Can I borrow a minute of your tomorrow?

[raybear]

Nearly every train ride during prime time commute has me located next to someone reading a book by Dan Brown. Usually it's someone standing in the aisle or by the door, but this morning it was the guy sitting right next to me with The Da Vinci Code in his lap. I occasionally looked over and read along. He happened to be about 2/3 of the way through the book, on the chapter where they reveal who the Holy Grail is. Yeah, I said 'who'. Oh, am I ruining it? I guess I'll stop with the plot revelations, especially since I've only read two pages and there could be other twists and conflicts that contradict what I read. But I will never know. Except wait, I might see the movie.

I did glance at an article that talked about the cultural meaning of the popularity of this book, about how a story on a deep cover up appealing to the masses reveals how uncomfortable and scared we are as a society, and that part intrigues me. I'm okay with a good storyteller. Good storytellers can be paired with good screenwriters and/or directors and great movies can be made. But Dan Brown is a craptastic writer. I was cringing this morning on the train during the little bit I read.

Of course my over-reacting probably originates from a deep-seated fear that I am at best, a good storyteller but bad writer, and at worst, I suck at both. But I won't know until I actually start writing something, which hasn't happened in awhile. And won't happen if I keep placating myself with movies. But that won't stop me from the free premiere of Spike Lee's new movie tonight. I can keep brainstorming that novel tomorrow.

Comments

[loosethread.livejournal.com]

Do you know who wrote "White Devil in the City" or something like that? I've seen a zillion people reading this on the train lately. I was wondering if it was on Oprah's list or something.

[raybear.livejournal.com]

YES! Erik Larson. I see that one all the time too. I think it's the city of Chicago's "One Book" selection. Like every three months there's this campaign for everyone in Chicago to read and discuss the same book.

[mintwaster.livejournal.com]

I totally want to read that book. It's about the serial killer who preyed on people visiting the Chicago World's Fair. Except I'm scared.

Oh to start writing...

[triggerjane.livejournal.com]

I hear ya on the "I need to start writing...again" thing, and I'm with 100%. How and where to begin, so many ideas...so little...yeah, that's what I'm still trying to figure out!

[hipflickchick.livejournal.com]

Even if you don't like Dan Browns writing style, he is a good story teller. And his method of involving a mystery/thriller/puzzle with great European works of art and places of interest makes me want to do see them.

I've read two of his books and after that I see he's pretty formulaic. But yet he made me want to go visit the places he described. He even made the Pope's house (St. Pete's) sound interesting.

Oh yeah, and there's gristly gross detailed murders in his stories. (If you are into that sort of thing. I am.)

[ladyoffables.livejournal.com]

I've done this too on the train, numerous times. One day I happened to look over and notice the paragraph/line She felt as if his body were on fire. Yeah, that makes me so hot ::sarcasm::. I joted it down in my notebook as a reminder to myself not to ever ever write anything so flat and dull, at best (at worst, retch-inducing). Or atleast not publish it.

[vfc.livejournal.com]

I actually borrowed the Dan Brown books from my mom who said, "I thought you said you read an excerpt and thought it was awful." I told her, "Yeah, but if I'm going to effectively hate something, I have to know exactly what it is I'm hating so I can get into arguments at bars with people who liked it."