Standing without fear on the shoulders of giants

It's all there in the pages. So if I wanted to write a book similar to one I admire, I should be be able to pick apart the magic, reverse engineer it, and make my own top read. Only, I'm not so sure I want to. My enthusiasm is curbed on a few grounds. These reservations fall into many categories. (When I started listing them, they mostly started with a D, e.g. Disrespect, Deadness, Dullness, Dreariness, and there are many, many more.)

Uhhh... where shall we start? You over there, stand tall. Be proud of your impedimental credentials, why don't ya'? Whatcha name, son?

Dreariness.

Say it with a big voice, now. Don't come that meek and mild act with me. Dreariness it is. Well, Dreariness, the prospect of sitting down with one of my favourite reads and a highlighter pen, a notepad and a big blinking piece of paper to fathom out what it was that made my favourite read my favourite read. Well. it smacks of dreariness. Drear-I-ness. This is assuming that I have the technical skills to do just that: reverse engineer the blueprint for the book. Don't forget, that like a piece of high tech equipment, when you take the back off the gizmo, you'll crack the glue and the bits'll spill out. Reduce the writing to its parts and you might tease out the connections but they'll start to fade like flies with their wings torn off. Also - and I'm not being a smart arse - the book most probably wasn't designed and built in the first place. It was probly - (yes I know, I've speld this rong - I've done it for effect) - thrown together with a prayer. And a lot of hard work. And some luck. And the intervention of people who saved the author from the worst parts of him or herself and worked to embellish the best parts that remained in the piece. Anyway, such a process would be wrong-headed and - yes- dreary.

You over there! You've something to say. So say it. Oh, okay then, wave that instead. What's that placard say?

Dullness

Reproducing even a great work of art with a facsimile mindset isn't going to lead to anything great. It's been seen before. The freshness is gone. In the time since it was a sensation, everyone's moved on to different things - different styles, different ideas, more sensational or relevant content. Plus, there will be others capitalising on the old winner. You won't be the only schmuck trying to get lightning to strike in the same place twice.

Think of all those trying to recreate the cosy mystery cause celebre of The Thursday Murder Club. Richard Coles, I will see your book in the bargain basement sometime soon, I'm sure.

Moving onwards to the next reason vying to cripple my writing success. You there, moping in the shadows. Deadness. I know you. You sometimes lighten my prose a shade from lead-like to the merely unliving.

Joke.

What to you have to say on the subject? Speak up. Your wraith-like whisper is NOT going to cut through my auditory canals.

Yes, that's a very good point. Unlike Frankenstein's monster, there'll be no life, no spark to animate the tale. It will be a walking zombie of a story with all the hallmarks, yet none of the zest that animated the original. Blow the limbs off and it will still come for you. The only way is either to shoot it in the head or never let it resurrect in the first place.

And lastly we come to you... Sir, why are you standing there with your fists clenched and red faced like that?

Look, don't shout at me!

Dishonour. Is that what you say? I suppose you're right. To write in the same vein as someone else - to try and step in their steps so wilfully is to dishonour oneself.

We stand upon the shoulders of giants. Be amazed by a work of art. Be inspired by works of art - the fact that another human being was able to wrestle something truly wonderful from the world and our language and experience and a talent. Don't be satisfied to stay shoulder height and not try to do something worthy yourself. Money's fine, taking the lid off and having a look is fine. But not really trying - not doing your own unique, risky and imaginative thing is not okay.

Stand without fear on the shoulders of giants. They are strong those shoulders, but when they're imitated, the shoulders become weak and we all plunge down into the well of vanilla replication.