The WELL: inkwell.vue.145: David Menconi: Off the Record

#134: Jon Lebkowsky (jonl) Fri 19 Apr 02 16:41

Fri, 19 Apr 2002 16:41:00 PDT

It's been great, David! As Linda said, we can keep the topic going if you'd like. [Read entire topic]

#133: David Menconi (davidmenconi) Fri 19 Apr 02 15:28

Fri, 19 Apr 2002 15:28:00 PDT

>I'd like to ask about your description of the music, especially the Tony/Michelle interplay. Did you base those passages on particular real performances you'd seen? Is it easier to describe real than fictional performances?> >

It was a combination of performances I've actually seen, some I made up; a product of years & years of watching bands onstage, the way they look/smile/snarl at each other, and imagining what they must be thinking. I can remember some specific shows/bands that had particular impact. One example, NRBQ -- watching them play an all-over-the-place set full of turn-on-a-dime transitions, that was very useful in terms of imagining TAB doing a lot of different styles of music. Guided By Voices was another, since they basically play arena-rock shows in clubs full of Big/Grand Rock Gestures. Just saw Guided By Voices again the other night, in fact, which reminded me of how influential they were.

Just in case this is the end of the discussion, I wanted to say I've enjoyed it immensely and appreciate everybody's time and energy. muchas merci, gang. [Read entire topic]

#132: David Gans (tnf) Fri 19 Apr 02 15:16

Fri, 19 Apr 2002 15:16:00 PDT

Yes indeed! And I hope you;'ll hang out and continue. [Read entire topic]

#131: Linda Castellani (castle) Fri 19 Apr 02 14:27

Fri, 19 Apr 2002 14:27:00 PDT

Today is the last official day for this discussion, but you are certainly welcome to continue as long as you like. Thank you to David and Ed and all our online and offline participants! It's been quite an informative and entertaining read. [Read entire topic]

#130: Jon Lebkowsky (jonl) Fri 19 Apr 02 08:16

Fri, 19 Apr 2002 08:16:00 PDT

I'd like to ask about your description of the music, especially the Tony/Michelle interplay. Did you base those passages on particular real performances you'd seen? Is it easier to describe real than fictional performances? [Read entire topic]

#129: David Menconi (davidmenconi) Thu 18 Apr 02 07:40

Thu, 18 Apr 2002 07:40:00 PDT

>I've heard many writers speak of the technique of biological sketches to the point of writing complete family histories of a character to obtain a deeper understanding of what makes them tick.

Sure seems to have worked in your caee, David. I found Michelle and the drummer both to have deep layers of substance and believablity.> >

Thank ya kindly. These mini-biographies got pretty involved, although I didn't really go farther back than any character's parents in compiling everybody's personal histories. Maybe someday, I'll have occasion to put out the "director's cut" version of the book with all this stuff in an appendix. <grin> [Read entire topic]

#128: David Menconi (davidmenconi) Thu 18 Apr 02 07:36

Thu, 18 Apr 2002 07:36:00 PDT

>Did you do the tour diary while preparing, or after the book was finished?> >

About a quarter of Michelle's tour diary was cribbed from her character sketch, so that part came during the between-draft preparation stage. The rest, I wrote specifically for the website after the book was finished.

>Just curious, but a lot of what you've said about the technique of writing a novel makes me want to ask if you've ever taken a course in it. (I hope the answer is no; I have a belief that for people with talent, this sort of thing can be discovered spontaneously while you're doing it).> >

Nope, never took a course in it. A few close friends did offer very helpful advice. For example, the character sketches -- a suggestion from Juliet Wittman, my first editor (at the daily paper in Boulder, Colorado). But for the most part, it was a very solitary undertaking. I didn't let anybody see any of it until after the first draft was done. Partly, that was because I didn't want to start confusing myself with outside input while I was still in the middle of it. But it was also insecurity, I must confess. The whole routine of joining writers groups and going to readings to network sounded completely unappealing, and I wasn't sure my ego was up to it. So I just put my head down and muddled through on my own. [Read entire topic]

#127: sonically gorgeous with no real content (watadoo) Thu 18 Apr 02 03:31

Thu, 18 Apr 2002 03:31:00 PDT

I've heard many writers speak of the technique of biological sketches to the point of writing complete family histories of a character to obtain a deeper understanding of what makes them tick.

Sure seems to have worked in your caee, David. I found Michelle and the drummer both to have deep layers of substance and believablity. [Read entire topic]

#126: Berliner (captward) Thu 18 Apr 02 02:50

Thu, 18 Apr 2002 02:50:00 PDT

Just curious, but a lot of what you've said about the technique of writing a novel makes me want to ask if you've ever taken a course in it. (I hope the answer is no; I have a belief that for people with talent, this sort of thing can be discovered spontaneously while you're doing it). [Read entire topic]

#125: Jon Lebkowsky (jonl) Wed 17 Apr 02 21:12

Wed, 17 Apr 2002 21:12:00 PDT

Did you do the tour diary while preparing, or after the book was finished? [Read entire topic]