I Love Stories




I've never found it surprising that many book people end up studying literature or English in university. I'm currently in the application process, so this was even something I considered, but after finishing an English essay on Hamlet, I had an epiphany.

I hate essays. That's nothing new. What I realized is that I don't care much about the literary aspect of a story.

Good writing is nice, but it's not a requirement for me. I appreciate words, but I've never been the most eloquent writer. My style is factual and I think a little choppy. I know people with the skill to write intricate, weaving sentences. They're the people excelling at purple prose, and reading a well written passage is always a breath of fresh air. However, to this point I still don't feel like good writing draws me to a book.

Melina Marchetta, one of my favourite authors.
I mean, what is good writing anyway? I consider any story that interests me good writing. I don't look at it with more depth, except to gush about Maggie Stiefvater, Melina Marchetta, and Holly Black. All I really care about most are the characters, the plot, and the overall execution of the premise.

During a Lauren Oliver event, one of the most interesting things she said was that taking English at NYU taught her about writing, but she never learned of plot. She would write hundreds of pages of beautiful words but she couldn't connect them in a good story until Before I Fall.

This came as a surprise to me because the story is what I love.

Lurking in the world is a bit of snobbery when it comes to reading. Book worms haven't always had the best reputation because in our extroverted society, people don't understand the merits of staying home to read rather than going out to a party. Maybe I'm the only person to have dealt with this, but reading isn't always something people respect, especially the people that consider it "boring".

I was partaking in the daily struggle of walking upstairs to my locker when I heard someone say, "Why read the book when you can watch the movie?" Frankly, this attitude of misunderstanding the brilliance of our quiet hobby can get to bookworms, so I do notice some arrogance. It's where the "reading is sexy" campaigns come from.

Who does this? This does not look comfortable.
I may be mis-characterizing this, but it has gotten to the point where there is a certain pride in reading books, and a disdain for those that don't. We're the smart ones that actually partake in an art worth doing. We're the deep ones full of potential and complexities.

This isn't a prevalent attitude. Most bookworms I've met are superb, intelligent people. I can't pretend though that my hobby makes me any more intelligent than if I were a movie junkee or a video game junkee. I don't feel like I enjoy books because they're intelligent and make me look at the world differently every day. Some do, but I generally read for enjoyment, not enlightenment.

I love stories.

It shouldn't have surprised me when I realized I was a fan of watching hockey. It did though, and it was such a sudden thing: one week I didn't watch hockey, the next I did. Maybe it was a phase, but it has lasted two years. I used to characterize myself as a bookworm and so it felt wrong to like watching a sport. Like, wasn't that what brain dead jocks did?

After some reflection though, I've realized that as someone who loves stories, sports are another story. They're a story of goals and shots and win and losses. There are narratives everywhere with suspect reliability. Having a team I'm a diehard fan for is absolutely ridiculous, because it's just a game, but that's the same way people belittle books; they're just words. They're not. They are stories.

My last major interest is once again new. I've always loved to sing. I grew up watching American Idol with my parents, and I remember trying to sing with the contestants as a kid. Whenever I was given a music creativity assignment like composition, I always loved it. However, I never felt like a music person. I couldn't relate to lyrics and voices: music never changed my life, and I didn't need it like some other people do.

Even now, I'm not overly passionate about it, but music makes me happy. I listen to house, electric, techno, all those styles and I read somewhere that music is the only thing that can make you use all parts of your brain at once. I think that's especially true for me. Songs can awaken feelings that matter. They can be emotional and most importantly, they are a story in themselves. The best songs are the ones that make a history for themselves within my consciousness, so when I hear the song, I'm also feeling the story. "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia is one of my favourites for this.



The song makes me nostalgic, and it's like a balm telling me whenever I'm not sure of myself or my life that everything can work out. It reminds me to move on, and so through the beats and melodies and lyrics, it's another story: mine.

Stories can be found everywhere through different mediums. Different mediums speak to people. Ultimately though, I've found that I don't really care about words: I care about plot and characters. I don't care about hockey: I care about my team. I don't care about music: I care about complex melodies. I care about stories more than the art form itself. How about you?

-P.E.

8 comments:

  1. That's very deep and interesting to think about. I sometimes care about words, because they can have such a powerful and special meaning. Some books ended up being a favourite, just because I love the way they are written. But most of it, I agree that it's about the story. The journey you make through the fantasy of someone else, the characters you meet and how everything ends :)

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    1. I don't think I've ever really liked a book just because it was written well. I liked it because the characterization was strong, but not just writing. That's cool that you did though- that's kind of my inspiration for this post, that people are different.

      -P.E.

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  2. Maggie Stiefvater and Melina Marchetta just awe me with what amazing writers they are. They're both so exceptionally gifted with words in a way that I can only dream about, and they're the two names that immediately pop into my mind when I think of authors whose books I love because of the writing itself.

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    1. They are incredibly talented, but for me, their writing is a bonus. I became bigger fans of theirs after I read their more fantasy-ish, plot and character driven novels. I prefer Melina Marchetta's fantasy books, and I truly became a fan of Maggie Stiefvater after The Scorpio Races.

      It's cool though, differences of opinion and stuff.

      -P.E.

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  3. Yes yes yes! A million times yes. Ingrid and Kristan completely identify with what Lauren said about learning to write beautiful words but not put together a compelling plot. Sarah and Kristan totally get what you're saying about sports being another form of story. And all 4 of us (but especially Sarah and Stephanie) are with you on the music. So much wisdom in this post! <3

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    1. Glad you like it! I honestly think the idea of "story" is a little ignored, but it's legitimately everywhere. That's why I really don't like snobbery when it comes to books, or sports, or even the weird techno music I like. It means something to me, and that's what matters. :)

      -P.E.

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  4. I agree... I don't read to be more intelligent but to read a story. A story to get me out of where I am and off to a far away land. I too love love music. I really love to dance too. I am passionate about it. There are some blogs I have found that are about 1000 albums before you die (Instead of 1000 books to read before you die). I always find those blogs fun!

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    1. The music blog sounds really cool. Link? And do you like to dance in general, or is there a specific type you do? I enjoy dancing, but dance class taught me I'm probably not the most technically sound dancer :p

      -P.E.

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