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/lit/ - Literature

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7173447 No.7173447 [Reply] [Original]

What do you do when you need to express something but every word you pick only diminishes it?

>> No.7173462

>>7173447
Araeaaha.
That means I know that feel bro, and that feeling impacted me to my core, and my being has been touched to alter my intention.

>> No.7173497

>>7173447
Assuming the problem isn't just your shitty writing or vocab, maybe your focus is too narrow to capture what is really a complex gestalt. Try talking about all the little details and letting your reader soak up the meaning indirectly rather than hoping to capture something complex all at one shot. Remember complicated ideas take time to transfer.

>> No.7173517

>>7173447
Work out the core sensation I'm going for, and use the simplest word for that.

For instance, I realized most of my description for Egypt was long-winded so I decided to narrow it down the sensation of rubbing, and used syrupy and dry words to convey that further.

>> No.7173571

>>7173447
Read Wittgenstein and realize that language is shit.

>> No.7173879

>>7173571
I fail to believe people can not realize this for themselves.

>> No.7174072

>>7173879
Some can't.

There is also a degree to which we all do/don't, and question in the OP sounds like affected by medium realization of it.

>> No.7174339

>>7173571
And then what? Smear shit on paper instead?

>> No.7174357

>>7174339
And then you can either:
go modern minimalist
go DFW/DFW-fanboycore

Both these were/are heavily influenced by Witty

>> No.7174358

>>7173447
You try and write it anyway. That's what literature is all about.

>> No.7174803

>>7173447
use the word "indescribable"

fix'd m8

>> No.7175003

>>7174803
>attempt to write the next Ulysses
>685x undescribable

Lol rekt language

Derrida was right :^^^^)

>> No.7175020

>>7174803

if you describe something as indescribable you're not only describing it badly but also giving up on trying to improve the description at all

even when describing something as indescribable is appropriate it still needs some sort of reason to be like that - like those fiery eye angels or some eldritch abominations from fifth dimension that cannot be fully grasped by the human mind, and even then you can make the struggle to express it into something meaningful