Disjointed nonsense

[nendil]

Are all stories wish-fulfilling self-insertions? It's said in writing advice everywhere that an author should put himself in his character's shoes. Do, then, the characters automatically become some representation of the author?

Surely, out there, there are stories told for the sake of the story, or for the sake of the characters, only. Of course, the readers and the author can get enjoyment out of placing themselves in the characters' situation. But even if a story is told in such a way because the author likes it as such, it doesn't mean he (or the reader) necessarily wants it for himself.

I admit, I'll probably never turn out any "deep" works with "real" artistic merit in my life. Trite and sappy and pandering is all I do, and I guess it could be said that there is some element of fantasy-fulfilment in there, because I do put in my own emotions and desires there.

When I first started drawing, I was perturbed because my pictures didn't have "soul". They were like imitations of anime and manga style--they looked like it, but they didn't have an artist's presence. I don't have that problem now, I've put my soul in my art, but my soul is only so shallow. I'm not going to, and I don't want to, get any closer to the mind an art major, who creates in order to make a statement, whether about some internal message or about the value or boundaries of art itself. I draw to tell a story, or a scene. I write for that too. It's just that I'm too full of the sweet sick stuff.

Oh yeah, finals went well, it seemed. =)