Re: becoming oneself

Brendan McKennedy (suburbantourist@hotmail.com)
Fri, 16 Jan 1998 20:00:02 -0800 (PST)

Of course, they didn't.  In fact, I suspect the impulse to 
>	imitate plays a big part in the formation of most artists.  
>	Over on the Hemingway list, as Adam will know (Adam whom 
>	I thank for his kind & supportive words), there has recently 
>	been a discussion whether or not Hemingway had the practice 
>	of actually copying out passages from certain writers in order 
>	to absorb - by a kind of magical osmosis -their techniques. 


As most of you probably already know, copying the style of 
another writer is actually a common writing exercise, known
as a "pastiche".  It may or may not be effective, depending
upon your reasons for doing it.  I personally haven't had 
occasion to gain much from it, mostly because my attempts were
not very successful.  On the other hand, I think my writer's 
"Voice" is as much a compilation of traits I've abosrbed from
other writers as it is exclusively my own voice.  Do you other
writers here find that to be true?

Brendan

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