Novels come from the streets -- your thoughts?

[fferyllt]

What's your view of how (and why) to write a great novel? Art? Commerce? Something else?
Pearl S. Buck (Nobelist 1938) argued that the art form expresses a deeper humanity. Too ambitious? Not lofty enough?
“I have been taught, therefore, that though the novelist may see art as cool and perfect shapes, he may only admire them as he admires marble statues standing aloof in a quiet and remote gallery; for his place is not with them. His place is in the street. He is happiest there. The street is noisy and the men and women are not perfect in the technique of their expression as the statues are. They are ugly and imperfect, incomplete even as human beings, and where they come from and where they go cannot be known. But they are people and therefore infinitely to be preferred to those who stand upon the pedestals of art.”

[Pandorra]

 If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a writer who is skilled enough to capture the essence of a scene within his words, bringing into play all of the audience's senses, is worth a whole hell of a lot more since he can prolong that moment indefinitely by completely lifting his readers from reality and into the world he creates.

Isn't that what good art is? Isn't that what we all want to achieve with our work? I think the more important question is how to reach a larger, more diverse audience who may interpret the work differently from one another and yet still be lost in the story you have to tell.

I think that's where genre and market come into play and where most writers lose their way. Just because it's beautiful or well written, doesn't mean everyone, or even the majority, will love it or be interested in what you have to say.

[lyndabelle]

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a writer who is skilled enough to capture the essence of a scene within his words, bringing into play all of the audience's senses, is worth a whole hell of a lot more since he can prolong that moment indefinitely by completely lifting his readers from reality and into the world he creates.

Isn't that what good art is? Isn't that what we all want to achieve with our work? I think the more important question is how to reach a larger, more diverse audience who may interpret the work differently from one another and yet still be lost in the story you have to tell.

I think that's where genre and market come into play and where most writers lose their way. Just because it's beautiful or well written, doesn't mean everyone, or even the majority, will love it or be interested in what you have to say.

How about this. The true art of writing is when you have people that love it and hate it. That way you have the whole spectrum of human interaction in the work. In other words, once you have your 1 star and 5 star review, you are a true writing artist. 

[TimothyEllis]

How about this. The true art of writing is when you have people that love it and hate it. That way you have the whole spectrum of human interaction in the work. In other words, once you have your 1 star and 5 star review, you are a true writing artist. 

That is just the start. The true spectrum is 20% for each of 1 to 5 stars. 

Anyone can polarize. But it takes true writer savant artist to spectrum it equally. 

[Pandorra]

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a writer who is skilled enough to capture the essence of a scene within his words, bringing into play all of the audience's senses, is worth a whole hell of a lot more since he can prolong that moment indefinitely by completely lifting his readers from reality and into the world he creates.

Isn't that what good art is? Isn't that what we all want to achieve with our work? I think the more important question is how to reach a larger, more diverse audience who may interpret the work differently from one another and yet still be lost in the story you have to tell.

I think that's where genre and market come into play and where most writers lose their way. Just because it's beautiful or well written, doesn't mean everyone, or even the majority, will love it or be interested in what you have to say.

How about this. The true art of writing is when you have people that love it and hate it. That way you have the whole spectrum of human interaction in the work. In other words, once you have your 1 star and 5 star review, you are a true writing artist. 

I don't think I will go looking for one-star reviews just to test the theory.. lol!