Why? – Rubber Traits
I've been listening to a lot of Why? lately and pondering this post over and over again in my head. I've really fallen in love with this band, and would like to say something about the way they use humour and humorous metaphors in their songs, but I don't know quite what to say. I guess what it really comes down to is this: people take their writing too seriously these days.
Why is it that we seem so afraid to use an awkward or funny metaphor (or any other device, really) in our writing? I recently was trying to describe a jellyfish from the perspective of a character in one of my stories, and the best way to do so, the way that is truest to my character's experience, is by describing the jellyfish as "like a plastic bag caught in a current but more beautiful." I can't think of another way to say this that would be true to the character, but at the same time, I found myself hesitant to do so. I kept on worrying about what people would think, if they'd laugh at what I'd written, rather than empathizing with the character. It took a lot to get over my worries, but I stuck with it in the end.
I'd like to say more, but I'm not sure where I'd take things at this point. I guess what I find the most interesting about this issue, and what I love about Why?'s lyrics, is the power that a well-placed humorous/funny/awkward line can have. Writers all too often try to be dead serious in situations that really aren't dead serious. I hope to overcome this in my writing, to use language to its best effect, and I have to thank Why? for showing me that it would work. I hope you all enjoy their music.
