In prose fiction specifically, as it’s sort of a given for a lot of poetry. Thinking things like “Ulysses” by James Joyce, although to a lesser extent. It seems like a lot of the writing advice I get for fiction I work on is to simplify it or that my wording is a tad confusing, but I think I just like to write that way. Not give readers a headache per se, but I like the concept of bleeding ideas into one another and leading people to really think about what they’re reading. Idk. I feel like there’s been sort of a push for simplification of prose where the more direct and literal your writing, the “stronger” it is, and relying on metaphor and allegory is considered “weaker” writing. Using a word with more than two syllables in it may be considered tryhard or superfluous. What do you think?
it seems people are really tired of rhetorical devices, and guessing meaning, or leaving meaning up to question/interpretation because it leads to misinterpretation, or very often these days it leads to reinterpretation for a political ideology which it does not fit. probably a side effect of so much post-modernism (?)
metaphors and allegories are powerful tools of writing though, and it’s an amazing way to convey abstract thought and relate it to pre-existing cognitive development in way that expands consciousness.
tools in a toolbox. not about weaker or stronger, but just about understanding where your audience is at, and then what is important, or maybe necessary, for that audience
Personally I like it, if you couldn’t tell. I love allegory and metaphor and confusing shit that makes you think. One of my favorite authors is Borges in spite of his anti-communist political life. Favorite fiction book of all time is “House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski, and I really enjoyed the “Raw Shark Texts” by Steven Hall as well. Mind-bending and often convoluted stuff.
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Wonderfully put and gives a lot to think about. I definitely have a lil trouble finding that line between pretention and worthwhile expression.
This is gonna sound like a humblebrag or backhanded complaint, but in my social interactions I’ve had to sort of re-learn how to talk to people because I want to be seen as more chill and relatable and not as intense and serious as I used to be as I’d speak to people sort of academically without thinking about it, like I’ve had to actively start incorporating simpler vocab and talk more like a human being rather than a walking thesaurus lol. It’s really not a blessing like “sapiosexuals” and pseudo-intellectuals like to pretend it is to be as arcane and confusing as possible, it just makes you unlikable and weird most times. Writing is a good place for me to get that urge out, I think, but I’m definitely still conflicted when re-reading what I write as to whether or not it sounds janky and overly complicated. Writing is hard lol
