Paul Sempschi wrote:
Aside from this, I am keeping my own dream log and experimenting with cut-ups. These are the only bits of writing I can manage. I for one understand Bill's own revulsion with writing fiction.
Kind of with you on this one, Paul. I used to write a lot in my teens and early twenties (mostly Sf and horror) but eventually it dawned on me that I simply don't have the ability to write convincing narratives. It was a terrible blow at the time, because I really did want to be a writer, but I've come to terms with it since. The thought of sitting down and writing a straightforward novel or short story fills me with horror now. It's a huge failing on my part because I suspect that if I
really applied myself I'd be able to come up with something passable. But it just seems like so much effort for so little reward. The markets are so overcrowded and the writers coming up are all so much smarter (and younger) than me, so I think I'll leave them to it. Like you, I stave off total creative atrophy by composing cut-ups and keeping dream logs. (I posted elsewhere on this forum that I'm working on a cut-up novel, although, to be honest, I'm not altogether sure that's actually what it is.) I do get the odd pang now and again, though, when I think to myself "Shit, wouldn't it be good to actually have an audience for this stuff", but I'm not aware of any markets that would be receptive to my esoteric ramblings, so my partner and a few select friends have to suffer them instead (bless them).
