I've noticed that a number of the vignettes in both Frog Toes and Tentacles and Sirenia are "Untitled . . ." Do your stories usually come with titles attached (or do titles usually provoke stories) or are they more on the order of afterthoughts?
The untitled thing really only began with the vignettes. Normally, I insist upon having a title before I begin writing a story, though, sometimes, the title may change later on. I wanted to approach the vignettes differently. At the start, I very much thought of them as word paintings, so the untitled thing seemed appropriate. Titles have always seemed such odd things to me. I seem to need them, but they much surely be one of the most artificial elements of literature.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-06 07:36 pm (UTC)I've noticed that a number of the vignettes in both Frog Toes and Tentacles and Sirenia are "Untitled . . ." Do your stories usually come with titles attached (or do titles usually provoke stories) or are they more on the order of afterthoughts?
The untitled thing really only began with the vignettes. Normally, I insist upon having a title before I begin writing a story, though, sometimes, the title may change later on. I wanted to approach the vignettes differently. At the start, I very much thought of them as word paintings, so the untitled thing seemed appropriate. Titles have always seemed such odd things to me. I seem to need them, but they much surely be one of the most artificial elements of literature.