The publication of Mark Twain’s autobiography reminded me of how quickly the world is changing. Twain wanted to write honestly, so willed that this book not be published until 100 years after his death. In a Twitter world, all I could think was, “Filters. What a quaint notion.”
I blog, and subscribe to a couple of social media outlets. Attracting an agent demands this on-line presence. Nevertheless, I only post blogs once a week and rarely do more than check the status of others on Facebook or LinkedIn. While everyone else announces every event from rising to rest, I am a victim of my upbringing.
When I was a child, respecting privacy was an essential part of the Great Social Contract. I was not to pry into others’ lives, and in return no one would pry into mine. Furthermore, the development of a strong brain-mouth filter was the sign of good parenting, to say nothing of good taste.
Amy Tan said that she polished every word of her novels at least twenty-five times before publication, which made doing a live interview hard – she valued making sure each word was exactly the right one. Twain also cherished using language effectively, and counseled writers to “use the right word, not its second cousin.”
Today, writers sometimes don’t use real words at all, but shorthand or emoticons. I dread the day when reading a novel is more like deciphering vanity license plates. My goal for 2011 will be to reward those writers who do not inflict the random firing of wandering neurons on their readers, but seek out the perfect phrase, buff it until it gleams, and set it in its proper place for those with eyes to see.