The Great Gatsby

I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I signed up for a MFA class of WVU: The Great Gatsby. The idea is to read the novel, then discuss it in the classroom, with some extra research into the author, the "signs of the times", and the characters and style of writing. There are many more facets to the story that are involved, including point of view, symbolism, syntax, and a host of other characteristics of the story. WOW! I think I should have just read the book and commented on what I thought of it, but that simplicity is not allowed.

I normally don't tear a book apart while reading or following reading it. I belong to a book club, and we might discuss a character or plot line a little bit, but nothing on a grand scale. But I'm doing college level work with this assignment, and I'm not sure I'm up to the task. I'm not as smart as I thought I was.

Trying to write my own novel doesn't seem this hard, it just takes so much time. I tend to be a "by the seat of my pants" writer, which can leave me stranded sometimes at critical points. Do I kill the character? Or save him for another chapter? Should he be a larger part of the plot, or just a momentary blip on the radar? Working with an outline would be better, at least in a general way, but that seems boring.  Writing can be a bore, sometimes.

This is just the first week in my Gatsy course. I've read the assigned chapters of the book on my Kindle. I've looked at the assignment and about fainted with how involved it is. But I want to try to accomplish this lesson without completely embarrassing myself. So back to the drawing board, and I'll see you all  later.