She says that he seemed to hardly take any choices what so ever. What does she mean by "choices" or rather what does it mean to take choices when writing since Grady lectures that all writers do.
I can't quite figure it out, do they mean make liberal use of the story arc?
Maybe work with the linear plot ? idunno? to edit? I am very 'in the dark,' so to speak.
thanks
In that scene in the novel, Hannah uses as an example the pages and pages that Grady spends relating the family tree of a horse. If you make no choices as to what to include and what to exclude, you just include everything and arrive at an end-product that has no focus. I think that your thought "to edit" is close, but Grady's problem comes even earlier than the editing stage, it's conceptual. A creative artist must ask himself, "What's important here? What is less important? What's not important at all?" The answers will guide the creation of the work. I think the analogy to Grady's life is obvious. Sarah, the baby, Emily, the marriage, Hannah, smoking, writing, drinking, teaching... you gotta choose, you gotta focus.
"Please! You're not at home!"
thanks, that was very insightful. especially the allusion toward his life.
so many writers come to mind, to mind that I was just uttlerly annoyed by their lack of orientation.
""Hannah, smoking, writing, drinking, teaching.."" You left out flirting and willingness to follow through. I think you're right on with your 'choices' reply. It's a product of dwindling confidence. Well done.
shareYes, and it also implied that he was not really advancing the beats of the story. He was just writing huge amounts of background material to avoid deciding in which directions the story should progress. The parallel with his own life is clear.
shareYeah its also hinted near the end when Grady narrates that she went onto becoming a 'junior editor'.
share