Posted 7:05 PM by Blah blah

Writing Fiction Vs. Non-Fiction (Writing)

Cheshire Dave just wrote this great blog entry about his difficulty in writing fiction vs. non-fiction, about how he feels more a bent for essays rather than scripts. I feel the same way. I've never had much practice with scripts and writing drama and short stories. Essays and letters are my forte, as well as non-fiction journalism and reporting. I also went to Berkeley to see the play Cheshire wrote that was performed by the Impact Theatre.

I feel your pain, Cheshire. With all the unoriginal and boring blogs out there, all the overly serious and depressing ranting, I keep thinking of how to be more fresh, more personal without invading my friends' privacy, etc. I'm not as witty as Sarah and don't have as sexually dramatic a life as Anna.

Plus to write good fiction or comedy is damned hard. It takes meticulous crafting. It takes lots of heartburn, groaning, and hitting your head against the wall. It's like hanging from a bar over a rushing river. And I need more life experience. My life is dull. Too tame, too provincial. I haven't really "lived" yet. I've lived in the suburbs way too long. The characters I invent would be flat. Their dialogue would sound like "Raymond's guess at a redneck's patter" rather than feel like you were actually there. I realize my limitations.

I'm good at describing psychological motivations, internal turmoil. Like Dostoevsky in Crime and Punishment. But in recreating how people might talk at a party? I need work.

And comedy. If I had more comedic skill I'd flaunt it. I love comedy. My friends find me very funny, and I find my sense of humor works best one-on-one, in conversations and chats. If you read my chat records with people you may burst out laughing. But when I speak monologues here, I don't feel that give-and-take shows up.

Anyway, I want to try posting some TV or other scripts on here as a reference for myself. A way to study other people's talent. Maybe it will help my fictional writing. Let's start! These will be very long multi-part entries. You will enjoy them.

Please email me your thoughts about me and how well I do comedy or fiction.