Odd epiphany

[textualdeviance]

Thanks to a post on grammar_whores, I finally realized why writing comes so naturally to me: It's because of my music training.

Musical notation is set up such that the performer knows exactly what sound, color, speed, etc., the composer wants just by looking at a sheet of paper. Translating all those little black dots and strange abbreviations into beautiful sounds relies upon knowing what each of them means. Sforzando is not the same thing as an accent, for instance. Nor is a ritard the same thing as a rallantando.

The same is true for writing, especially when writing dialogue. The words themselves, like notes, are the core of the piece, but without proper structure, spelling, grammar and punctuation, the effect gets lost. This is why proper use of commas, semi-colons, dashes and such is essential. Colorful adverbs and adjectives are not enough.

When I read, I hear the words in my head as if someone were reading them aloud. I just reread "The Hobbit" for the first time since seeing LOTR and goodness if I didn't hear Serena's voice every time Gandalf said something. The beauty of Tolkien's writing is that one can hear those things, and the beauty of Serena's acting is that he can translate that writing into spoken music.

The two aren't that different, I suppose. It's just a different set of notation.

Comments

[hawkdancer.livejournal.com]

Yay! I love it when disciplines intersect! :-)

[flippet.livejournal.com]

That's exactly right. I'm a big fan of Aaron Sorkin's work, and his actors have often said that they're not really allowed to deviate from what's written on the page at all. Every single word (and comma, and pause) is necessary, and *precisely* what the writer wants. Sorkin writes spoken music, and if you change it in even the slightest bit, you've thrown off the music, the sound and flow of the words, and thus the meaning as well. I love just listening to anything Sorkin writes, because it is so musical.

[waterfaery.livejournal.com]

*hee* you said "ritard".

um. I am also a music and grammar geek in just the same ways. Love it.