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this was a very interesting read! although us-centric, the same effect can be seen all around the world, as literature programs in so many countries are modeled after the trends arriving from the usa. so give it a read, even if you hate us politics.

executive summary for writers: don't just fucking show, but also TELL!!!

currentaffairs.org/2022/04/how…

#writing


How Creative Writing Programs De-Politicized Fiction ❧ Current Affairs

In the shadow of the Cold War, the rise of creative writing programs and ‘show don’t tell’ philosophy drained fiction of its political bite.

Current Affairs
#writing
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It's good to see some push against the flat, so-called cinematic style of writing. Not saying people shouldn't do it if they want to, but there are so many other ways of writing. Same with the obsession with third person limited. To me, the overfocus on immediate sense data of a single character takes away some of what writing is uniquely positioned to do--showing us perspectives and placing us in the thoughts of other people. Not to mention, language isn't just a mirror or a window: it is a medium. Artfully shaping it is a part of the possibilities of the form. It's fine if people want to write in a way that doesn't call attention to the language, but the affordances, limitations, and quirks of language itself are a potential vehicle for beauty and and can be profoundly interesting.
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