The ease with which an author approaches his favorite themes hides how dangerous it can be to imitate him. Reading him, everything seems very simple. But it is simple because the approach stems from an authentic inclination, and this cannot be imitated. To discover it, however, sometimes it is necessary to experiment. And even the best cannot escape this. A fine example is Machado de Assis’ Americanas. Certainly, to a friend who could see inside him, see his future works and creative potential, half a dozen verses would suffice for the jocular recommendation: “Come on, my good Joaquim! Drop this Anhangá and tacape stuff! You don’t even know what that is.” And, certainly, there would be no better advice: the author of those verses was not Machado de Assis. The hard part is that, in practice, it is only possible to say this because Machado, alone, walked the path of failure to discover himself and reveal himself to us.
Tag: writing
Everything Involved in Creating a Literary Work…
Everything involved in creating a literary work, as well as everything related to the evolution of the art of writing, is irrelevant if not based on a commitment to regular dedication. This alone seems to be indispensable. And this alone seems to guarantee both the work and its evolution, even if one does not plan much, even if one does not study much. Practice reveals the truth of any theory, and without it, true assimilation can never be achieved. Thus, despite all their differences and particular inclinations, this is where the great masters of universal literature are identified.
A Writer Will Never Go Wrong if…
A writer will never go wrong if he focuses on his own themes, even if he leaves aside many others that could make his work more comprehensive. This comprehensiveness sometimes comes at the price of dispersion. And since the passages in which the writer expresses himself with all the intensity he is capable of are so striking, it is good for him to concentrate on them, to build around them whatever he has to build. Working in this way, even excesses will be diminished by the sincerity that will naturally abound in a work that consciously aimed at the essential.
The Technique of the Modern Novel…
The technique of the modern novel, which expands scenes, exposing them in greater detail and exploring the inner and outer minutiae of events, has its advantages. But sometimes one gets the impression that such detail weakens the plot. If we take as an example the ancient folk tales of some civilizations, we see that the narrative often varies, the details vary, and there may even be more or fewer scenes depending on the source; however, the logical sequence of the story does not vary, and therein lies its strength. The curious thing is this: these ancient tales, even if narrated schematically, devoid of literary devices, produce almost the same effect; a modern novel, on the other hand, if devoid of the particularities of the author’s style, becomes something quite different. Ancient narratives can easily be told orally, as they were and are, without much being lost, something impossible to do with modern novels. The modern novel can only be told by the author, and through the lines he has already written. Perhaps this means that the story never gains true autonomy, which may or may not be favorable.