Learn Writing with Uncle Jim, Volume 2

James D. Macdonald · Feb 4, 2017

1. If someone were to ask me, "Hey, Jim, how much do you expect to earn from writing in 2017?" I'd answer, "Ask me in mid-April 2018 and I'll have an idea."

2. Perfect knowledge of how many gutter balls are thrown by all bowlers on an hour-by-hour basis, compiled in state-by-state indexes, and arranged in graphs, charts, and tables, will not make me a better bowler.

3. Consider a novel that is written, is rejected forty times, is sold, and is subsequently reprinted by various publishers three times. How would that book be counted in the books-written:books-published stats?

4. Books are rejected for many reasons, only one of which is "This book stinks." Other reasons include "We only planned to publish fifty books this year, and we've already contracted fifty books," and "This is a wonderful book, but we publish hard-boiled crime fiction, not sensitive portrayals of a young man coming of age in the antebellum South."

James D. Macdonald · Feb 11, 2017

Among the fours that we'll concern ourselves with:

The four genres (drama, prose, verse, and rhetoric). The four seasons (summer, autumn, winter, and spring). The four humors (blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phelgm). The four quarters of the compass (north, east, south, and west). The four elements (fire, water, earth, and air). Aristotle's four causes (efficient cause, matter, form, and end). The four horsemen of the Apocalypse (famine, war, pestilence, and death).

And so on.

What does this have to do with writing novels? It has to do with my Ultimate Theory of Art.

draosz · Mar 22, 2017

You also get excellent results when you add and multiply those two numbers.

JohnLynch · Mar 25, 2017

I went BIC this morning after 3 years? Got up at 6:45 on a Sunday morning to do my 2 hours before my wife woke up. Tomorrow I'll be getting up at 5am to do 2 hours before work.

did get 3,340 words typed out though. Many more to go.

JohnLynch · Mar 26, 2017

Was writing by 5:15 this morning. Fell asleep at my desk by 6:30. My caffeine hit in the morning wasn't enough to keep me awake. I did get another 1,680 words typed up though.

Will get back to it tomorrow.

JohnLynch · Mar 31, 2017

Slacked off a bit for the last few days. Back in BIC today though and got 2,400 words written.

Ink-Pen-Paper · Jun 4, 2017

Uncle Jim - did you ever think this thread would still be active? 11-13-03 is a long time ago.

James D. Macdonald · Jun 7, 2017

Yeah, a heck of a long time.

I still have more things to say, though.

Mr.Letterman · Jun 7, 2017

James D. Macdonald said:
Among the fours that we'll concern ourselves with:

The four genres (drama, prose, verse, and rhetoric). The four seasons (summer, autumn, winter, and spring). The four humors (blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phelgm). The four quarters of the compass (north, east, south, and west). The four elements (fire, water, earth, and air). Aristotle's four causes (efficient cause, matter, form, and end). The four horsemen of the Apocalypse (famine, war, pestilence, and death).

And so on.

What does this have to do with writing novels? It has to do with my Ultimate Theory of Art.

Can you please render this for us laymans to understand? I've googled ultimate theory of art and nothing jumps out. Thanks

Unimportant · Mar 13, 2023

mcguinessrebecca said:
The list of fours mentioned, including genres, seasons, humors, compass quarters, elements, causes, and horsemen, all have a common theme of categorization and organization. This ties into the Ultimate Theory of Art, which suggests that art, including the writing of novels, is a way of imposing order and structure onto the chaos of the world.

By organizing ideas, characters, and themes into a coherent narrative, writers can create a sense of meaning and purpose, which can be deeply satisfying to readers. The use of these fours in literature can also serve to create a framework for understanding and interpreting the story, providing a sense of structure and coherence to the reader's experience.

Ultimately, the use of fours in literature and other art forms highlights the human need for organization and structure in a world that can often feel chaotic and unpredictable. By creating order through artistic expression, writers can provide a sense of comfort and meaning to themselves and their audiences.

Welcome to Absolute Write, @mcguinessrebecca. I warmly recommend that you go to the New Members section and start a thread to introduce yourself. Maybe let us know what your interest in writing is, and what kind of things you like to read? This will let everyone know you're here, and the moderators can give you some helpful tips and pointers.

Your post here probably won't get many replies because this thread has been inactive for about five years.

Learn Writing with Uncle Jim, Volume 2

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

draosz

JohnLynch

JohnLynch

JohnLynch

Ink-Pen-Paper

Life Is Full Of Stories

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Mr.Letterman

Unimportant

No COVID yet. Still masking.