Story, History, Enchantment

"There are three points of view from which a writer can be
considered: he may be considered as a storyteller, as a
teacher, and as an enchanter.  A major writer combines these
three--storyteller,teacher,enchanter--but it is the enchanter
in him that predominates and makes him a major writer."

"To the storyteller we turn for entertainment, for mental
excitement of the simplest kind, for emotional participation,
for the pleasure of traveling in some remote region in space
or time.  A slightly different though not necessarily higher
mind looks for the teacher in the writer.  Propagandist,
moralist,prophet--this is the rising sequence.  We may go to
the teacher notonly for moral education but also for direct
knowledge, for simplefacts...Finally, and above all, a great
writer is always a greatenchanter,and it is here that we come
to the really exciting part,when we try to grasp the individual
magic of his genius and to study the style, the imagery, the
pattern of his novels or poems."

(Vladimir Nabokov, "Lectures on Literature")

I liked this bit of stuff I found on the internet recently. Storyteller, teacher, and enchantress. Those are three wonderful goal to strive for.

As I look over my chapters I try to determine if I have achieved Vladimer's concepts.

Storyteller. I like my story. I think it has most features that is necessary: compelling characters, an interesting and believable plot, a beginning, a middle and an end. I think I have injected humor, romance, and some intrique. I don't believe I have failed at storytelling. It might be a bit complex now and then but it is a good story. It does push forward to the ending each chapter building upon the ones past. Even my storyline within the chapters is ok. All this I must qualify as coming from a first-time writer. There are weaknesses in the storyline but not glaring ones and that is my goal for this first story. A good storyteller does offer great characters and I have worked hard to offer my reader wonderful ones. Now Blake and Rawlings have taken the forefront but I tried to also use whatever gifts I have to show other ones in believable light. Caroline, for instance. Since my story is about the social changes in the time, she made a perfect example. I used her school life to show the reason for her being the way she was. I try to use them to enhance the story and not detract. But ocassionally it is a distraction.

Teacher. Whew. Is there balance between teaching and storytelling? There must be. I have tried not to bore my readers with paragraphs upon paragraphs of history. I tried to present what I consider to be important historical references in dialogue or a few scene setting descriptions (such as the Black Bull Tavern). In other words, I try to sneak my history stuff in it so the reader does not realize she has just had a history lesson. For instance, I did give an accurate accounting of what members of the four-horse club wore by having Rawlings wear it. Another example is the steam locomotive exhibit that actually happened in 1811. I gave you a lesson couched in the men's scoffing at the thought of riding in one of them. But sometimes I think I miss my opportunities or I present the information poorly. Oh well, I will keep trying. I do enormous amount of research because I think the story is enhanced by it. The clothes worn by Rawlings for his race added to the excitement and the visual image and believe me when I say I could not have dreamt it up! lol So research does aid in many way.

I also am trying to convey the sense of change from an agricultural based society to the industrial one. That was an historical time and the change was truly revolutionary. We are in the midst of one of our own - from the industrial revolution to the informational one. We have made the world so small that a group of women (and a few men) can belong to a tight-knit community and yet be spread out all over the world. We needed no government (well other than the adms/mods of the site) and the taxes are strictly voluntary. Our world is changing and believe me when I say us old foggies are much like the old men debating the young ones about progress. Our world was fine for us so why change. Rawlings said it, Change is what we do. True statement about the young. They will change life.

Enchantress. This is where I think I am the weakest. How do you go about enchanting readers? Is suspense a form of enchantment? Vladimir wrote that the enchantment comes from the style, the imagery, the pattern of .... So have I enchanted with my style? Do my scenes visualize in your mind as you see the characters push the story forward? Is my pattern of words fluid? Do I create the right balance between images and storyline and history? I hope so because that is the goal I am striving for. '

So, have I enchanted you?