I'm rereading Gone with the Wind. I haven't read it for years, but I love it for so many reasons that I would list, but that's not what this thread is about.
As I began to read, I realized that if this book were written today, I don't think it would be published. At least, not the way it's written right now, which would be a shame.
But Margaret Mitchell breaks all the "rules." She head-hops randomly, she writes for pages and pages about how Scarlett's parents became her parents, and she writes the slaves' dialogue in poor English that is hard to read and slows you down.
Why has writing changed so much throughout the years? I still love this book. But I would never write like that, and agents tell us not to. Yet, Ms. Mitchell wrote one book that was published after one publisher read it. Did you know that no one except her husband read the manuscript before it was bought by the publisher? Not an editor, no one.
Anyway, I guess I'm just curious - what changes have you noticed in writing throughout the decades? Not just in novels, but non-fiction, poetry as well. I mean, of course times change, and the stories are bound to change too. But, despite all the "rules" Margaret Mitchell broke, her writing was beautiful, descriptive, intelligent, fluid, imaginative...GOOD writing. But do you think an agent would agree if it had been written today?
As I began to read, I realized that if this book were written today, I don't think it would be published. At least, not the way it's written right now, which would be a shame.
But Margaret Mitchell breaks all the "rules." She head-hops randomly, she writes for pages and pages about how Scarlett's parents became her parents, and she writes the slaves' dialogue in poor English that is hard to read and slows you down.
Why has writing changed so much throughout the years? I still love this book. But I would never write like that, and agents tell us not to. Yet, Ms. Mitchell wrote one book that was published after one publisher read it. Did you know that no one except her husband read the manuscript before it was bought by the publisher? Not an editor, no one.
Anyway, I guess I'm just curious - what changes have you noticed in writing throughout the decades? Not just in novels, but non-fiction, poetry as well. I mean, of course times change, and the stories are bound to change too. But, despite all the "rules" Margaret Mitchell broke, her writing was beautiful, descriptive, intelligent, fluid, imaginative...GOOD writing. But do you think an agent would agree if it had been written today?