Is it strange? - Writers Forum

bnichole · 11-06-2007, 10:17 PM

As a newbie writer amidst long time professionals, I feel the need to have something that makes my stories my own. A trademark, if you will. (yeah, not sure why I'm writing all "sophisticated" right now, but oh well.) I wrote a short story about a girl in an insane asylum in which she describes the white walls in a slightly disturbing manner. Later, I wrote another shorty in which my primary character goes to the hospital and describes her detest for the sanitary white walls surrounding her. I feel that there's a lot of symbollism that goes into the white walls, and even included it in a piece about a girl sitting in her living room suffering from some sort of delihrium. I'd like to make that my signature detail, but I recently wrote another bit and the walls came out a bit forced.
So I suppose what my question is is would it be sensless to include that detail, even if it is my constant, if it doesn't really fit? I'm kind of stuggling with that dillema...Maybe just not write stories where it can't be included? I DUNNO!!!!!

mwd · 11-06-2007, 11:39 PM

Personally, I think it's silly to recycle the same bit of description over and over. It doesn't really make your stories your own, it just makes it seem like you were too lazy to think of something new.

I think a writer's personality comes through his/her voice and unique perceptions, not by including white walls in every story.

wheelz1138 · 11-07-2007, 12:43 AM

I agree with mwd. In a way, you might say don't wall yourself in to bad stories. (sorry for the pun)

JohnN · 11-07-2007, 07:10 AM

I agree with MWD. Don't recycle the same stuff over and other again. Though you may have a theme in your novels. e.g. Crime Thrillers. The same descriptions would make you look lazy.

As said above your voice, will echo through your words.

l'etranger · 11-07-2007, 01:39 PM

Agree with all the above. It's a silly idea to describe the same things over and over again. Number 1) there's a decent abundance of descriptions of white walls in insane asylums in literature and 2) a trademark in your writing is not writing the same thing over and over again. A trademark in your writing would, I suppose, be your writing style as opposed to what it is your describing.

Incidentally, have you any experience with insane asylums (if they're even called that nowadays)? I get the impression that what you're writing is somewhat, well, cliché. I wouldn't writing about an environment so far from your own world unless I had solid experience or authority to do so.

bnichole · 11-08-2007, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by l'etranger

I get the impression that what you're writing is somewhat, well, cliché. I wouldn't writing about an environment so far from your own world unless I had solid experience or authority to do so.

I have experience with a variety of psychotic disorders, which is really all I need for this story seeing as the asylum itself is really just mentioned at the end. thoughout the rest of the story it's not told that there's something wrong with her, but very much implied.

thanks you guys for the advise