Ha! Fooled ya!

[pjthompson]

I've discovered that writing a comic novel is no more fun than writing Serious Stuff. When you get to the crappy middle, it's still the crappy middle and still a chore. I find the same level of resistance as I felt with my sturm und drang novels, the same desire to goof off and do anything but write the damned thing, the same unrelenting doubts, the same pounding forward just to get the words on the page, the same certainty that I've lost my voice and am drifting in a Sargasso of cliché.

Well, actually, I probably am drifting in a Sargasso of cliché. It's a first draft. It's supposed to stink like mats of decaying sea matter. But it is something of a revelation to me that the same processes occur in my tortured psyche whether I am sailing in sunshine or storm.

What a rip off.

The good thing? This feels much closer to my natural voice than the high fantasy/steampunk novel I'm editing. I've completely lost track of who I am on that one. I imagine some time away from it will help.

The other thing? Doing a close reading/edit on that other novel (one of the stormy ones) while trying to write the funny is schizophrenic, to say the least. In fact, much of my writing energy for days now has gone into finishing up the edit. I am closing in on the end of the edit (2 more chapters!) and will concentrate on getting that done before diving back into the WIP.

And the edit? That shining castle on the hill that I first envisioned is looking more like a shotgun shack in the swamp these days. The story is far more melodramatic then I thought it would be. I suspect I don't really know what it is at this point. Late in the late draft blues. I've floated on that Sargasso before, too.

Comments

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

i honestly would expect trying to write the funny to be even harder than the ol' sturm and drang. You have to keep the air light and the mood at least somewhat up the whole time -- I'd think you'd have to inject a lot more energy into writing the funny than the other stuff. But you can always add in more energy over time in future drafts, so I wouldn't worry too much. What I've read so far has been dang good.

[pjthompson]

Thank you. You're very kind. :-)

I expect things will get better. I no longer take first draft mid-novel whimwhams too seriously--at least not in the sense of thinking, "I suck! This is never going to work!" I realize it's part of a process and that every novel is going to suck at some point in the first draft--maybe at several points! It's just interesting that it doesn't change between drama and comedy.

And yeah, what you said about comedy being hard. The comedian Ed Wynn reportedly said on his death bed, "Dying is easy. Comedy is hard."

[kimberlychapman.livejournal.com]

I would never even attempt to write comedy, other than the occasional bit of a joke between friendly characters in an otherwise dramatic story (I've got a character in the Colony Books who likes to lighten up tense situations with horribly bad toddler-appropriate jokes...his fave is the one that goes, "What's the difference between roast beef and pea soup? Anyone can roast beef.").

Comedy is HARD. You're brave for doing it and my admiration for you, already high, just went through the roof.

[pjthompson]

Thank you. Very nice of you to say. I've actually used a lot of comedy throughout the years in my stories, and wrote a satiric newsletter for a few years that was well-received, but this is the first time I've tried to write and entire novel on the funny side. But seeing as it's me doing the writing, there's some serious stuff in there, too. I think drama enhances comedy, and comedy enhances drama.

Or perhaps I'm just delusional. :-)

[mount-oregano.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to write a humorous novel, too. And it's hard. If I could write humor all the time I would because I love doing it, but it's really, really hard. Harder than being depressing.

I love to read humor, too, so write a great novel.

[pjthompson]

It is hard. Like I told Kevin, there's the famous story that says the comedian Ed Wynn said on his death bed, "Dying is easy. Comedy is hard."

Hopefully, my novel will be humorous.

I love to read humor, too, so write a great novel.

lol--I'll try. Good luck with yours!