Writer or Storyteller?

[alaskamatt17]

I love to write, I do it every day, as often as I can. I've spent whole days at the keyboard hammering out scene after scene in my first science fiction trilogy (I started writing it in high school, when I was too naive to realize that I'd stand a better chance of seeing print with a single novel). But as much as I love to write, I don't think I'm really a write--I'm a storyteller.

When I read an honest-to-goodness good book it astounds me how great the writing is: it's like I know just by looking at the page that I will never have the capacity to write like that. But I've read books with such poor writing that even I could do better, and have still been captivated because the story is just that good. I think that might be the kind of writer I am. I'm not professing to be some miracle storyteller, it's just that what compels me to write is the story, not the words.

The problem with this would be that publishing companies generally want to find people who can write well and tell entertaining stories. Is there really a chance for someone like me who can't write their way out of a paper bag? (Not that I've ever been in one)

[brokenfingers]

I don't know the answer matt but I'd say there's only one way to find out...

[alaskamatt17]

Yeah, I know, keep on trying and submitting to publishers. I was kind of in a bad mood after a rejection earlier, but I'm over it. I wrote 2,500 words tonight, and I dredged up a couple of my old short stories to start editing so I can send those out within the next week or so.

[Jamesaritchie]

I

The problem with this would be that publishing companies generally want to find people who can write well and tell entertaining stories. Is there really a chance for someone like me who can't write their way out of a paper bag? (Not that I've ever been in one)

Actually, publishing companies are far more concerned with finding people who can tell good stories that wrapped around good characters. The writing itself just has to be competent, and if the story and characters are good enough, the writing can even be less than competent.

If you can do both, you are, of course, in much better shape, but I think only the chosen few are eqally at home with great writing and great storytelling. Most of us are far better at either writing or storytelling/characterization. Given my druthers, I think it's always better to be good at the latter.


Keep writing, and keep working at improving.

[rich]

Interesting, Jamesartchie. I've always wondered about that distinction. When people talk about structure they tend to wrap it up in some academic know-how that has little to do with storytelling, and yet, good storytelling is good structure. The writing ability, to me, follows, but follows ever so closely--like a bloodhound with a good nose that still needs to run through rough terrain to find its quarry.

[Mistook]

Actually, publishing companies are far more concerned with finding people who can tell good stories that wrapped around good characters. The writing itself just has to be competent, and if the story and characters are good enough, the writing can even be less than competent.

If you can do both, you are, of course, in much better shape, but I think only the chosen few are eqally at home with great writing and great storytelling. Most of us are far better at either writing or storytelling/characterization. Given my druthers, I think it's always better to be good at the latter.


Keep writing, and keep working at improving.


Whew!

You've said that before, but it's always good to hear again. I was going to answer the topic by saying I'm a story-teller. I want the print on the page to be invisible.

[MadScientistMatt]

Don't worry too much about how your prose sounds. If you've got a good story, your writing only needs to communicate it clearly. With most of the novels I've enjoyed the most, I can't even recall what the author's writing sounded like. I just remember what the story was about.

[rich]

Hmmm, I don't think that. I think you paid less attention to what was piecing the story together. I think the storyteller said it or wrote it the way the story should be told or written.