People tend to have a lot of problems when they talk about absolutes. "There are no absolutes" is an absolute (not to mention contradictory) phrase. It is also used very often without realizing how moronic it is.
I would love to tell you that there are no absolutes in writing. Every time I say that you shouldn't use profanity, I also say that profanity has its uses. When I say that you should avoid extended descriptions of scenery, I also say that you need to set a scene so the audience knows where the story takes place. And when I say that you should find your own style and stick with it, I also say that you should mix things up to prevent stagnation.
But not everything is shades of gray. There are absolutes in writing. It must entertain. Writing that doesn't entertain is just chicken scratch on paper. Writing must produce a reaction in readers. It doesn't matter if it's vitriolic hate or magnanimous joy. If the reader is indifferent, it isn't writing; it's just noise.
Be careful when you use absolutes. They have a tendency to bite you in the butt, mostly because they're never true.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment