Re: JCO: The evolution of Oates writing style

Hi Kim,

I would definitely agree there is a difference in cinematic and
"televisic" writing. Cinema moves along visually. In fact, the best
feature film scripts (and the best films) are those with little
dialogue. Unless a voice-over narration has a specific purpose in a
film, it's usually a sign the story didn't hold together well or the
producers feel the story needs to be explained to sell. I can't think
of a "televisic" novel or writing, but TV moves forward mostly through
dialogue (at least all sitcoms do).

As a filmmaker, I was taught to make silent films first, thus to solve
plot, character, thematic, editing, etc. issues visually. This past
summer, I directed a short film of JCO's story Small Avalanches and it
took me a long time to find visual equivalents to the main character's
state of mind (the story is written in the first person) when writing
the script. I suppose it's the difference between interpretation of
written works and straight adaptation.

Best regards,

Lara

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RE: JCO: The evolution of Oates writing style

> Is there a difference between
> "cinematic" and "televisic" writing, given that film and television are so
> different?

My concept of cinematic writing is that the story is told in "scenes" rather
than in a traditional narrative (in the literary sense) by a narrator or in
a particular point-of-view. What I mean is that the story portrayed
cinematically leaves far more to the reader/viewer than a traditional
narrative style (for literature) would leave.

Think of some of the most well known movies of our time. How much of the
narrative within the context of the film is reliant on our (the audience's)
understanding of narrative and storyttelling? For example, in film
transitions, with regard to time, are minimal or at least, in the best work,
unobtrusive, yet still we understand that time has passed without some other
narrative voice intruding and saying "time passes."

This is my understanding of cinematic writing. The very act of reading a
book like Blonde requires more "work" on the part of the reader -- or
perhaps in the hands of a lesser writer would require more work -- than
having the narrative spoon-fed (for lack of a better term) to us by, let us
say, a voice-over narration in film.

As for the question of whether cinematic and televisic would differ I can't
say. I haven't heard the term "televisic" before and would need some time to
think about just what that would mean and how it would differ from
cinematic, or if it would.

Best,
Kim

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RE: JCO: The evolution of Oates writing style

Hi Tanya, Eric and Everyone:

I have something to throw out here: Is there a difference between
"cinematic" and "televisic" writing, given that film and television are so
different? If this difference exists and we can identify it, my guess would
be that JCO would tend naturally more towards the cinematic because she
didn't grow up with television. Again, if that were true, might it not
often happen that she would write something cinematically, but it would be
read televisically by readers who did grow up with television? When I look
at what I've written, it almost sounds a little silly to me, but I do mean
it seriously.

Steve

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RE: JCO: The evolution of Oates writing style

Eric,

Hmmm. Yes. I understand the concept, but I'm not sure about applying it. I
never remember having the impression when reading Oates that a passage or story
or novel was more cinematic than another. I'll have to pay more attention in
the future.

tanya

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