"The narrator is always comparing the way a self in the past felt about something back then and the way the narrator feels now, in the moment of looking back." I identify with every word of this, which you rightly speak of once more toward the end. In both my latest poetry and my latest nonfiction books, this matter of perspective --the now as opposed to the then, the how I feel about it looking back vs. how I felt then-- is somehow primary. Nice to have an excellent writer look on that as a positive thing to do. Now I gotta go subscribe to your Substack!
Thanks so much, and yes I will be delighted to have you as a reader. There is a Zoom conversation tomorrow from 3 to 4 EST on the writing craft elements I talk about here, in case you are available. You can email me at: lauriestone@substack.com for more information.
Hi Laurie, when I read about this zoom, I was so disappointed that I could not join in. I am with my elderly mom in NJ on Saturday's. She is 95. One day- yes, yes, yes. Have a nice Memorial Day! xo
Thanks so much. The next Zoom is on June 22 from 3 to 4 EST. Please email me if you would like to be on the list. All best, Laurie lauriestone@substack.com
I love this: “The narrator can’t ask the reader for love or understanding. The narrator can’t lead the witness to confirm a set of values and understandings. The reader gets to feel whatever the reader spontaneously feels from what you’ve created for them.”
It applies to making and viewing visual art, as well. Thoughts for the studio…
every word of this was a delight!—so much wit and whimsy—but i cackled aloud at this tart bit of truth: "...if you hear the phrase, 'Everyone has a story,' please understand this is a colossal piece of stupidity." oh, my heart expandeth.
Dear Laurie, writing my comment, I thought we can discuss different meanings of a story. I loved the light spirit of your answers to Sari, especially about your reaction to your friends mentioned in your stories. I didn't comprehend that your singular meaning of story would get such a negative reaction on my comment. I am very sorry. Of course, a story is the work of art, but how it becomes work of art depends on talent of a writer. I know nothing about writing workshops and their programs. I am not a writer. I began writing my memoir for my daughter and grandchildren but was carried away in the process by the idea that my writing is not only about my life, it is much more serious, it is about Soviet Russia, Stalin, communists, gulag, and poor people stupefied by the propaganda. My memoir is the complex of stories of what happened in my life from the today's POV. But my stories stay objectively my realities, they happened, my opinion as the opinions of readers would be subjective and unlike.
Sorry for such prolong text. I find you very interesting and reading right now Geoff Dyer's Out of Sheer Rage reminds me our interest to the same writers. Substack is new to me.
You are writing in a way very different from what I'm proposing in the area of literary writing, and literary writing is my only focus in my comments about "story." Yes, people here appear to be quite annoyed with my views, but what can you do? I'm never trying to please people or convince them to think like me. I'm talking about what interests me and what I work on and the way I work in order to seduce the reader to keep reading. That's my only object, really. It's never private writing. It's always intended for publication.
A quick further thought about dramatic narrative as opposed to other forms, such as writing that illustrates an argument, or a thesis, or an arrived-at understanding, based on the moral parable. Dramatic narrative, lacking an arrow with an end-point it's driving toward, respects the imagination of the reader and in that way seduces the reader to stay with the words. Assuming they are sexy, comical, and surprising. I love the idea of respecting the imagination of the reader.
Delightful to read such a sophisticated interview. Though, don't agree with a stupidity of the opinion that "everyone has a story." Leo Tolstoy had a story about Anna Karenina in 19th century, I have a story about my motherland. Tolstoy story lives already two centuries, and mine is not yet and maybe never will be published. Why we have be so arrogant? Especially, if we have the same taste in literature: Lydia Davis, Olivia Laing, and Geoff Dyer...
What I man is that everyone has experience and things that happen to them, but a story is something else. It's the work of art making that uses the techniques of narrative. They need to be learned and practiced. I don't think there is such a thing as an intrinsically interesting story or an intrinsically uninteresting story. The story is not about what happened. It's about what the narrator makes of what happened. I know that workshops and writing programs that promote the idea that everyone has a story and that experience is the same thing as "story" make a lot of money. If you find me arrogant, then I am not a writer you should read. There are so many other writers to enjoy.
I'd like to think that everyone has a story, but maybe not a story that others are interested in hearing. Or the way they tell the story doesn't spark interest. It depends on what your definition of a "story" is. In my writing salons, I encourage people to dig deep, write about things that may have been hidden away, and write about it in a surprising way. I do love what they read back to me! Does that make sense?
I am sure your workshops are as brilliant and generative as you are. I am saying I don't think people's lives are "stories" because a story, to me, is not about what happened, it's about what the narrator makes of what happened. That is all a story will ever be to me.
A generous interview. Thank you both!
"The narrator is always comparing the way a self in the past felt about something back then and the way the narrator feels now, in the moment of looking back." I identify with every word of this, which you rightly speak of once more toward the end. In both my latest poetry and my latest nonfiction books, this matter of perspective --the now as opposed to the then, the how I feel about it looking back vs. how I felt then-- is somehow primary. Nice to have an excellent writer look on that as a positive thing to do. Now I gotta go subscribe to your Substack!
Thanks so much, and yes I will be delighted to have you as a reader. There is a Zoom conversation tomorrow from 3 to 4 EST on the writing craft elements I talk about here, in case you are available. You can email me at: lauriestone@substack.com for more information.
She's amazing.
She is.
Hell yea! I only recently found Laurie Stone on Substack, and purchased her book two minutes in. It's a sumptuous ride!
How wonderful to hear. Please come to the Zoom conversation tomorrow if you can. You can email me for details: lauriestone@substack.com Cheers, L
Hi Laurie, when I read about this zoom, I was so disappointed that I could not join in. I am with my elderly mom in NJ on Saturday's. She is 95. One day- yes, yes, yes. Have a nice Memorial Day! xo
Thanks so much. The next Zoom is on June 22 from 3 to 4 EST. Please email me if you would like to be on the list. All best, Laurie lauriestone@substack.com
I love a deadline too, Laurie! Thank you for sharing and, Sari, thank you for asking. ♥️
Great introduction and looking forward to meeting you "face to face" on Zoom tomorrow @Laurie Stone
I love this! Laurie's take on writing is brilliant and I'm so happy I've had the chance to write with her and learn from her and Richard.
I love this: “The narrator can’t ask the reader for love or understanding. The narrator can’t lead the witness to confirm a set of values and understandings. The reader gets to feel whatever the reader spontaneously feels from what you’ve created for them.”
It applies to making and viewing visual art, as well. Thoughts for the studio…
every word of this was a delight!—so much wit and whimsy—but i cackled aloud at this tart bit of truth: "...if you hear the phrase, 'Everyone has a story,' please understand this is a colossal piece of stupidity." oh, my heart expandeth.
Dear Laurie, writing my comment, I thought we can discuss different meanings of a story. I loved the light spirit of your answers to Sari, especially about your reaction to your friends mentioned in your stories. I didn't comprehend that your singular meaning of story would get such a negative reaction on my comment. I am very sorry. Of course, a story is the work of art, but how it becomes work of art depends on talent of a writer. I know nothing about writing workshops and their programs. I am not a writer. I began writing my memoir for my daughter and grandchildren but was carried away in the process by the idea that my writing is not only about my life, it is much more serious, it is about Soviet Russia, Stalin, communists, gulag, and poor people stupefied by the propaganda. My memoir is the complex of stories of what happened in my life from the today's POV. But my stories stay objectively my realities, they happened, my opinion as the opinions of readers would be subjective and unlike.
Sorry for such prolong text. I find you very interesting and reading right now Geoff Dyer's Out of Sheer Rage reminds me our interest to the same writers. Substack is new to me.
You are writing in a way very different from what I'm proposing in the area of literary writing, and literary writing is my only focus in my comments about "story." Yes, people here appear to be quite annoyed with my views, but what can you do? I'm never trying to please people or convince them to think like me. I'm talking about what interests me and what I work on and the way I work in order to seduce the reader to keep reading. That's my only object, really. It's never private writing. It's always intended for publication.
A quick further thought about dramatic narrative as opposed to other forms, such as writing that illustrates an argument, or a thesis, or an arrived-at understanding, based on the moral parable. Dramatic narrative, lacking an arrow with an end-point it's driving toward, respects the imagination of the reader and in that way seduces the reader to stay with the words. Assuming they are sexy, comical, and surprising. I love the idea of respecting the imagination of the reader.
Delightful to read such a sophisticated interview. Though, don't agree with a stupidity of the opinion that "everyone has a story." Leo Tolstoy had a story about Anna Karenina in 19th century, I have a story about my motherland. Tolstoy story lives already two centuries, and mine is not yet and maybe never will be published. Why we have be so arrogant? Especially, if we have the same taste in literature: Lydia Davis, Olivia Laing, and Geoff Dyer...
What I man is that everyone has experience and things that happen to them, but a story is something else. It's the work of art making that uses the techniques of narrative. They need to be learned and practiced. I don't think there is such a thing as an intrinsically interesting story or an intrinsically uninteresting story. The story is not about what happened. It's about what the narrator makes of what happened. I know that workshops and writing programs that promote the idea that everyone has a story and that experience is the same thing as "story" make a lot of money. If you find me arrogant, then I am not a writer you should read. There are so many other writers to enjoy.
I'd like to think that everyone has a story, but maybe not a story that others are interested in hearing. Or the way they tell the story doesn't spark interest. It depends on what your definition of a "story" is. In my writing salons, I encourage people to dig deep, write about things that may have been hidden away, and write about it in a surprising way. I do love what they read back to me! Does that make sense?
I am sure your workshops are as brilliant and generative as you are. I am saying I don't think people's lives are "stories" because a story, to me, is not about what happened, it's about what the narrator makes of what happened. That is all a story will ever be to me.