“We read a story with a built in expectation that it will surprise us by how far it travels from its humble beginnings: that it will outgrow its early understanding of itself.” Plot might come about when you test the specific detail through the story.” “Good writerly habit might consist of continually revising towards specificity, so that specificity can then produce plot. “Who cares if a first draft is good, it just needs to be, so you can revise it.” “You don’t need an idea to start a story. Character can’t keep doing the same thing, must be slightly more specific. Story form reminds us that a human is never static or stable. Ritual banality avoidance - deny yourself the crappo version of the story - remove a character? - in hopes a better story comes along. “Would a reasonable person reading line four, get enough of a jolt to go to line five?” The rest of the story is catching those pins.” “In the first pulse of a story, the writer is like a juggler, throwing bowling pins into the air. Each one belongs somewhere on the spectrum between quote and paraphrase. The notes below were copied into a notebook. The book collects seven Russian short stories and Saunders’ lessons on reading and writing based on those stories. Adam shares his notes from George Saunders’ book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.
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