Interesting Observation

[spark]

I wrote a non-diaper related Christmas Story based on the The Cobbler and the Christmas Guest, which I recently wrote. The story was actually based on the Christmas Song, and I changed the characters to make it more modern, and order. I sent it to a friend to review and proof read, before I was going to publish it (only on Facebook, but I still want a second set of eyes looking at my work). Anyway, she reviewed it and saw some analogies to the Nativity story, which were likely due to the analogies in the original story.

However the interesting thing is that I never realized those connections when I was writing the story, or even thinking it up (it has been in my head for quite some time). I was just writing about a character in my head who used to love Christmas, hated Christmas because he lost his family and was now alone, and the LORD promises to come on Christmas Day.

I wonder how much of the analogies and connection in fiction is intended by author, and how much of it just perceived by the reader who creating his/her own visual image in the story? Did Hemingway intend for Old Man and the Sea to be about a guy and a fish, or did he intentionally create the allegory to Jesus dying on the cross?

In a lot of the really good stories on this forum have connections to real life situations (not just the regression aspects). Part of what made Mimi's Struggle so enjoyable to read was the connection between Mimi and her friends, who had grown up with out her. A Change For Naomi has all kinds regarding mother/daughter stories, as well as the various characters representing traits that each of us possess, but in extreme fashion. Kaycee represents pure unconditional love, Ha-Ha represents demanding and unforgiving, while Mary represents a misguided conformist. The same thing can be said for Phone Conversation.

[ForbiddenFruit]

This is something I've wondered a lot about on my course - how much, when it comes to tone, register, metaphors, and so on, is premeditated and how much just comes in the heat of the moment? Where is the line between technique and art? When I read something, I wonder did the author sit on this idea or did it just 'feel' right and fill in a gap by itself later?

In my own case, there was a point in the story I wrote as my assignment that I only put in there for atmosphere. My classmates interpreted it as foreshadowing or a possible plot twist, something I never even realised.

[spark]

Well I know that some instances like fore-shadowing in my stories are unintentionally intentional. Let me explain what I mean, and see if it makes sense. Once I actually sit down and write a story, I've down a lot of the play in my head. I know where I'm going, and just retelling in my mind as I write it. However, as a good storyteller should do, I fill in details as I go. Since I know pretty much where my story is going, I include some insights that may point me towards that direction. However, I wasn't intentionally including those insights as foreshadowing, it is part of the moment I feel as I write my story.

[WBDaddy]

I think what you're seeing as a writer is the "forest for the trees".

You're in the middle of the work, so you don't see the trail you blaze as well as someone who can look at it as a finished work and say "Oh yeah, I see this, and that, and this, and that" where you didn't even consider it, or at least you don't remember it.

Naomi involves a fair bit of foreshadow and allegory, and there was a deliberate aspect to those components, but that's because there was a plan in place when I took over the story, so the improvising that I did was still within the construct of that plan.

There are other stories I've posted on here where someone might get something out of it that I hadn't considered when writing it, because those stories were more improvised and less planned, so whatever they picked up was completely accidental.

[pink nappies]

Again, I thank you all for the gracious comments. It's quite heart warming to be mentioned in a topic not directly related to my stories, and I always feel surprised when I see Mimi or Amy pop up around the place.

However, if you were trying to infer that I am somehow a talented writer who uses all kinds of literary techniques then I'm afraid you give me far more credit than I deserve. I basically just write as it flows out of me and have never intended to foreshadow anything. On the contrary, when I read back over my old work I always see lots of missed opportunities where it looks like I'm foreshadowing certain events but those events never even come close to happening because I wasn't even thinking about it. I'd say that the only reason it might look like I know what I'm doing is because my stories are simply just predictable.

Still thrilled that people like to read them though!