Last weekend I drove to New Hampshire for the Book Launch Brunch for Women of The Golden State. Apprentice Shop Book's (http://www.apprenticeshopbooks.com) publisher, Muriel Dubois, put out a delicious spread. I relished the chance to meet the other authors who worked on this project. They are an interesting bunch!
At my table Joyce Ray and her husband talked about their upcoming trip to Japan, volunteering with an organization that teaches sustainable farming techniques. Janet Buell shared information about her Time Traveler series of books on mummies, including the Ice Maidens of the Andes. I also had a chance to meet some of the folks who work behind the scenes at Apprentice Shop, like the all-important bookkeeper.
One of the best parts of the trip was driving up with Sarah Hemenway. She's an artist as well as a writer and provoked me into thinking of writing in new ways. Artists often draw the "negative space," but what is negative space in writing? Is it the subtext, the things hinted at but unsaid? Anyone have comments to add on this topic?
2 comments:
This is an interesting question! Perhaps in writing, the negative space is the work the reader does. In some ways, things the writer leaves unsaid, but also what the reader brings to the story.
Readers respond to stories in different ways, based on their experiences. My reaction is not the same as yours. We fill the negative space with our own story. As writers, I think we create negative space for the reader to add to the story when we don't moralize.
Thoughtful question!
Yes!!
I recently read that a novel is not complete until someone reads it, bringing to it his/her own vision of the story.
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