My favorite author is Patrick Rothfuss, and I've always admired the way he's able to string words together in a meaningful way. We talked a bit about how there can be too many words in a piece (for instance, in the introduction of Knittel's "A Crack In The Sidewalk"), but Rothfuss never seemed to have that problem. In fact, I've tried to write like he does, using an abundance of pretty words in an effort to describe something. I know I fall short, and my writing can be confusing (and over-seasoned). But after reading and discussing Dillard, I have some more insight on how to fix that problem.
Dillard's writing made us feel without explicitly telling us what we were supposed to feel. I like to be able to control everything in my writing, and that might be part of the reason I like to write so vaguely - just so I'm the only one who knows exactly what I'm saying. Dillard's confidence is inspiring, and her execution is flawless. It was really helpful to me to see other examples of beautiful writing. Now instead of just having Rothfuss as an inspiration, I also have Dillard.
I completely agree with you about Annie Dillard's power as a writer. She manipulates words in a way that allows the reader to "get inside" her descriptions and react in their own way. The room she leaves for the reader also challenges them to stay engaged with the writing, as she never indicates how a reader is "supposed" to feel about what she writes.
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