I’ve been doing quite a bit of research into the Blue Stocking society in order to write a short story about them. But I’ve found that this project has really taken on massive proportions for me. It’s no longer a short story but seems as if it could be a novel. So I’m excited about that. And at the same time, I’m sorry I’m not able to share what I’ve written so far. I’ve realized that in order to understand the significance of The Society, a person needs to understand the historical atmosphere they lived in. It was a time of social upheaval. I’m very interested in it, and I see many parallels to today’s society. I had really hoped to share a short story with all of you on this first meeting, but as I’ve mentioned, it is a work in progress. I highly recommend, to anyone interested in history, the period of time that the Society began is worthy of an in depth study.
-Literary Bohemian
Official Lemurian Tavern
Authenticated by le Enchanteur
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January 26, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Lori
This is an excellent contribution to the discussion though. Good writing does require research of some sort. A three-page story of flamenco dancing required several hours of research because I wanted to make it as believable as possible. I might end up with a file folder full of notes for just 1500 words of writing. How do some of the rest of you handle research?
January 26, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Literary Bohemian
I guess it depends on how indepth you’d like your story to be. In Steven King’s book On Writing, he says researching for a story is wonderfull but there is a fine line between the story itself and the research. In other words, don’t let all of the fascinating facts you’ve learned in your research get in the way of the story. It takes practice.
I’m not sure how much I agree with him though.
I’m reading Memoirs of a Geisha also. It is full of facts about the lives Geisha live. At times I feel as if I’m reading, not a story, but instead an in depth paper on the subject of Geisha. However, in order to understand the life of a Giesha, one must understand how intricate their culture is. And, without all the facts the author has added in, the reader wouldn’t get the same sense of beauty and ambiance he invokes throughout the work.
January 26, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Lori
I agree with you on Memoirs of a Geisha. At first I was a little impatient with the details of the story but then I realized the mysteries of that world were being revealed little by little through these details. The story itself became like the geishas–intricate, graceful, a quiet presence. I found the film very much like this as well.
January 27, 2007 at 6:47 am
cronelogical
Stories, because they are stories and poems even more so depend on the detail that gives both individuality and verisimilitude. Memoirs are the details, the prime sources of the history of any age. Fran
January 27, 2007 at 7:09 am
imogen88
Good comment, Fran. Some folks research to the nth degree, others only write about what they already know, from what I have read. You can take your pick.