Music is the Metaphor

Music is a metaphor for many things here at Pen & Paper.  Just as writers use metaphors to reach their audience, I use metaphors to teach mine.

I want you to know what I write and what I teach.  I am going to use the metaphor of music to explain this.  I want you to listen to two pieces of music.  Each one represents a literary style.  You will hear a clear difference between the two.

So, for the purpose of instruction, a question is in order.

Do you want to write this… (Note: This is your first assignment.  I want you to listen to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.  Pay close attention to the first three minutes of the concerto as I will reference the opening measures of the music within the course materials.  Remember…there are no accidents in crime, writing, or teaching.  There is a reason I chose this concerto and this particular recording of the concerto.  It is only about 35 minutes long… and it is amazing.  So listen and enjoy.)

Or this? (Note: I only want you to listen to a few measures of Schoenberg – just enough to get the gist of his music.)

Commercial Versus Literary Fiction

There is a stark contrast between the two YouTube videos.  One video contains the music of Tchaikovsky and the other contains the music of Schoenberg.

Which do you prefer?

For the purposes of this course, Tchaikovsky represents good storytelling (commercial fiction) and Schoenberg represents literary fiction.  What is the difference between commercial fiction and literary fiction?  You can ask what is the difference between the two styles of music and you will have your answer.

Both Tchaikovsky and commercial fiction are read and enjoyed by a wide audience, while Schoenberg and literary fiction are read and enjoyed by very few.

This course is designed to help writers understand the craft of writing commercial fiction – good stories.

There are certain books, symphonies, and paintings that are considered greats.  What is it that makes them great?  Within each of these disciplines – writing, music, and painting – an artist must have an understanding of the components necessary to create something worthy of enjoyment by a wide audience.

From the basics of getting words on the page to plotting your tale, this course covers the essentials…and more.

Remember

“Literary gentlemen, editors, and critics think that they know how to write, because they have studied grammar and rhetoric; but they are egregiously mistaken. The art of composition is as simple as the discharge of a bullet from a rifle, and its masterpieces imply an infinitely greater force behind them.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

Thoreau is not wrong in his assessment of literati.  Good writing is not found in the study of grammar and rhetoric.  You will not find such lessons herein.

Instead, what you will find is wisdom gleaned from experience.  The lessons found in this course are not meant to be hard and fast rules.  They are not intended to be taken as the Ten Commandments for Writers.  Use them, or not, as you see fit.

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