Paul Nervy Notes
“Jokes, poems, stories, and a lot of philosophy, psychology, and sociology.”


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Arts, literature, composition.  ---  .This section considers principles and methods of composition in literature.  ---  12/30/2003


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  .This section is about composition in literature.  Topics include:   ---  1/24/2006


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  (1) Examples of great form.  (A) Wittgenstein's Tractus Philosophicus Logicus.  Short, concise, no b.s..  (B) My Notes.  (C) Anything in outline form.  (D) Anything with an excellent logical contents, index and bibliography.  (2) Examples of poor styles.  (A) Traditional paragraphs.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  (1) Germ theory.  (2) Skeleton and flesh out.  (3) Introduction, development, climax, resolution: by parts and elements.  (4) Riffing or improvising.  (5) Synthesis of parts or elements.  (6) Element charts.  (7) Free writing, brain storming.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  A new vocabulary for a new vision for a new man.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  All conflict and interest comes out of character.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Art literature techniques, figurative writing.  Imagery, allegory, analogy, metaphor, simile, symbolism, all are inexact and lead more often to confusion and lies than clarity and truth.  And thus to confusion of thought and mind.  It is not the best way to think or communicate.  It's a step up but there is better.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Audience.  Who is my audience?  The intellectual elite?  The confused intelligent neurotic?  The average man?  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Book title: selected ideas on x.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Characters.  Protagonists: hero, anti-hero (nebish), local hero.  Antagonists: villains.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Depends on genre.  Picking well and combining well the elements.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Diction types:  Simple and informal vs. complicated and formal.  Vague, ambiguous, poetical.  Abstract vs. concrete.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Don't worry if the ideas don't connect at first, or if they are not fleshed out, or even if they are not perfectly clear to you.  Get the ideas down first.  ---  11/15/1988


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Each word, sentence, paragraph, chapter, and book covers an idea.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Elements.  (1) Word choice (diction), syntax, structure, style.  (2) Genre, subject, mood/tone/emotion, theme.  (3) Spelling, grammar, semantics.  (4) Narrative: tense, person.  (5) Scenes: alone, social, nature.  (6) Character: personality types.  Physical types, social dimension.  Ideal types, stereotypes, archetypes.  (7) Set ups and introductions.  (8) Conflicts: inner vs. external (social, nature).  Protagonist vs. antagonist.  (9) Revelation: theme revealed to us and character.  (10) Structure: levels, simple and complex, of elements.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  First draft: write for yourself.  Second draft: write for others.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Get it all down on the idea level first.  Then transfer it all into a style.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Good writing is avoiding the mistakes.  List the mistakes.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  He who thinks best writes best?  Not necessarily.  He who writes best thinks best?  Not necessarily.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Never write down to an audience.  Reach high, extend yourself, extend them.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  One big chart, ala Heller.  Plot development, theme development, character development, narrator use, time.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Paul composition goals: a story for every subject, genre, medium, style, emotion, and thought.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Poetry composition.  (1) Brainstorming method.  (2) Important words fused method.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Spontaneous prose vs. pre-organizing and re-writing.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Story as (1) Movement: change.  (2) Progression: a trip.  (3) Cycle: a trip that comes back to homebase with (A) Beginning: reveal, set up.  (B) Middle: conflict, puzzle, mystery.  (C) End: conclusion (happy, sad), resolution, solved, loose ends tied up, cycle complete.  ---  11/01/1994


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Structure.  (1) Physical structure depends on genre.  (2) Plot structure.  (3) Theme structure: say what when why.  (4) All three add up to a knockout punch.  Blow away reader with new powerful ideas.  Everything up till then is just softening up.  Know when to throw jabs and the big one.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Style = words (diction) + word order (grammar).  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Style is nothing, content is everything, function over form.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Style should fit mood, tone, and type of writing.  Like in acting, face of actor should reinforce character.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Styles: arguments pro and contra.  (1) Kerouac: spontaneous prose, improvisation, unconscious, freedom.  (2) Paul's Notes: brevity, logical.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Synthesize individual best lines vs. one long inspired blow.  Which technique is best?  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  The main questions in literary composition: How to write?  How to think?  How to organize one's thoughts?  ---  6/9/2004


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  There should be recommended formats.  Start it with an opening outline: for whole work, and for its parts.  End with summary: for whole work, and for its parts.  Stick to a controlled vocabulary.  Say your subject, and say who you are for and against.  Level of audience.  Broadness of scope.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Tone of each sentence, and of overall work.  Sentence variety can lead to tone variety.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Two types of composition.  Composition of nonfiction.  Composition of fiction.  ---  10/18/2004


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Weld the plot and theme.  Seamless.  Both must be first rate.  Both must reinforce each other.  ---  12/30/1992


Arts, literature, composition.  ---  Writing style should reflect mind of writer.  Not too pedantic vs. not to stupid, simple, reductive.  Even tempered.  ---  12/30/1992




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Paul Nervy Notes. Copyright 1988-2007 by Paul Nervy.