I haven't been a fan
of Game of Thrones for very long, but
I'll fight anyone who tells me George R.R. Martin isn't a creative individual.
I'll admit that he had little popularity before writing the hit series and that commercial success is hardly indicative of supreme creativity. His
perspective and creative process itself, however, mimic enough
of the traits we've discussed that Martin warrants our attention.
One of the tenets most central to creativity is the curiosity and dissatisfaction that drives
individuals to recognize and solve interesting problems. Martin, like so many
other creatives, needs to feel active engagement with his writing in order to
bring his ideas to completion. The "problem" that compelled Martin to
start writing was a vivid image that wouldn't leave his mind. Ultimately, this scene became the first
chapter of A Game of Thrones, and the
rest is history.
When asked about his
creative process, Martin is known for distinguishing between the writing styles
of the architect and the gardener. The architect carefully outlines his
narrative wherever possible, having a relatively clear mental image of how each
character, as well as the plot itself, will develop from the beginning of a
narrative to its end. The gardener, by contrast, takes as much time as is
necessary to nurture the seeds of a narrative to maturation.
Martin has a general
idea of the directions in which he'd like his plots to move, but he prefers not
to know exactly how many branches each plant will have, so to speak, or when
each will blossom. He asserts that, with a detailed outline ala architectural
planning, Martin would rapidly lose interest in writing his own novels. The
gardening approach keeps him curiously invested because his works frequently
surprise him in ways that would be impossible with meticulous planning.
Regarding the
necessity of convergent and divergent thinking described in this week's
readings, "the generation of novelty is not the main issue [in
creativity]. A Galileo or a Darwin did not have that many new ideas, but the
ones they fastened upon were so central that they changed the entire
culture" (Csikszentmihalyi 60).
Martin himself explains when prompted that "ideas are cheap…I have
more ideas now than I could ever write up. To my mind, it's the execution that
is all-important" (Baer). Martin clearly has plenty of divergent thinking
skills, illustrated by his success in creating a wildly successful (and rather
lengthy) original story. He balances it with a necessary convergent thinking,
however, that allows Martin to concentrate on his series-worthy ideas and avoid
dedicating precious time to those that are less creatively profitable.
Engineer Jacon
Rabinow's strategy of envisioning himself in jail is also interesting to
consider, because the purposeful construction of obstacles seems to facilitate
the creative processes of both Martin and Stravinsky, my creative this
semester. Paradoxically, he not only felt liberated by self-imposed constraints
but also creatively thrived under them. Martin prefers WordStar 4.0, a writing
program that is nearly obsolete in 2017, to programs like Word that undoubtedly
offer more bells and whistles. The computer he uses to write cannot send an
email. In this bubble of his own creation Martin manages to avoid the
distracting pull of social media, focus on his work, and exercises a patience
that allows him to spend years on a single project.
"You just
forget everything except that it's got to be built," says Rabinow. It's fair to assume that Martin, who writes with a similar zeal, would agree.
Sources:
http://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-george-rr-martin-on-his-creative-process-2014-4
http://www.thisisinsider.com/why-winds-of-winter-is-taking-so-long-2017-1
http://jamesclear.com/george-rr-martin
http://www.georgerrmartin.com/for-fans/faq/
http://www.talesofsuccess.com/george-rr-martin-writing-tips-18717/
https://winteriscoming.net/2017/03/20/video-george-r-r-martin-on-why-hes-more-of-a-gardener-than-an-architect/
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York: Harper/Collins, Chapter 3: The Creative Personality
As a fan of Martin's writing I very much agree with your analysis of writing process and creative skill. George RR Martin himself has said that the first inkling of an idea that later became "A Song of Ice and Fire" was watching his childhood turtles. He would create backstories for each that included double crossing and great houses. The story that Martin eventually wrote was far different, but still retains his own personal blend of humor and morbid action.
ReplyDeleteMany people do not know that Martin is also the author of an extensive series of Sci-fi novels "The Thousand Worlds" that he has continued to write in the shadow of the massive success of HBO's "Game of Thrones". His dedication to creativity has kept him writing a commercially inferior series because he is inspired by the world he has created.
I like how you addressed that divergent thinking still needs some measure of convergent thinking in order for ideas to come to fruition. Aside from working on the Song of Ice and Fire books, George R.R. Martin also writes short stories and other book series, including a children's book series. Although I think he tends to write fantasy the most, many of his other works break into other genres as well. With so many projects and ideas, I think convergent thinking is necessary for him to organize and execute a project.
ReplyDeleteI found what you said about Martin's method extremely interesting. The idea that he is writing for himself just as much as his readers is a very unique approach. It is intriguing that he seems to consider himself to be a part of the audience. I am a huge Game of Thrones fan, and it has definitely given me a new perspective, knowing that many of the crazy plot twists come from Martin's efforts to avoid boring himself. I will definitely keep your post in mind when the last season of the show premieres!
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