/lit/ - Literature

Can't

>>5655763
Why not?

>>5655761
Write what you know.

because then you're consciously trying to avoid being pretentious, or pretentiously not being pretentious.

>>5655766
All I know is pretension

>>5655766
>>5655771
'/lit/'

>>5655766
I'm currently writing an article about a man who was once homeless and who generally lived a pretty rough life.

I come from a very comfortable background, and my attempts to describe the area (Kings Cross, Sydney) where he lived and did drugs seem high and mighty.

I want to tell the mans story, but I'm afraid the differences in our lives reduces my ability to

>write what I know

>>5655764
Drawing a line in the sand to delineate something, this from that, supposes some greater knowledge than just letting things be. Just my pretentious 2 cents.

>>5655776
not aspiring to greater knowledge than one has (and having faith in not even trying, just accepting whatever comes out naturally as if its gonna be good) is the epitome of pretension though

>>5655775
You should visit Kings Cross, Sydney, and take notes on what characterizes it.

>>5655771
I wanna read whatever bullshit you're putting out

>>5655786
touche boss

captcha: kensuga captain

>>5655786
What about just knowing that you don't know?

>>5655787
I did. And I was told my characterisation was overly showboaty and directive. I think I need to take the description back a notch.

It was suggested I mention the differences in our lives. But I don't know how to do that either.

Thanks for replying

>>5655806
>gadfly_repellant.jpg
but yeah thats really the best way to avoid pretension

Have talent

When passion outweighs pretension good things occur.

>>5655761
Get famous enough for writing that it's okay to be pretentious.

>>5655816
Anyone have experience with that?

I've been trying to make a point of being concerned more with truth than being right but I still find myself with various biases and the need to 'win' debates.

>>5655807
You may have perceived Kings Cross, Sydney poorly, or your understanding of language is lacking. If Kings, Cross Sydney is a horrible place, then one surely cannot describe it with "overly showboaty" prose honestly.

>It was suggested I mention the differences in our lives. But I don't know how to do that either.

Make it evident the man is a human and even while living a rough life was human.

Write in first person. Then anytime you get called pretentious you can just say "flawed narrator" and win the argument.

>>5655835

>Kings Cross looks strange during the day, looks like a spent syringe, like all the vibrancy has been pumped out of it.

That's the opening line. What do you think? I can see it's a bit too showy and considering where I come from probably a bit contrived and snobby.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but you seem helpful Haha.

>>5655845
Try something like:
>Kings Cross is looking like a spent syringe these days.
The vibrancy stuff just doesn't make sense. The problem isn't really pretension, the narrative is just a bit weird.

>>5655836
Do this.

>>5655845
The opening line sounds like it belongs to the protagonist of a novel written in the first person. It also sounds dismissive and poorly written. You, in your particular case at least, want readers confident in your understanding.

>>5655853
The vibrancy relates to the bubble of activity that bursts every night in the Cross.

>>5655874
Yeah I was told it was dismissive, and I can sort of see that too. Can you please elaborate on what you think it is dismissive of? The Cross itself? Is it too reductive do you think?

The Cross is pretty fucking heinous, and that's the general consensus here in Sydney. It's full of strip clubs and shitty pubs with poker machines and drunkards and addicts. Shit goes down in the Cross, for real. I just don't really have the authority to comment on that 'shit'.

Thank you to both you lads (I'm assuming your lads), you're really helping me to reformulate my approach.

I think I might go back there tomorrow and jot down some observations. Going to try and keep it grounded, and stay away from overtly flowery metaphors.

>>5655845

I think it's best if you're honest. If you internally make value judgements, it's best to either legitimately overcome those or just write it as it is.

'King's cross is a pretty terrible place.' sounds more intriguing to me than whatever syringe reference you can muster, especially because whatever drug metaphor you employ will betray your ignorance of the culture and then it's cringe time.

>>5655884
Yeah I agree. I initially intended to write myself out of the article as much as possible. But part of me wants to talk about my personal perception of the place, of my apprehension before meeting Allen (the man the story is about) and of my discomfort with the fact that I do not belong here.

But I'm not sure. I want to be open and honest, but I don't want to write a fucken journal entry, you know?

>>5655830

When you say you want to be more concerned with truth than with being right, do you mean you are comfortable with being wrong as long as that realisation brings you closer to 'truth'?

If you want to explore the truth of something in your writing, maybe you should look at the thing from both ends, and take the varying perspectives into yourself so that you can fully hold them up to the light of scrutiny.

>>5655881
The word choice with the sentence structure being used makes it dismissive.

>Kings Cross [looks strange] during the day,[looks like] a spent syringe, [like] all the vibrancy has been pumped out of it.

The commas also help create a casual tone, which feels dismissive. "Spent syringe" acts as a spearhead for the casual tone. One should rationally approach writing articles with honesty. Honesty moves with sentence structure and language, of course.

"Kings Cross is spent like the many syringes that can be found there." That is perhaps a proper opening line to your article.