Reading, Revising, and Writing

I started reading this book last night. The first two stories are fantastic. I wouldn't really call them magical realism, but they're really close. Actually, these things could happen...but not really. Anyway, really good. Robin's magical realism class was fantastic, and it's cool reading stories she's written in that vein. I recommend this book...her writing is great.

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This brings up a question: My whole writing life, I've been told, "Don't use too many exclamation points," and "Don't BOLD dialogue." As a reader in workshops, I definitely found that people who do this never tell a good story, their dialogue is weak-sauce, and they suck as writers. It seemed that they were using these tricks because they didn't know how the capture urgency and intensity without doing these tricks. OK. When Robin does it, it's fucking brilliant. And I'm wondering, when is it OK? Is it OK for Robin and a few others and that's it? Is it OK if I did it in the Story Thief when I wanted to? Please tell me? Reading her work, makes me want to go back over my work and do the things (things like BOLD and !!!) where I didn't do it because I was afraid to. I follow rules when I can. And I know when I see these tricks in stories, part of me goes, "NO! HOW DARE YOU!" But there are a few things I've read where it's perfect. Robin for one. Another is a douche I care not to mention. He did it. It was great when he did it, but I've been afraid to. Here's the thing: I'm not gonna go back and put these things in just because I read it in a couple stories, just because it's OK in Robin's stories, just because some douche from Bellingham did it. But those impulses were there! And if I don't do it in this book, when I won't do in in The Story Thief 2: The Quest for the Golden Story. Just kidding that's not the title. But seriously, I can't change style in the middle of a series of novels...can I? I've got time, it's not like Harper Collins is printing this today, for all I know, it will be years before those words end up getting printing between pages, but seriously, were these impulses correct and I just dogmatically followed rules when I shouldn't've? Makes me think.

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Speaking of that, I've got less than 100 pages. I'm gonna get on that.

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I'm gonna write some poems tonight...BOOM...

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New book of poems idea: Bros and Hoes - A novel-in-verse with alternating POVs from the perspective of frat-boys and girls. Example of a bros POV, "Shit this room is half-dark, but the moon-light's punching its way over her sheets. I've totally gotta get on this shit. Her fucking tits are rocking and my muscles look good in this light...I'm about to hit this...

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I'm getting hungry too...

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OK. Later,

Joshua