A Writers Whine or Rather Joss Whedon states, if we are honest, what all writers feel at some point.

[shadowkat]

So, I watched Doctor Horrible's Sing A Long Blog on DVD last night, courtesy of my brother who gave it to me as a Xmas gift. It's a lot better on DVD than online. I've come to the conclusion that tv shows and movies on my computer don't work well for me. I have no clue how people watch things on their ipods or iphones. Honestly, just watching a 43 minute film on my 14 inch screen gives me a headdache. Either you don't spend your days writing on a computer, or you don't get headaches easily???

Anyhow, I also listened to the Commentary - The Musical for the first time. (This may be the most self-deprecating creative humorous collabortive endeavor I've heard. They make fun of DVD commentary, including their own, and say some pithy and profound things about how we view entertainment and media today. I was surprised. All I'd heard were Nate and Neil's songs prior to this...and trust me, they aren't the good songs.)

The one below is a song written and performed by Joss Whedon. It's about well what happens now in the age of information, of the internet, where fans can interact with writers, after you write a story and put it out there for everyone to see. How they deal with it, and how you deal with them. In short guys, it's about the relationship between the writer and his/her critics and fans. Also, whether or not you liked Dr. Horrible, you might want to read these lyrics. I found them rather insightful and thought provoking particularly in relation to the comics, Dollhouse, and Whedon's current work, even if Whedon and his family freely admit he is whining and are making fun of himself for doing so. Stating that...all of this is part of the gig.
Without it, you wouldn't have a fanbase or a living. Tis the price you pay, Dude!

Yet, I sympathize with Whedon. I know what it is like for someone to ask - why did you write that? Or do you really do that??? Or don't you think THAT will send a negative message? And what came before that point? You need to give us an explanation, some background! Writing is easy, sharing it can be brutal, yet the whole point of writing is sharing it. Was it easier before readers could easily tell writers what they thought? Before the net gave reader's instant access to writers and vice versa? Should we envy Homer or the Cave Painter - who just got ooos and ahhhs?

And at the same time, I realize I am amongst the very fans that pick, pick at his writing. I overanalyze it. Hunt meaning in it - where there very well may be none. I pick it. Rail it. And love every moment of doing so. If I can't interact with the art - what is the point of the art? It is how I love it. Which I think he realizes... because he does the same thing. We all do.

At any rate, long story short, the below made me smile last night. So enjoy.


11. HEART, BROKEN

Music and Lyrics by Joss Whedon
Performed by Joss Whedon


A CAVEMAN PAINTED ON A CAVE
IT WAS A BISON, WAS A FAVE
THE OTHER CAVE-PEOPLE WOULD RAVE –
THEY DIDN’T ASK “WHY?”
WHY PAINT A BISON IF IT’S DEAD
WHEN DID YOU CHOOSE THE COLOR RED
WHAT WAS THE PROCESS IN YOUR HEAD
HE TOLD THEIR STORY
WHAT CAME BEFORE HE DIDN’T SHOW
WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO


HOMER’S ODYSSEY WAS SWELL
A BUNCH OF GUYS THAT WENT THROUGH HELL
HE TOLD THE TALE BUT DIDN’T TELL
THE AUDIENCE WHY
HE DIDN’T SAY, HERE’S WHAT IT MEANS
AND HERE’S A FEW DELETED SCENES
CHARYBDIS TESTED WELL WITH TEENS
HE’S NOT THE STORY
HE’S JUST A DOOR WE OPEN IF
OUR LIVES NEED LIFTING

BUT NOW WE PICK PICK
PICK PICK PICK IT APART
OPEN IT UP TO FIND THE
TICK TICK TICK OF A HEART
A HEART, BROKEN

IT’S BROKEN BY THE ENDLESS LOADS
OF MAKING-OFS AND MOBISODES
THE TIE-INS, PREQUELS, GAMES AND CODES
THE AUDIENCE BUYS
THE NARRATIVE DIES
STRETCHED AND TORN
HEY, SPOILER WARNING:

WE’RE GONNA PICK PICK
PICK PICK PICK IT APART
OPEN IT UP TO FIND THE
TICK TICK TICK OF A HEART
A HEART, BROKEN


Jed:
JOSS, WHY DO YOU RAIL AGAINST THE BIZ
YOU KNOW THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT IS
YOU’RE MAKING EVERYBODY MIZ


Zack:
THESE OUT-OF-DATE PHILOSOPHIES
ARE FOR THE DINNER TABLE, PLEASE
WE HAVE TO SELL SOME DVD’S


Jed, Maurissa, Zack:
WITHOUT THESE THINGS YOU SPIT UPON
YOU’D FIND YOUR FAME AND FANBASE GONE


Maurissa:
YOU’D BE IGNORED AT COMIC-CON

Joss:
I SANG SOME THINGS I DIDN’T MEAN
OKAY, LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS SCENE
I THINK IT’S GREAT HOW RYAN GREEN -
OH THIS IS NO GOOD
I THOUGHT J-MO WOULD BACK MY PLAY
NOW ZACK AND THEY ALL SAY

WE’RE GONNA PICK PICK
PICK PICK PICK YOU APART
OPEN YOU UP AND STOP THE
TICK TICK TICK OF A HEART

A HEART…

Comments

[angearia.livejournal.com]

Word. I agree, I do enjoy talking about the process.

I get the feeling that maybe for Whedon he thinks it's the creator's job to create and then step aside. Because you create the work, but you shouldn't create the work and then explain how people should be experiencing and interpreting it. Like the beauty of art is in its mystery and the endless possibilities of reader's interpretation and how it informs the artwork.

For some reason, it reminds me of that old noble staple that you don't talk about money in refined company. There's something about the silence.

Or maybe it's that the writer already got their turn when they wrote the piece so it's the readers job to interpret it. If the writer does it, then the reader has lost a part of his or her role.

[rahirah]

Because you create the work, but you shouldn't create the work and then explain how people should be experiencing and interpreting it.

*snort* Except, of course, when half his audience interprets his work in a way he didn't intend...

[tigerpetals.livejournal.com]

Because he can't resist. I'm not a proper writer yet, but if I ever get published I dread having to interact with fans, having them asking questions about the work. I wouldn't be able to resist answering and arguing back because it's about something precious to me, something mine, but I'd get very tired and it wouldn't be an enjoyable experience. I've already endured that frustation in a workshop, in which the constructive criticism extended to interpreting what my writing meant and trying to get me to change it so that it would express what they thought it was supposed to be expressing.

I much prefer the death of the author thing. You can interact with the art and that's fine. Interacting with the creator is something different, it's about wanting there to be a correct interpretation for you to understand, and that really isn't necessary, and I don't know what purpose it would serve.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

James Joyce used to tell interviewers who asked him what he meant or what the inner meaning of his work was - "whatever you see in it, that's what I meant."
And the writer of The Kite Runner - stated, I prefer not to tell you what I meant by such and such metaphor...because whatever you come up with will probably be far better and I'll disappoint you when I tell it just sounded cool at the time.

There's two types of criticism - constructive - 1)where the reader tells you how your story could be improved,
about pacing, or plot holes, or the fact that a certain character didn't pop enough or needs a bit more explanation, or that they got lost or confused and maybe you could clarify?
2) the other is unconstructive - where they tell you that you should have written a murder mystery instead of say a comtemporary edgy literary. That the story should begin with a murder - have the character find a body, instead of having the character contemplating suicide. Where they tell you that such and such character is pathetic and they hate them and why can't you have do something. (That's unconstructive criticism.)

A lot of people don't know how to do concrit. I've noticed this with bloggers and some prof critics - who will blast a romance novel for well being a romance novel with sex scenes. Or blast a action thriller -for having graphic violence. Or they'll get upset if the story isn't what they are in the mood for - ie. they picked up a sappy romance when they were in the mood for a thriller. Not the novelist's fault.

Also, concrit and reviews are different. When I review a fic or analyze one in my blog, it really isn't concrit, it's my opinion. I normally don't post it to the writer, because I see no need to impose my view or review on them (well that and I tend to be wordy and the comments boxes limit the number of words I can write on the topic). If they choose to go to my blog to read it? I'm flattered. Concrit...on the other hand is where you are helping the writer become better.
You are telling them how they can improve, finding both their strengths and weaknesses, what worked and did not work for you as a reader. When done well? It's invaluable. When done poorly, it makes you want to pull your hair out repeatedly.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Hee, if you spend any time on whedonesque - just imagine what it would be like to be Whedon reading whedonesque. One time a poster blasted Marti Noxon for her writing in Grey's, Mad Men, and Buffy - stating she ruined Buffy and the series, specifically with Seeing Red. Whedon read the thread - and responded, shocking everyone, and getting the original poster booted off the board. It was a fascinating exchange.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

It's actually quite an interesting power dynamic at play there. Whedon very rarely steps down from on high to directly interact in that manner and the one time I can remember him trying to steer interpretation was back during Season 3 when he told fans there was no Buffy/Faith subtext only to be directed to meta analyzing it that led him to retract his statement and go "huh, guess there is." I do wonder if that wasn't a huge learning experience for him in the power of reader's interpretation.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I've seen him interact here and there. All the writers interacted on Bronze Beta - which was the predecessor to whedonesque. Not sure if Whedonesque existed when S3 aired, but I wasn't online back then, so wouldn't know. I don't remember seeing it until late 2003...but it may have been around earlier.

He tries to stay out of it - no time. Also he's learned from others mistakes. Fury used to get into fights with fans, as did Minear who jumped on Angel's Soul to defend the inclusion of Spike in S5 Angel. (Angel fans were convinced that Spike would ruin "Angel" and must be kept off at all costs. Never understood why.) Whedon tries to stay out of it. More than one famous writer has gotten themselves in trouble entering into a kerfuffle over their work with fans. (Most famously Anne Rice on Amazon.com and there was someone else recently ...who I forget.) Best not to interact at all...breaking that fourth wall can be hazardous to one's professional health.