Thanks, Don. I read it and wished I'd written it instead of the one I did! No, no, just kidding---kind of.
We talked in our book group about Mr. Mda saying he stays away from some fiction while he is creating a new work of his own. It's that whole idea of influence. When is it digested enough to be part of the creative process, and when is it just cannibilsm? There are times in my writing when I know I am cheating by recycling someone else too closely; I also get sudden flashes that something I am proud of probably isn't really mine. But then there is also the idea of paying homage to someone's work by alluding to it with the idea that the reader will recognize it as an allusion. Ah, the god-game. It does get complicated, doesn't it?
Thanks, Don. I read it and wished I'd written it instead of the one I did! No, no, just kidding---kind of.
ReplyDeleteWe talked in our book group about Mr. Mda saying he stays away from some fiction while he is creating a new work of his own. It's that whole idea of influence. When is it digested enough to be part of the creative process, and when is it just cannibilsm? There are times in my writing when I know I am cheating by recycling someone else too closely; I also get sudden flashes that something I am proud of probably isn't really mine. But then there is also the idea of paying homage to someone's work by alluding to it with the idea that the reader will recognize it as an allusion. Ah, the god-game. It does get complicated, doesn't it?