Midnight Pals: The Philosophy of Composition
Added 2023-07-15 19:51:08 +0000 UTCTim Waggoner: so I’m compiling some advice on writing horror
Poe: oh excellent! As it just so happens
Poe: I actually have a whole theory about that
Poe: a whole philosophy of composition
Poe: I call it The Philosophy of Composition
Waggoner: interesting
Waggoner: tell me about this
Waggoner: philosophy of composition
Poe: ok so the important thing to know is that the most poetical thing is the death of a beautiful woman
Poe: the most poetical thing is the death of a beautiful woman
Poe: god it’s just so tragic!
Poe: to lose a beautiful woman
Barker: oh look the straights are at it again
Patricia Highsmith: no no let him cook
Poe: see, writers like to talk about artistic intuition
Poe: that’s bunk
Poe: writing is methodical and analytical, not spontaneous
Poe: let me tell you something that authors don’t want you to know
Waggoner: oh nice, some real dirt!
Poe: see, writers positively shudder at letting the public take a peep behind the scenes... at the fully matured fancies discarded in despair... at the cautious selections and rejections
King: edgar, no!
King: oh my god, he’s giving away all our secrets!!
King: the absolute mad man!!!
King: edgar, are you
King: are you being serious? Or are you joking?
Poe: you mean you can’t tell?
King: edgar I am
King: look edgar it’s just that sometimes
King: sometimes
King: goshdarn it I’m gonna say it
King: sometimes edgar you’re known to be wry
Barker: so that’s your method?
Poe: that is my method
Barker: hmm that’s funny cuz I heard that modern scholars can’t decide if that’s actually your method or you’re being satirical
Poe:
Poe: I thought
Poe: I dunno
Poe: I thought I was being pretty clear
