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Thanks for your insight (and for catching the error! The description has been updated). Great points all around - I'm not as familiar with Russian writers and even less so with the French, but I'll have to check out the ones that you've listed. Best of luck with your channel as well!

thank

For sure! I have seen it described as a novel and a novella, and I think you could make the argument for both. It's so short that you hate to give away the story; rather, you to just encourage others to read it themselves.

Pinned 👍

@@aaronsalzman omg, so proud

@@ValQuinn 😆

Thanks man! I'm a couple chapters into Son and Bag - enjoying the read so far!

@@aaronsalzman yippy-skippy! Lol enjoy

I think you'll like the one that's coming next week!

Thanks and welcome, James! It certainly feels that way, but I imagine in an MFA you'll find a number of people with similar tastes. Best of luck to you in your program - I'll be looking forward to seeing your comments and insights on future videos!

It's true - many literary scholars complain about the last section (the marina) which feels completely separate from the main narrative. I'll have a video on that someday.

Thanks for watching - once you read it, let me know what you think!

thank

I'm glad it was helpful! This is the kind of stuff that I think can really help aspiring writers - and I agree with your assessment of Hemingway. One of my favorite writers.

That's one of my favorite scenes in literature - thanks for reminding me!

Ha very cool. You’re welcome!

I like your take - it's so tough to compare artists with different styles. Steinbeck is another one of my favorites.

@@aaronsalzman Yeah, excuse my typos. Shitty phone. Stienback is amazing, I was hooked when I was reading East of Eden. The common complaint about him is that he has mo strong plot, I have seen this similar complaints when an author has superior prose but average or not good plot. But damn man, I'll be the one to admit - His prose is more than enough. Mark Twain's prose makes me live my childhood again. For those moments I read Mark Twain, I realise the silly things I did as a kid didnt go to waste.

I have found that when there is a weak plot that there maybe a deeper reading in the prose. For me I think that East of Eden has some allegorical vein running through it. To me Cath- olics, the American Civil War, and William James....how war keeps altering society.

That's true - my opinion, in this case, was formed using context clues from the situation.

You're welcome! I'll try to be more careful - I'm not a collector, and to be honest, I don't know much about book endurance. I'll have to do some research!

Thank you!

I love East of Eden - for some reason, it was harder for me to get into Grapes of Wrath. I like your take on the power of literature to represent what makes us human. Thanks for watching from India!

Wait what? I have both and sadly, haven't finished either. So what does mother and daughter do?

Thank you! I'm personally a fan of King - but my favorite novels will always be the the classics.

Sanderson has one of the best writing courses out there. It’s not necessarily about being the most prolific talent, but about how you communicate those ideas in a pedantic sense.

We'll have to agree to disagree - thank you for watching!

In order to "write like you," it's important to amass the skills and techniques required to tell your story. Otherwise, it could be hard to translate your story to other people - a very frustrating experience. Part of why we study old authors (similar to how chess players study famous games) is to learn techniques and aspects of style that we may not have known about. When you put in the work to collect these tools, and even mimic other writers as practice, you learn a lot about your own voice, and you gain the ability to better tell the stories that you want to write. I think you would have gotten that if you watched the whole video - but either way, thanks for clicking!

Thank you for watching!

Thanks!

Hi Hunter - first off, congratulations on the success of your channel. I'm a fan of your videos, and I'm excited to see what you'll make next! I've written out some you-specific advice based on the information you provided. I hope it's helpful. 1. Overall, the differences in your background (academic and otherwise) will prove to be your greatest strengths, as long as you use them. They add a level of depth to you as an author, and intrigue for your future fans. 2. There's this idea of the brilliant writer who sits in the ivory tower all day and writes; and once they're finished, the rest of the world can't wait to read what they wrote. Unfortunately, this is a fantasy. Every writer has to become a marketer eventually, unless they get extremely lucky (which, in this field, you can't count on). With a marketing degree, it sounds like you're ahead of the game. Remember - it's a strength, not a weakness! 3. Similarly, there's a huge market for readers who like finance and economics, both fiction and non-fiction (think John Grisham novels). Any and all of your knowledge could one day translate into your next project. 4. Literature is an old-person's field. When we're young, that's tough; but there are massive benefits to choosing this path now, while we're young. For instance, writing is a craft that you can keep getting better at for your entire life. You can keep reading more, adding new craft techniques to your tool belt, and inventing new characters and stories. Don't worry about catching up - that will come over time. For now, produce what excites you and stay curious. 5. Read a combination of classic writers and new writers who have the career, or have produced the type of work, that you like. It's like a chess master studying games; the classic games will teach you tricks that other writers have forgotten, while the new ones will teach you tricks that the older players never learned. Be curious; always look to add new tools to your belt. 6. Writing is a craft. Keep that in the back of your mind. Producing your own work will always teach you more than learning from someone else. Usually, the best thing a teacher or a friend can give you is encouragement to do what you already know you need to do. 7. The MFA application process sucks. There's no way around it. The applications take forever, schools will take their time getting back to you; some won't respond at all. Many programs are underfunded, and you'll have to make hard decisions, even when you're accepted. You'll have days where you think your work is terrible, and no one will ever read the project you put your heart and soul into. You'll go through existential crises and think about switching careers at least once a week. All this is normal. Try to be gentle with yourself and know that there are people out there who will become your fan, and who can't wait to read your work, even if they don't know you yet. 8. Find two or three people that you trust, who are rooting for you, to share and discuss your work with. These friends and advisors will be invaluable for your entire career. 9. If it hasn't happened yet, let me be the first to welcome you to the community of writers. Remember that you can produce the projects that you've always dreamed of, there is an audience who can't wait to read your work, and there are people rooting for you to succeed. I hope this helps, and best of luck with your application process! Additionally, would you be interested in a vid collaboration? I think my viewers would get a lot out of being introduced to you, and hearing about your journey into creative writing. Let me know!

@@aaronsalzman Thank you SO MUCH for the thoughtful reply! I really appreciate the time you took to share that insight with me :) All of your points were extremely validating, helpful, and pushed me to realize that I should be focusing on my strengths rather than my perceived weaknesses. I’m looking forward to watching more of your content as I embark on my application journey! I would LOVE to do a vid collaboration! I think my community would also be interested in hearing your thoughts on engaging with literature, and creative writing! Let’s connect!

Great question. I want to be transparent - I have not published a novel, though I do have six publications either out or forthcoming in literary magazines and journals. Here are some things to consider: 1. Each short story publication, in a literary magazine, is like winning a contest. Some of these journals get over 1000 submissions, and they only publish two or three stories. As a writer, you have to get used to rejection; but you should retain the confidence to keep putting yourself out there. 2. There are some good online tools to find submission portals for these magazines, like Submittable or Medium. There are others, but these are the ones I use. 3. When I have two or three short stories ready to go, I like to submit in batches. I'll go on Submittable, scan the magazines that are looking for submissions, and read through their websites. If I find a good fit, I'll choose to send the story that fits that magazine the best. The reason I submit in batches is because... 4. Some magazines could take six months to a year to get back to you. This can be frustrating, but it is what it is. Nowadays, many of these magazines are understaffed and underfunded. They're providing a service to writers like us by creating publication opportunities. It's a tricky system that can take a long, long time. Make sure you read the websites of the magazines and choose those that would be a good fit for you. I hope this is helpful. Good luck with your submissions!

@@aaronsalzman I’m mainly a novelist right now. I’ve been (seriously) writing novels since 2021. I wrote poetry when I was a teen. It’s hard to find agents that match with my manuscript because half of the time their wants get obfuscated with identity.

It's a good question - since I haven't gone down that road yet, I hesitate to give you any advice. I'm about to start seriously querying a novel for the first time. Identity is certainly a popular trend right now. There's always trends in the entertainment industry, and books are no exception. The way I look at it is that there are always people who succeed despite the trends - who swim against the current and succeed. Perhaps it'll take extra effort or time, but I'm confident that if a manuscript is good enough, someone in the industry will want it. Good luck on your publishing journey!

@@aaronsalzman Thank you Aaron. Good luck on your journey as well

We'll have to agree to disagree - thanks for watching!

Thank you!

Thank you!

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Great take; especially the bit about the mysterious fortune adding to the effect of the character. I expect someone will make the argument that Heathcliff is a more sympathetic character due to what he was forced to endure in his childhood - more a Byronic Hero than a villain, more misunderstood than evil. I think that argument could be well made; but let's not count our chickens. I really like what you've got here.

​@@aaronsalzman I think maybe we are supposed to feel sorry for him so we hold onto the hope that there is something human/e in him, but ultimately be left wanting. There's also potentially a point in there about how someone suffering hardship doesn't justify their later behaviour. But yes, it definitely works on multiple levels!

Thank you! I absolutely feel the same way at times. I agree; it's best to focus on the actual writing. That's the only way to get things done. But I'm glad you've got a new book, and I hope some other aspects of the video were valuable!

yeah me too lol

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This looks like a tough one to respond to; let's break it down. There are plenty of well-known, even best selling novels that you won't find in book stores. Especially old novels. Stock depends on the store, and sometimes, on the part of the country (assuming you're in the USA). To Have and Have Not was culturally significant enough to inspire several film adaptations, and countless other forms of media. Very few works do the same. Next, Hemingway liked the work enough to have it published. That does, to a certain extent, speak for itself. He was unhappy with the critical reception of the novel. Critics noted its structural shortcomings; most notably, the ending, which breaks the frame of the narrative around Morgan for a wider meditation on the working class and the wealthy elites. The novel was also criticized for Hemingway's portrayal of real people as fictional characters. Each of these could be a separate video. Hemingway, as a person, is a complicated guy. You could make a lot of arguments about why someone wouldn't want to read this book. However, what I focused on here was the introduction, which is memorable, and displays masterful writing craft. I'm glad you liked the video!

@@aaronsalzman He was politically pressured into writing the book and while yes he published it, that has really no bearing on whether he actually liked it, a year or even a decade after releasing it. I liked everything about your video, but as someone who has read all of his works, including lesser known ones. I would say that the average person or even a well read person would not know about “To have and have not.” If you disagree I highly recommend watching the section about the book in Ken Burns 3 part documentary on Hemingway.

I'd recommend reading the novel again, considering whether or not the narrator's (or Harry's) criticism of Marxism and revolutionaries seems forced, sarcastic, or in any other way, disingenuous. There are a number of reasons why a filmmaker (like Ken Burns) would frame the novel in the way that he did. To bury To Have and Have Not is to bury a much darker side of Hemingway's personality. As a writer, I would argue for the opposite; that we should bring the novel more into the light, discuss it further, and have the hard conversations that it poses. Similarly, there's a reason the documentary was covered in certain politically-leaning magazines, and not others. It's up to each of us to read between the lines and figure out whether we agree with the frames as they are presented; especially many years after a person's death, in a new, high-stakes, high-emotion, politically charged environment. As far as disliking the work years later, well - if the point is that people change over time, I can't disagree there. The Hemingway we know today is a multi-faceted character who would not have fit into contemporary politics. He's a complicated guy. The political pressure that any writer faces comes from all sides. The choices they make, if they are writers (which Hemingway was, first and foremost), are theirs. Again, all this could be broken into several videos. Back to the original comment; the best I can give you is that I'm glad you enjoy Hemingway, and we'll have to agree to disagree. Thanks for watching!

Of course - I'm glad you liked it!

Thank you! I'm glad the videos are helpful. They will keep coming - I appreciate your support!

Thank you!

I hope you enjoy the channel!

Thank you - Fiesta and The Old Man and the Sea are two of my all time favorites. I'll have a new video on The Old Man and the Sea sometime in the next two weeks!