Are You One of a Kind? Write Like It.
There is often a fine line between plagiarism and
tribute … medley and mad music … words of intellect and words of nonsense …
CENTO (senʹtō) n. – 1) a literary or musical work
made up of passages from other works; 2) anything made up of badly matched
parts. [WW #95]
I once knew an investor who bought into a
small press publishing company. As president/CEO, he purportedly desired to learn the business—of
which he knew nothing—from the inside out. In an effort to impress the staff
and a stable of authors, he “wrote” and published a book.
It was at first thought a good sign that his
interest in the company was genuine and its future secure. You feel a “but”
coming on here don’t you? Yep …
But, he gathered quotes from others’ works, stuck his name on it, and gave it a title. Lack of real effort foretold the ultimate result of his faux sincerity with a cento, and the company’s dubious future.
Don’t get me wrong—please don’t start a Twitter storm about my perceived deplorable
POV 😉—I applaud anyone who spends the time to cull inventive writings to
share.
Time is our most important asset. Creating a cento
to make a point and honor those creative, wise, and often humorous folks, who conceived
them, is certainly time-consuming.
Kudos also to anyone who goes through the
publishing process, traditional, independent, or self-publishing. It is not for
the faint of heart.
There is no question, however, that writing a book, either fiction or
nonfiction, in your words, is a long
and laborious project, far removed from a cento arranged in an attractive
format.
This person’s effort to impress in a company
of authors, was the proverbial slap in the face at worst, and a feeble attempt,
at best. He may have meant well at the outset—and again, there is a place for a
collective book—but a cento did not bode well in this context.
Moral of the story: As an author—know your readers—since you obviously
feel you have something important or
enjoyable to share with them, do it in your
words.
If you discover incredible quotes, lines, or
passages that simply deserve a book assemblage, set them off with your narrative, comments, or exploration
that are relevant to your reader. (Mindful of fair use and copyright laws,
of course.)
Readers are waiting for your sparkling wit and charming inspiration—give it to them!
Word Challenge: CENTO. Mashups may be funny, interesting, or exciting in images and
music, but in writing, originality
is usually best. Enjoy the inspiration of your own muse as you fit cento
into your week of imaginative writings.
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