I'd Like a Bit of Messiness Please

I don't usually listen to NPR, but I was glad I did yesterday. I caught an interview with actor Paul Giamatti who was speaking about a his new movie, Cold Souls. I'm always interested in hearing what artists have to say about their work and became even more intrigued when the interviewer asked Mr. Giamatti if he remembered referring to himself as a"messy actor". His answer had me sitting up and listening much closer. He admitted believing himself to have this messy quality separating himself from other actors and then he compared the acting world to the world of literature. Many of the books coming out of publishing houses now are so clean and precise, edited to crisp detail that when an author comes along who is a bit of a mess, it is refreshing.

Yeah!!!! I couldn't agree more.

What happened to the Tom Robbins' and Terry McMillan's where the extra fleshy parts of the books are what make it so human and enjoyable. I've participated in heated debates with writers slamming Stephenie Meyer and her Twilight Saga because it is generally considered to be poorly written. But I believe that one reason her Twilight books have resonated with readers (especially young readers) on such a deep level is because they are not edited within an inch of their life. There is a rawness in Meyers telling that absorbs the reader. It works with Bella's narration of the unfolding romance and has captured millions of readers.

Hello Publishing World, are you listening? Readers are telling you that its okay to be a little messy, and heck they even like it...in the millions.

Now don't get me wrong, I know that if every book was a bit of a mess, this wouldn't work for the few authors who manage to pull this off. I am committed to creating clean memorable stories that move along and is clearly going someplace. The hours I spend editing the words I've already written can attest to that.

But I think I will go see Mr. Giamatti's movie, if only to see a bit of mess in action.