I am reading Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. His style has been parodied so much that it always takes a minute or two to let go of the echo and immerse in the flow, but I find it very enjoyable once I do. He writes of sitting in a cafe in Paris on a cold rainy day, writing all day long on a story that at first writes itself. Then he has to apply himself, writing about Michigan while he sits in the cafe, and he wonders if he’ll write about Paris, sitting somewhere else (which of course he does). Very evocative, and I decided I’ll have to try that one day.
He writes about writing in a way I understand. The book led me. Now I have to work really hard, and I don’t necessarily always like this part. The detail work. The crafting, examining every sentence, listening for those pesky repetitive words, trying to make sure it all has a spirit and a flow and…at the very mimimum, makes sense.
It’s always so nice to see someone who writes stories as beautifully as you do admit that it doesn’t always just flow. I mean, we know, but…
I’m in one of those spots right now in my own manuscript. Blehhhh.
By the way, have you ever seen Babette’s Feast? I’ve been trying to find it after a recommendation by a friend who knew I loved Chocolat. Your post title (Hemingway’s, actually. Heh.) made me think of it.
Writing is always work. Really hard work, too.
I love Babette’s Feast. Do you have NetFlix? They’re a great source for foreign films.
I was in an Episcopal church group a couple years ago where we watched Babette’s Feast – the priest (a wonderful white-haired woman) said it was her favorite movie and deeply spiritual. Great movie.
Funny. When I was living in Australia, I was writing a lot about Paris. Moved here, don’t want to write about it, can’t disentangle myself from Southern California. I think I might move to California and go back to writing about Paris
Always good to hear how other writers work. I do the picky word stuff as I write–well, I write longhand in the morning then transcribe later, so I’m probably more conscious of it due to that process.
To quote the end of No Place Like Hime, it’s all good 😉
Gabrielle, have you read A Moveable Feast? It would be interesting to know how much of what he writes about is still in Paris.