Don't Marry the Fly

Don't Marry the Fly was my favorite chapter thus far in Writing Down the Bones. This chapter brings light to the ever so prominent problem between the reader and writers communication through words. Most people spend their lives communicating with one person at one time, making the message clear between the listener and communicator. However, authors have the opportunity to communicate with millions at different times of day or even years. If the message isn't clearly stated then confusion sets in and that is what is displayed in this chapter.

The book goes onto explain that when faced with opportunities to write about many different details of a place environment or person, its essential to know your story and the direction your heading in. In the book the author refers this reference to a fly in a diner. If the story is about the diner, acknowledge the fly but don't obsess on it. If you get to focused on the fly then the millions of readers would essentially be lost, knowing that we were previously discussing the diner.

This particular chapter really hit home with my individual struggles of comprehending some novels i've read in the past. I, myself tend to wonder when reading, I enjoy that aspect of it. I'll be reading a line in a book then start thinking of creative ways to do an intro for an interview piece or different ways to create a 3 dimensional environment in my 3D software. This however, is only temporary and I quickly get back to the book. Up until now I've always believed my self to no be that great of reader but really I read fine and its quite possible that the communication is lost between me and the writer. Like the fly on the diner table, my attention is drawn because the author spent to much time explaining irrelevant facts.

This goes to say that if this particular phenomenon happens it doesn't mean the writer is "bad". For some, the over emphasis on minute details might make the story. For others like me, it might make the mind wonder. I't all goes back to writers having to communicate with millions, a task that sounds quite daunting to tell you the truth.