It’s time to pull a new book out of the boxes for the “Reading with Zac” series. And here we go:
Step 1) Select box…
Step 2) Apply blind-fold…
Step 3) Trip over an unfortunately placed shoulder bag…
Step 4) Stick hand into box and mix the books about as gently as possible… selecting one completely at random… and…
To be honest I haven’t read many collaboratively written works before, so this should be fun for me. Generally I am very interested in reading an established author like Arthur Miller, Chris Durang, Tennessee Williams, David Mamet, Woody Allen, etc because you are able to see their style and craft shine through the text. Great plays should never reveal the authors hand in too obvious a manner, but many authors have a style which is unique, and theirs characters decisions and voices sometimes offer us a view into the playwrights mind. As a writer, and a reader, I always strive to understand the methods used by other authors to present their story to an audience.
In the case of a collaborative work like mnemonic, it will be interesting to see how each of the cast members contribute to the final product. I am interested to see if any patterns emerge, or if there will be a dominant voice that tells the majority of the story. What is required in order to make something like this work?
I would imagine that a truly effective collaborative work would demonstrate some sense of cohesiveness between all the disparate voices, while the over-arching theme is addressed by each person in their own fashion. As someone who has never participated in this type of creative development I’m looking forward to reading this text.
If you are interested in reading with me… or you would simply like to tell me how much you disagree with me (and why), feel free to pick up a copy of the book!
ISBN: 0-413-74720-4
Amazon: Buy it!