Just when you think you're being insulted, it turns out you're being enlightened.
So I'm working on the book proposal. My friend Susannah recently read a rough draft of the overview. She said, and I'm paraphrasing, "Look, it's a mess, but you're just rusty. It's like you were a horse that was cooped up in his stall all winter, and then he gets let out in the paddock, and he's bucking and farting and bucking and farting, you know?" And after I had finished reeling, and staggering, and after I'd said, "Wow, I've heard rough drafts compared to vomit, and excrement, and saliva, but never a horse fart," she explained, "Hey, it's not a criticism. No one stands there watching that horse thinking he's stupid because he's bucking and farting. He just has to get that out of his system."
So, I think I'm going to embrace the farting horse analogy, actually. There's something joyful and mad about a farting horse. If you've never experienced it, I can't explain it. I'm not going to say it's sublime or anything, but it makes you smile. And bucking, farting horses are certainly not concerned with how their moves are going over in the press.
So I'm working on the book proposal. My friend Susannah recently read a rough draft of the overview. She said, and I'm paraphrasing, "Look, it's a mess, but you're just rusty. It's like you were a horse that was cooped up in his stall all winter, and then he gets let out in the paddock, and he's bucking and farting and bucking and farting, you know?" And after I had finished reeling, and staggering, and after I'd said, "Wow, I've heard rough drafts compared to vomit, and excrement, and saliva, but never a horse fart," she explained, "Hey, it's not a criticism. No one stands there watching that horse thinking he's stupid because he's bucking and farting. He just has to get that out of his system."
So, I think I'm going to embrace the farting horse analogy, actually. There's something joyful and mad about a farting horse. If you've never experienced it, I can't explain it. I'm not going to say it's sublime or anything, but it makes you smile. And bucking, farting horses are certainly not concerned with how their moves are going over in the press.
Labels: writing
What a wonderful metaphor. Now, how to slip it unobtrusively into conversation later…
Hey, if you can't laugh at yourself, you're a blind farting horse. Is your friend from Wyoming? Which is why she would know about farting. And horses.
Good for you, having an idea and pounding out the queries and proposal like that. This ain't your first rodeo.
I SOOOOOO get this!!!!!!LOL
I have an old horse and a young horse and they BOTH exhibit this behavior.
aNd BTW this is kind a what my draft of my second novel looks like...
Well, a bucking and farting horse is certainly interesting to watch--most horses just stand around chewing grass, which might be pretty for a few seconds but doesn't exactly draw a crowd. Keep up the good work!
Close inspection seems to indicate that horse looks like he might be more than just farting. But, I've been told I tend to be a bit poop-obsessed.
To whit: I'm a shrink. Whenever someone finds this out in a social situation and asks the question I've heard 10,000 times, "So, have you been analyzing me?" I reply with a question of my own: "Why? If I were a proctologist, you think I'd want to look up your butt?"
So cool. When I longe my horse she indeed bucks and farts. Often while completely airborne. She turns and looks at me as if to say "What do you think of me now?". It's a beautiful expression of her spirit and willfullness. I can tell this was witnessed firsthand.
My grandpa used to tell me a saying, "A farting horse will never tire; a farting man is a man to hire."