact
Hi cousin! Greetings from New York City 🌆🏙️
Hello from across the pond! 🙂
Think you'll talk about Blood Meridian?
I'm sure at some point I will, though I'd wonder where to start with it!
@@KierenWestwoodWriting I revisit this book every two years and always pick up on things that I've either forgotten or missed. Maybe start with his poetic description of the landscape?
To use some punctuation for a start
I can’t argue with that!
Loved the book, but it was a grim book, I read it in two parts and the second part I read on a new years eve. Very strange reading it when bringing in the new year.
Yeah, I’d imagine that would be a melancholy way to start the new year for sure, but sometimes that’s good 😊
Hey, I discovered your channel a few days ago and, honestly, I've been watching almost every single one of them, and it really helped me deal with this void I feel when thinking about my book (quite similar to imposter syndrome). The thing is, do you have any tips to go on with writing when you're experiencing huge emotional shifts due to changes in your life? I recently moved out very far from my closest relatives, and since then I feel like my homesickness is really making me not write as I used to. I feel I can't write, I feel I'm passing my sadness to my characters...
Hey, thank you so much for the support! I really appreciate it.
Writing when you’re not feeling the best is a difficult thing, I’ve found. On the one hand, feeling productive can help, and adding to a story that you’re enjoying can feel like normality, or like home if you’re in a new place.
But sometimes it can also be stressful. Your expectations of yourself can be highest at the worst of times, which usually leads to frustration or feeling stuck. I’ve had that happen with me.
The best advice I can give you is to be kind to yourself, first and foremost. It sounds like you’ve got a lot of change going on right now, maybe you don’t need the added pressure to get your writing done too? Maybe it’s alright to give your mind a little break while you get used to a new place.
I look at writing as a result, rather than a product. If I’m feeling ok, and I give myself time and come at it in the right frame of mine, the result is writing that I like.
If I force it, push words onto the page and write when I don’t feel like it (even subconsciously sometimes) it becomes a product, and the product suffers.
Writing is often about how you feel. When you’ve settled more, you might find that your writing reflects that.
I’d say just practice some self-care for now, maybe engage with writing-related activities if you still want to feel close to it, read, watch videos, learn things if you want, that way when you wake up one day soon feeling closer to normality again, you’ll have everything you need to get right back to it.
Just my thoughts, everyone’s different but I hope this helps ☺️
@@KierenWestwoodWriting damn, can't thank you enough for your words. You described exactly what I feel, and what scares me or keeps me from writing. I hate to think about my book as a product, as you said, so I think I'll take your advice and wait for my emotions to be somehow adjusted before really sitting down to put more words into the manuscript.
Again, thank you wholeheartedly 😔🧡
Thanks for watching my the videos! Take your time with your book and take care of you! ☺️
Great analysis. But I still think that McCarthy's overall style (except for maybe "No Country For Old Men") is not the "minimalistic" and "simplistic" style that critics love to tout him with. His prose is extremely poetic, and thus, at times, very complicated (again, "No Country for Old Men being one of the few exceptions). There's absolutely nothing wrong with that; but I just wish critics would stop calling his writing style "simple," because, in my opinion, it is not. The great American minimalist novelists would be writers like Ernest Hemingway, Pete Dexter, Elie Wiesel, Walter Tevis, and Phillip Roth, to name a few. A lay person could read those writers' works and get it the first time around. I would never advise a beginning reader to pick up a Cormac book; that'd be like introducing a fledgling reader to the world of literature by handing them a collection of poems by William Blake. Pete Dexter has a famous quote: "I know what beautiful lyrical writing is, and I don't even try to do that. I try to make each sentence as clear as it can be, because the integrity of the book is tied to the clarity of each individual sentence." I would venture to say that though McCarthy's sentences are concise, they are not by any stretch of the imagination CLEAR most of the time (No Country being the exception), but rather "poetic" and "lyrical". Add to that the fact that he goes out of his way to break all the rules associated with punctuation... it can make for a very frustrating reading experience at times. And this coming from me, a voracious reader and published author. Having said that, great video and post, as always!!
You're absolutely right, I wouldn't describe his writing generally as 'simple,' anything but. It's possible to find a few examples like I have where he's done simplicity in The Road and No Country as you said, but outside of that his writing can be so complex it's hard to understand. For every simple or clear phrase he uses, there are a dozen lyrical ones, and his vocabulary is far wider than I'm used to reading. The punctuation thing didn't use to bother me that much, but recently it really does. I'm reading The Passenger at the moment and it's hard to follow at times, especially during dialogue.
@@KierenWestwoodWriting I agree 100%!
Ooooh haven't watched your videos in a year....totally enjoyed your insights...poetic and yet "as is" -- you're definitely a writer.
Meegwetch! ❤️🤍💛🖤💙
Welcome back and thank you! ☺️