What happens when a writer has too much good material? Otto Fritton PZ ‘27 returns with his not-so-weekly column, The Writing Process. In this edition, he covers Elmore Leonard, widely regarded as the master of crime pacing and dialogue. In “Get Shorty,” that tension manifests in Bo Catlett, whose unrealized potential becomes the novel’s most revealing loose end.
Otto Fritton
The Writing Process: Night surfin’
Is your writing stuck? Look no further! Otto Fritton PZ ’27 returns with his not-so-weekly column, “The Writing Process.” In this edition, he analyzes a young Stephen King’s short story, “Night Surf.”
Paulo Dybala and the art of being second
How does it feel to be good, but not quite good enough? Otto Fritton PZ ’27 explores the confusing career of footballer Paulo Dybala, feeling as though some chapters were left unwritten for the Juventus regular and Argentine international.
American in Reims: Chili and the Sword of Shannara
Otto Fritton PZ ’27 seems to be changing his mind. Still stuck in a foreign land, his perception on small-city life has changed. He doesn’t love Reims, at least not yet, but he can’t deny it is growing on him.
Where is your Ballon d’Or? Don’t need it
Otto Fritton PZ ’27 likes to look at the “what-if.” Few careers saddened him more than that of Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, a man who influenced an entire generation without ever quite fulfilling his potential. Yet, despite his shortcomings, Fritton wonders if it even matters. Perhaps Neymar shouldn’t be judged on what he didn’t accomplish, but on the generation he inspired.
American in Reims: Searching for the Magical Abroad Experience
Stuck in a foreign land, Otto Fritton PZ ’27 finds himself confused. After hearing months of promises about the “study abroad” semester, he wonders if he held his expectations too high. The champagne city of Reims has given Fritton his first experience of smaller-town life, and he remains uncertain if it is the person or the place that makes study abroad? Or, is it both?
Chasing the ghosts of Mourinho’s Chelsea: Arsenal’s impossible task
Sitting atop the Premier League, Arsenal is currently facing the impossible task of breaking Chelsea’s record-breaking 2004-05 season, in which they conceded just 15 goals. Ten games into the season, the Gunners have conceded three goals in 10 games, and are currently on track to break the record. Otto Fritton PZ ’27 discusses Arsenal’s true chances of breaking the records, as well as the problems they may face en route.
The Writing Process: Why writing is unfair — and why that’s ok!
Otto Fritton PZ ’27 returns with his column, “The Writing Process.” Working on his debut novel, Fritton has long grappled with Stephen King’s words about what makes great writing, specifically in the register of voice.
The Writing Process: How not to compute your writing
Otto Fritton PZ ’27 used to write like he was solving a math equation. Mimicking others’ writing like a copy-and-paste equation, his stories continued to reflect a stubborn, rushed voice that ultimately left him humiliated. His new formula: Ignore the easy solution.
The Writing Process: Park benches, 80s synthpop and Toni Morrison
Writing and divining a story is an exercise in extremes, superstitions and eccentricities. From Jack Kerouac’s amphetamine-fueled writing benders that birthed “On The Road” to the rigor and intentionality that bore Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” the rituals that create the craft bear the marks on the work itself. Otto Fritton, PZ ‘27 provides a view into his ritual and the authors he is inspired by as he wraps up his first manuscript.