Take Away
A quote, by the writer who has become, perhaps, my favorite fiction author:
You know you've achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away.
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery, from Wind, Sand and Stars
I think of it as applying, yes, to design, but to life. I think I started my adult life thinking of things I would acquire--a car, a house, furniture to put in the house, and so on. And now that I am older, I am constantly simplifying. I need less, not more.
And of course, like everything . . . it applies to the writing. Yesterday's post brought comments from John L. Krueger (who has a MUST-read Demon Dog story on his blog . . . you will not be sorry if you visit) about back stories, and how he was taught by a legendary editor to remove them. I used to think writing was so much about what ended up on paper. But now I realize, so much of writing is in what I take away. So that only what is essential remains.
I never realized life would be about what I give away. What I pack away. What I no longer feel I have to have. About every word I delete. About the the back stories I remove. Wind, Sand and Stars is a beautiful memoir . . . and I wonder even in its title. When I think of the world, so much of it is mucked up beyond belief by humans and their excessive consumption--landfills and pollution, global warming. But the creator of the universe, whoever that might be, or the magic of a Big Bang, brought us Wind, Sand, and Sky. Anything we add to it just screws it up.
Thoughts?
Peace today, all,
E
23 comments:
We had a new kitchen countertop yesterday, and my husband is keeping the old old one in the basement to use as a work surface. And I clean green, using vinegar and baking soda. Like you say, simplifying.
Hi Edie:
Spring is arriving tentatively. I can hardly wait for my garden this year . . . definitely going to be a "green" summer. Compostiing this year!
E
Increasingly I find I'm less concerned about what I acquire but what experiences I experience. Buying the CD or downloading the music isn't as important as what I listen to. How I travel isn't as important as where I go and who I meet and what I see and experience when I'm there. The guitar I learn on isn't as important as the music I attempt to play. The books I own aren't as important as the books I read.
Certainly the size of the house or the furniture isn't as important as the family inside it or what we do together while we're there.
Mark:
Amen to that. I don't have much in the bank. But my house is a place that's a HOME. So it feels good when I am here. And always, if I have to choose between (like tomorrow) taking my kid to her first opera . . . or putting something in the bank . . . I pick the opera. The experience.
E
Since I grew up poor, it is sooo hard for me to give up stuff. I find myself hoarding things I'll never use. But a few years ago I tried to 'de-shitify' as one of my friends says. It does feel liberating, after you get used to it...
Great post.
christine:
My Significant Other grew up in poverty . . . and he is a compulsive hoarder. He also has major food issues as far as going hungry. If my fridge isn't PACKED to the point where you can't fit a single carrot in there, he has panic attacks. Meanwhile, I am constantly "de-shitifying." It's an endless battle. But I do understand it . . .
E
Does anyone remember the George Carlin skit where he asks the question, "What is a house, but a place to keep your shit? What happens when you have too much shit? You buy a bigger house!" Basically the whole skit was about our penchant for accumulating stuff we really don't need and what a ridiculous cycle that becomes.
What do you do when you have too many words? Write a bigger book!
Erica,
I almost forgot...Thanks for the plug!
;)
JLK
JLK:
I LOVE that "stuff" routine he does. And it's soooo true. I have a sister who is a wedding planner. In fact, I will have to post a link to her one of these days as she is SOOOOOOO talented. ANYHOO, as any wedding planner must be, she is good with lists and organizing. So one day, when we both lived in Florida, she came over to organize my house and office. We had containers, a label maker. Everything had a place. My office was neater. But then I just . . . filled up all the containers and it started spilling over again.
So now I am a chronic purger. I accumulate until I can't stand it, and then de-shitify, which thanks to Christine is my new favorite word.
E
P.S. And you're welcome. It's a GREAT post. But then, I am partial to demons.
LOL, love the de-shitify word. Great! And I don't have much moola in the bank either, and love giving to my family. It's all about sharing what we do have. My hubby accumulates "stuff" in his garage-guy-club. Not expensive thngs, just nuts,bolts, screws, old pieces of stuff. I have a grandson just like him. But, he does recycle things in a wierd way. Gotta love it! I call him Randy Nature.
ladonna:
Randy Nature. LOVE it.
You DO know it kind of sounds like a PORN name, dontcha?
;-)
E
>>de-shitify
LOL I love it too!! I'm a hoarder but getting better. I have to say watching shows like Clean House has really pushed me to get rid of!!! I'm totally a work in progress but I'm trying =)
I love that quote!
I love space/hate clutter, in life and on the page.
I have an aversion to "stuff." I used to be a hoarder before I had to pack away my mother's house. It's amazing what going through someone else's stuff teaches you about your relationship to things.
Now, I try not to accumulate anything I don't use. The same holds true for backstory in my work, I think. There is some, but it's used.
Amy:
I watch those shows in awe!
E
Jude:
My house would drive you batty.
E
J.K.
I can't imagine sifting through someone's life like that, let alone someone I love.
E
beautiful. I love the idealogy here. I grew up in poverty also - but I am not a hoarder at all. Perhaps because I grew up with next to nothing, I find the most pleasure in giving - I know that sounds corny, but it is true. I really don't need much myself - I am not materialistic no matter how hard I ride my hubby about a diamond ring (that's the only thing I actually covet and deserve - and I just kid about it actually). I actually dislike the growing for too much possessions. I would much rather live in a minimalistic zen like state of simplicity. Anyway, I am babbling!
ello:
Not babbling at all. I don't covet what a lot of people do. I actually, more than anything, covet time. I feel like I am always so busy and I would like more of it to just lie down with Demon Baby and stare up at tje clouds.
E
Oh, Erica, the last two posts were just what the doctor ordered today...
I'm purging and re introducing the essence of backstory where it needs to be in my ms now... I'm starting to get to the point where the finish line is looming and I'm excited about how it's shaped up - backstory and spoonfeeding are my worst foibles in writing. I allowed it in the rough drafts, but I can feel the difference in the clean up - hopefully I'm still this excited about it when I read it with fresh eyes before submitting.
I had a really hard time recognizing backstory for a long time. Once you see what you're doing though, that aha moment you talked about, and really get how it halts the story, it's liberating to cut it all out... or as much of it as is humanly possible... mine's got fantasy elements so it's become a creative game to try to include what the reader needs as reality in this story without halting their progress.
Hi Merry:
Dr. Orloff is happy to oblige.
You sound very psyched! What energy. :-)
E
I included a paragraph of backstory in my latest that a little niggle in the back of my mind said I didn't need.
I wish I hadn't. Too late now, but you know, I never learn. Those little niggles, however annoyingly soft, are ALWAYS correct. And always, no matter how many times I just dismiss them as little things, something I really need to fix.
Spy:
I hate them TOO!!!! I always get those little feelings later and want to kick myself.
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