Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the cache-master domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/merriama/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131
Página 68 – Sitio sobre chorradas acerca de cómo escribir ficción

Blog

  • Completo o incompleto: anatomía de la anacronía narrativa



    photo of a station clock
    Photo by Justus Menke on Pexels.com

    Aquí voy, de nuevo a meterme en camisa de 3 varas[1] (para alguien pequeño como yo, bastan 3 varas para que sea una empresa un tanto… imposible).   
    Y para eso, hay que recordar que es una anacronía porque entre la entrada pasada y esta, a mí, ya se me olvidó.


    ANACRONÍA

    Una fábula es el recipiente formal de un algo que se cuenta, mientras que la historia es un orden de una sucesión de eventos. Cuando entre ambas cosas en un texto narrativo, no existe correspondencia, hablamos de anacronía…

    Ah sí, claro lo entendí re bien. La fábula (el cómo se cuentan las cosas) puede contar acontecimientos de forma que no sigan la línea cronológica del orden de los acontecimientos (historia). A eso se le llama anacronía. Cuando la linealidad de la historia se rompe en una linealidad distinta para presentarla de acuerdo a un orden conveniente para la forma de la fábula.

    COMPLETO E INCOMPLETO

    ¿Serán las anacronías algo que requiera salsa y limón para estar completas?

    Y casi. El asunto es que, toda fábula es una anacronía. Debido a que siempre tiene que suceder algo primero y las cosas van sucediendo, no sucedieron de modo tal que algo se puede contar primero aún sin haber sucedido antes. 
    Por lo tanto, al comenzar en algún punto del pasado y seguir narrando todos los acontecimientos hasta el «presente» narrativo, es signo de una anacronía completa. Con lo que no hubiera tenido que tomarme la molestia de intentar comprender nada… Pues este tipo de anacronía sería un discurrir simple y sin alteraciones en el orden de los acontecimientos, comparados con la forma en la que se presentan. En una anacronía completa, no hay saltos hacia eventos pasados o futuros. Se cuenta desde el «inicio» la progresión de la historia hasta el final.


    A diferencia de las anacronías incompletas. Que son saltos entre el tiempo regular (hilo narrativo) y la regresión o la anticipación. La regresión o anticipación no terminan de regreso en el hilo narrativo o tiempo regular.

    PUNTUAL Y DURATIVA

    … Según esto, las anacronias puntuales están identificadas como oraciones con el tiempo pretérito indefinido[2]. Y esto me causa varias dudas existenciales porque según una búsqueda rápida en ya sabes goondle… El pretérito indefinido es el pasado terminado y finito (ya concluido)…

    Ayer fui a nadar.
    Aprendí alemán el invierno pasado.
    ¡Ya terminé de leer Crimson Relish en Telegram!

    … Que en 1973 pasó a llamarse Pretérito perfecto simple para la RAE. ¿Se llamaría indefinido porque el marcador de tiempo es un momento finalizado pero bastante vago? ¿Es puntual porque se sale inmediatamente del hilo narrativo en curso? Llamen a los bomberos…

    Por otro lado las anacronías durativas las hallamos en imperfecto[3]… ¿Quién demonios les pone el nombre a los tiempos gramaticales? Por un lado, uno es indefinido aunque sepamos que ya se acabó y por el otro, uno es imperfecto porque no sabemos si ya se acabó…


    En fin que el tiempo imperfecto es un imperfectivo (?) que indica que la acción, el proceso o el estado expresados por el verbo se desarrollan de manera simultánea a cierta acción pasada. La forma «cantaba» es pretérito imperfecto (dice la RAE). No hay una sensación de cuándo se terminó la acción; a diferencia del vago pero muy marcado “ya fue” del pretérito perfecto simple.

    ¿PARA QUÉ SIRVE SABER ESTO?

    Ah… Pues, pues porque…
    Esto lo dice Mieke Bal, no yo y no he leído otros autores para comparar. Voy a citar.

    «El uso frecuente de la anacronía puntual se suele usar en un estilo llano[4]; las combinaciones sistemáticas de retrospecciones puntuales y durativas pueden crear —O al menos aumentar— la impresión de que la narratologia se desarrolla según unas leyes claras y causativas: un
    cierto acontecimiento causa el surgir de una situación que posibilita la aparición de otro acontecimiento, etc. Si las retrospecciones durativas son las dominantes, entonces el lector recibe rápidamente la impresión de que no está sucediendo nada de especial espectacularidad. La narración parece una sucesión de situaciones inevitables. «

    Mieke Bal. Teoría de la narrativa (Una introducción a la narratología)



    …. De lo que podría inferirse que, el uso de retrospecciones puntuales y durativas alternadas, es lo que da el sentimiento de causalidad que tan importante es para que una narración funcione.


    Sí es así o no… Habrá que averiguarlo.

    ¿Quieres sugerir anacronías textuales en forma de like para este texto? Adelante. ¿Suscribirte ? Que mejor. ¿Comentar? ¡Genial!

    Pasto Kalo.


    [1] 83cm por vara.

    [2] En aoristo en griego… No sé griego

    [3] Resulta más comprensible en inglés, porque en ese idioma, los tiempos gramaticales son los continuos; que son como un video con loop del pasado. La acción está SUCEDIENDO cuando algo la interumpe.

    [4] ¿?

  • How to write a fiction masterpiece… in theory 2

    low angle shot of man sculpture
    Photo by Fabio Mariano on Pexels.com



    Last time I reviewed a couple of advice points in a renowned site on How to do things and I plan tho continue with the rest. As you have seen, it is not as simple as they propose. Yet it is THAT simple. The thing is to recognize the problems of writing and being willing to solve them or enjoying solving them, more than the techniques. The techniques, you acquire them if you want to solve something. But are useless of you don’t want to solve it.

    4. START WRITING:

    In a video with more advice on how to write by Cesar Mallorquín (I haven’t had the pleasure of reading his work and the video is in Spanish but I’m telling you what he says anyways…); he advices to have the garbage bin handy.

    And this is relevant given the fact the famous site mentions to write on paper with pencil. Why? To eliminate the difficulty of feeling stuck on screen. A paper can easily be thrown away (remember to use it both sides, being wasteful has nothing to do with writer block) and it can be easier to ignore what you wrote before and continue by doodling or writing anything else.
    For some unknown reason (maybe the feeling that it is definitive), it is more complicated to DELETE what’s on screen than balling the paper and… Throw it away.

    This advice point should say: WRITE, WRITE, WRITE (something I haven’t been doing). AND FINISH WHAT YOU START. Bad or good, it will have to go throughout the process of edition (erase a lot, change POV ). If you’re like me, you’re bad at finishing stuff… For me, it was really useful to take a course on making clothes on Saturdays. And how the heck is that related to writing? Simple, it is not.

    Spending 2 months fighting a machine I didn’t have idea how to use, in a regular schedule and every Saturday; made me realize that, quitting feelings included, you end up with a child’s pajama set! Ok. That you can finish a project. Any project. Maybe in more time than the expected. Still, a project done!

    5. FACE YOUR WRITING IN SMALL PIECES:

    This website is wise. We can’t throw ourselves to be «the greatest writer of all times» or «to write the great novel» because we’re going to end up failing. In consequence, we should start the same way the anonymous author does. REPEAT AFTER ME: «Hi, my name is Doe/Joe Smith and I am a writer«. A page at a time, right?

    6. READ DIALOGUES ALOUD:

    The website says nothing about audio books and yet… Tentatively, said one author —whose name I don’t remember but if you know anything about, I’ll gladly receive any lead and give the proper credit[1]— «Don’t use the text left on the screen by the cat’s ass, no matter how cool it sounds. Audio books do exist«… Another media to make our talents public!

    As it is, the website mentions interjections and silences of real life that become bothersome in a novel’s dialogue but passes by the need of review.

    It is awfully tiring to read aloud, long and poorly punctuated sentences that don’t flow at all. Plus the difficulty of changing voices, accents (most authors don’t but you might feel a bit of seiyuu) and to top it, get perfectly stuttering and stop and go silences. Think your throat will pay the price of you become successful![2]



    It also prevents you or helps you (your choice) from/to choose overwrought words. Some readers prefer a simple speech and some others, pages plagued of words that need a dictionary. Reading Gerry [Durrell] you find every now and then unknown words. Contrasting with Danielle Steel… In such case, you better not let go of the dictionary.
    Maybe and this is my nosy opinion because I’m great [farting sound], it is unavoidable depending on the context.

    The noble enchanted prince [Oxford degree] snorts a «What’s ap dude»… And excuse my double use of question marks…. ¿Who the beep wrote this? Is he a prince Oxford educated or is he an American guy?

    Now, returning to the website advice… It asks you not to be so obvious by telling: ”I’m not happy in this marriage». Instead, it recommends showing an uneven, unconnected and unequal dialogue that will prove how the marriage is a proven disfunctionality. Asimov would have said something like: They were happy. She told him things and he didn’t bother listening to.

    Author’s originality strikes back! Just be kind. Information shouldn’t be repeated every other page unless you’re writing a legal contract in which you need to prevent loops. Readers can remember on their own. The white queen id one of those books I’m not finishing. It has at least three times, yes three times, the same thing repeated. Either as explanation, dialogue and then the same… And it is not regressive iteration. It is pure and simple repetition. Don’t do that.

    For today, that’s more than enough. You need to go and write and make mistakes and come back and check on more advice on how to write fiction. Or not. Maybe you just need a course and not this nonsense of blog. But if you needed it and liked it…. Give me a like, subscribe and comment! Pasto kalo.


    [1] He was invited to explain what he had learnt writing his book in Terrible minds, Chuck Wendig’s blog. Now, there are so many of them I can’t really remember his name or review them all.

    [2] Think in possible podcasts, radio émissions and audio books. Not that I have ever been published. I know because I read aloud things for my own YouTube channel in Spanish and Gerry Durrell leaves me breathless sometimes. Ah, interested? Here’s the link. So far I’ve uploaded the three whole books of the Corfu Trilogy, Konrad or the child who came out a tin;  A fishing boat without fisher, Me Jane searches Tarzan and Green fried tomatoes is still being recorded. If you’re not… let the Earth swallow you… Kidding. No problem.

  • Vive la égalité!

    No sé ustedes pero sólo por el punto de la igualdad deberían existir este tipo de cosas más a menudo en los medios.

  • Upon fire

    crop faceless couple holding hands on balcony
    Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com

    Desire spreads in breathless seconds,

    It is just inequitable,

    to say I’m sinking in love.

    For it’s just kisses,

     randomly popping as I fancy.

    Any person,

    anybody.

    Quietly…anyone around could be…..

    wishing to be involved,

    anyone, anybody.

    A hand on mine,

    some light lip brushing,

    anytime.

    Until the reason chickens,

    chickens out.

    Since it’s not the same.

    My cowardice acknowledges I’m being too much a wuss[1].

    Is it too freaky,

    to wish for the real?

    The one who was chosen, memories ago?


    [1] Fiction again…

  • Idéntico pero diferente: la función de la iteración retrospectiva en la narrativa




    empty gray and white concrete spiral stairs
    Photo by Mithul Varshan on Pexels.com

    Mo….cos. Acabo de aventarme un título que suena más difícil que el trabalenguas de los tres tristes tigres, que ya no tragan trigo porque tragar es una palabra ofensiva. ¿Qué harán ahora? Déglutir, tal vez. Solo que deglutir ya no queda en el trabalenguas…

    Y vaya que creo que tendremos que atravesar Mordor… Corrección porque eso salió muy raro. Nada de Mordor. Esto es bien fácil y lo has visto montones de veces en cómics y novelas de misterio. Son especialidad de la señorita Marple y realmente no necesitan un título tan dificultoso porque ya he mencionado su uso y si ya sabes para que sirve repetir una escena en retrospectiva, puedes brincarte esta entrada.

    ITERACIÓN RETROSPECTIVA

    Y es que todo consiste en traer a cuento la misma escena pero narrada desde otro punto de vista. Entonces tienes la misma cosa pero diferente. Diferente porque en esta ocasión, hay información esencial que nadie nos había dicho.



    Puede ser que la única variación sea cambiar el punto de vista y con ello, nos enteramos de lo que piensa el otro personaje y entonces vemos la escena como algo más romántico o como algo todavía más terrorífico. O puede ser que Miss Marple le añade una conexión que no vimos y de repente, ya todo tiene sentido.

    ELIPSIS

    Es por eso que la iteración retrospectiva, se usa para llenar lagunas o elipsis dentro de la línea de tiempo de la fábula para que la historia esté completa o para cambiar nuestra opinión con respecto de un personaje.

    Por lo que, esta iteración no retrospectiva no trae a colación nada nuevo sino que sirve de pequeña formalidad.

    Si acabas de leer esta entrada y sientes la necesidad de repetir la escena con el gran cambio de un like en ella o dejar un comentario… ¿Qué esperas? Gracias por leer.

  • How to write a fiction masterpiece… in theory

    low angle shot of man sculpture
    Photo by Fabio Mariano on Pexels.com



    What an excitement! We’re to write our first baby!  By the end of the pregnancy, we can start to feel like killing outselves, thus write your will and hang on, some kids take longer than others to be born. Now, the advice to write.

    1. DETERMINE THE STAGE AND BASIC PLOT:

    Planning….  It is more difficult than it seems. Besides Sarah Domet’s (90 days to your novel), we can use the one of the website; to make lots of questions about the thing itself (novel, short story, being, etc). Yet, before that. One thing that can help is to choose the genreso you know the requirements or points to be fulfilled and the controlling idea. The controlling idea is like a compass to guide you in the wild.

    Consequently, decide if it is romance, sci-fi or an erotic depiction for vampires. Also, pick up if revenge is satisfying or it destructs the main character. If love is not enough or if love conquers all. That’s the controlling idea.


    2. AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DECISION, THE POV:

    I didn’t use to know that POV means the point of view of the narrating voice; so I said in the original entry that they were confusing point of view with the narrator. Now I know, it is about who is telling, therefore the narrating voice is the POV.

    And despite this decision looking a bit obvious, it is not. First because names such as first person, limited third person and omniscient person can change to the tune of the person doing the explanation. Just like «if clauses» can turn into «present conditional»/»zero (first, second…) conditional» to the tune of the elite person in the throne of knowledge who wishes to change the furniture of the office with a name makeover. And if you don’t actualize your vocabulary, you’re taken as obsolete no matter how much a network FTP is the same thing as “the cloud”.

    Therefore, we need to decide who is going to speak. Because of three reasons.

    a) Clarity of speech (with this you know what grammar to use).

     b)Chasm (I’ll clarify this later) and

    c)Head hopping.

    About the chasm, Robert McKee thinks to change the POV to every action the characters do, since this is what creates the chasms that keep the reader hooked into your piece; since they’re the things that complicate the main character’s life.

    I’ll explain myself: if the detective is hoping to get the door opened for him, he is sent to the freakish Goulag cause he got in turn, an old moody goat who hates cops. In consequence, he doesn’t open the door and the detective work gets delayed. He can’t talk to the one only witness because; cherry on top, our detective has been accused of excessive strength before thus he can’t irrupt in the place. Then, he gets to talk to the moody goat by cheating him with a fake warrant. The lead ends being pretty vague due to the old goat wearing magnifier glasses or glaucoma. Your call. As a matter of fact, this advice is mostly about picking a narrator and following their POV for as long as possible but following the actions a character would take against the expectations of the character in spotlight. It makes sense… In novels and short tales (specially in short tales where there’s no really much time to be switching POV). But…

    What happens in comics and movies? A comic, image wise, is much more flexible than a novel —were we doing a long one. A four choma or strip, doesn’t have that leisure.

    A comic can even be deemed more flexible than a movie script. Why? Because movies with a voice in off explaining things… Don’t work as well as movies where the things are being shown. It is not as easy have this «I am Peter Parker» in off or omniscient anonymous narrator who never said a mu until the breaking heart event. Movies almost never have a limited narrator such as friend or bystander since it has the advantage Hillary Mantel mentions in Adaptation[1]: movies have a spotlight of a camera telling us, this is your hero.

    When writing, we need to think the capabilities and weaknesses of our media. In movies we expect movement and action not a voice in off telling us what’s happening. In a novel it is all right to have thoughts and more thoughts despite us needing conflict. A comic can have both. McKee says a boring book is one with a lot of explaining…

    I doubt McKee read “Doña Flor y sus dos maridos[2]” by a Brazilian called Jorge Amado in spite of (I think) liking the movie. En the book, there are a lot of «explanations» in recipe form of all the dishes the FL can cook —speaking of recipes l, if you happen to speak or be learning Spanish, Meg’s kitchen has a lot that look quite delicious or at least, are written as Sunday friendly gossip[3].

    A movie has music to take us to feelings. It has visual rhythm. A novel is made in fists of words. This one in particular is a little bit like  “The witches of Eastwick”  by John Updike, in the sense that everything that might look as redundant in a not as experienced author’s writing, gets a rhythm with Amado: 1, 2, 3 turn around, 4, 5 step ahead, stomp, do a hand right pass, turn again and the double is over.

    It is the tool for an author to rise tension or to indicate tension or, as in Mistress Flor’s inquiry, to burn slowly unable to quench your tail. And it depends on how each writes.

    3. WRITE A SKETCH:

    ¿Isn’t it already sketched? To Domet, we have already done that entire job. To Libby Hawker (“Take off your pants!”), we have already established motivations, strengths and weaknesses and the rest of almost entrepreneurial info! In my opinion what follows is the next advice.However, for the moment, that’s more than enough. You have material to think over until the next advice.

    Pasto Kalo. Have fun thinking how to solve the problem. Gift me a like, subscribe, comment. Or maybe not. This is… Pure fiction. 


    [1] One of the five Reith lectures of 2017. You can get it in the BBC radio website.

    [2] Back then I read it in thin slices. It was and still is a very curious thing filled in Brazilian cuisine. You can watch the movie in YouTube, it is part of a cinema university course. It is in Portuguese but I don’t know if there are subs in English.

    [3] Thank you for reading the nonsense in this blog. I hope you’re still around cause without you, I wouldn’t be translating. I’d love to know how to really cook and invent recipes but it seems I’m just an inventor of bubbles.

  • Love ain’t so far away

    crop faceless couple holding hands on balcony
    Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com

    Cuddly balled on my bed.

    Small as well as silent.

    She remains my kin,

    Unless a fire.

    My friend,

    Unless earthquake.

    And my one,

    Unless my death.