June 18, 2009
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Watching the world from a bench
It seems as though we live in a different world than people did in the ancient past. We have cities with huge skyscrapers, cars on paved roads, and the internet. But really it is the same world. And it is still the case that it is full of unreasonable people who are not very bright, are cranky and ungenerous, and it is still the case that we are those people.
Why do humans need clues? We need clues because we can only be in one place at a time. Thus, we might not have been there when someone spilled the orange juice, or the dinosaurs went extinct, or someone created the universe. That is why we need clues.
The world is a grand setting of comedic situations waiting to happen. The characters are in motion, each with different desires, goals, opinions, and personalities. Then they collide, and the situations happen; be ready to play your part.
Every person has a certain mind which includes the specific content of their life and what they feel. Perhaps a person could be imagined to be suddenly given the ability of good writing, and would then be able to write at length everything they thought about life so that when other people read it, they would then understand that person entirely. But we are not good writers, and so our lives remain mostly unknown to others.
A pessimist is a person who is convinced they will die one second before thinking of the perfect epitaph.
That's all for now—the night approaches as does the need for a good novel. Farewell to you, friend.
Comments (9)
"The world is a grand setting of comedic situations waiting to happen."
Good words, good words. Do you read Donald Miller? His next book is about how he learned to edit his life based on movie structure. Interesting stuff.
@Dominic_Ville -
Really now. That is indeed interesting. Is it the same one which I thought was going to be about plot structure/how to construct a story? Sounds like it, only with an added twist, which makes it sound even better.
I watched a youtube video where he was interviewed at this conference called 'Point Loma Writers,' and he does have some really great thoughts on how people come to conclusions/how to make a point in writing by mixing several stories together so people see the connection between them. His thoughts on it were really provocative and insightful.
Searching For God Knows What, especially the first chapter on formulas and the chapter on Lifeboat Theory, has been especially helpful over the years.
@StrokeofThought -
It was originally called "Let Story Guide You" and was slated for release in 2008 but for whatever reason was postponed (maybe he changed directions for the book) until October 2009. I was lucky enough to grab an advanced readers' copy last week.
I almost watched that Point Loma video the other day but I think I saw that it was longer than 2 minutes and instead watched a shorter video about Facebook or something.
@Dominic_Ville -
Yeah the first 20-30 minutes is him reading from To Own a Dragon, but the last half is an interview which is pretty decent.
Lucky you - have you been reading it?
@StrokeofThought -
Yeah I finished it in 2 or 3 days. His writing is very easy to read.
I enjoyed reading this. But then again, I always enjoy your posts.
thank you.
"A pessimist is a person who is convinced they will die one second before thinking of the perfect epitaph."
that would be me
I find that it's when I'm NOT ready to play my part that everyone around me finds the situations most comedic.
It is indeed quite wonderful to be here in Oxford. I get sworn into the Bodleian library and start my tutorials tomorrow.
I'm not entirely certain who will be here as well (laughs), but I will certainly be looking! I do know that I'm living a few doors down from Mr.Dawkins, which I find a bit amusing, personally. (I'm not a fan of his writing)