Kurt's Discussion of Innovation

The piece that I have written entitled, “Soaring” is quite different than the narrative essays I wrote as imitations. I have used a combination of prose, poetry, dialogue, and quotes. I have also researched the subject of lucid dreams. The essay is based on an experience that I have had more than once and it was something that I had been always curious about.

Imagery is even more important in this essay so that I could convey the feelings that I experience during these types of dreams. Telling an interesting story is secondary to the primary purpose of the description of the experience. The style and format of this piece is also important since the piece is not a typical narrative. There is no universal length to the paragraphs which are pretty short and are offset by long stretches of dialogue. The quotes used set the mood for each section of the piece. Each quote makes a relevant statement in relation to the prose section that it accompanies.

Just like the essays in the Brevity issues, I chose a topic that many people can relate to. I want the reader to be entertained, but also to think about experiences they have had while dreaming. My main goal as in my other pieces is to paint a visual picture that reader can relate to in some way.

I found writing in this way more difficult because it is not in a strict narrative format and I found myself wanting to tell a story in the traditional way. The quotes that I have included helped me think about the piece in a different way, and break away from writing another imitation text. The piece does not really resemble any of the Brevity texts that are in Issue 28, except for the style that was used in the piece entitled, “Accident.” The author uses a lot of dialogue in the middle of the piece to convey the drama of the scene. The main difference between this piece and my piece is that it is written in a chronological form with a beginning, middle, and end. In my piece, chronology is not at all important because the reader does not know until the end whether what has happened is real or fantasy.

What works well in “Soaring” besides the quotes is the use of similes and metaphors to explain what the sensation of flying would be like. I got my inspiration for how important imagery is when I read the interesting pieces in journals like Brevity. For example, in John Calderazzo’s “Accident,” he uses the following powerful image when he describes a car exploding in an accident: “In my mind’s eye: WOOF! A pillow of orange heat blowing him back.”

Writing short non fiction pieces has allowed me to reflect on several ideas rather than focus on one long piece. The innovative piece has also given me a chance to be more creative in style, tone, and format. Although I typically prefer writing more straight forward narrative stories, writing experimental pieces like this is interesting, and I will definitely enjoy writing in this style in the future.