Search found 505 matches
- May 30th, 2010, 1:12 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: The rules of "stronger" writing... lol?
- Replies: 52
- Views: 18387
Re: The rules of "stronger" writing... lol?
I posted my comment without refreshing the page. Meanwhile, Cheekychook did a better job on the adverb issue. Clearly the critique group founder knows the underlying reasons for rules and not just the surface rules themselves, but her great reluctance to admit an exception would not enhance her auth...
- May 30th, 2010, 12:57 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: The rules of "stronger" writing... lol?
- Replies: 52
- Views: 18387
Re: The rules of "stronger" writing... lol?
Interesting points, FK7. 'Authority' in writing means the authority of the writer rather than the protagonist, even when they are one and the same person. It is what persuades readers to believe a non-fiction work and suspend disbelief for a fictional work. Adverbs are NOT bad in themselves, and are...
- May 28th, 2010, 9:04 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: For those moments of self doubt
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1070
Re: For those moments of self doubt
Beware of critics who come out only by night and don't reflect in mirrors! Unfortunately, there's a law against staking people. So I'll try garlic, holy water and crucifixes first, wearing my French priest's disguise, of course. Internal vampires are another matter...
- May 28th, 2010, 8:25 pm
- Forum: Excerpts
- Topic: Excerpt that is sort of a short story...
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2226
Re: Excerpt that is sort of a short story...
'Hakuna Matata!' indeed! A wonderful piece. You might subdivide the long paragraphs. Some people will ask you what it's all about. Don't tell them unless you have to!
- May 28th, 2010, 7:56 pm
- Forum: Excerpts
- Topic: The Butterfly Key - Prologue first 4 paragraphs
- Replies: 9
- Views: 3630
Re: The Butterfly Key - Prologue first 4 paragraphs
Interesting piece and comments. The first paragraph is wonderfully evocative of Christmas. But there's a slight point of view challenge. Your narrator describes the scene outside his house, including the smoke rising from his chimney, something he could not see from inside. You could have him say he...
- May 28th, 2010, 6:35 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: Query/fantasy - With All That I Am / 4th Version
- Replies: 18
- Views: 5967
Re: Query/fantasy - With All That I Am / 3rd Version
When a writer explains his story informally, it sometimes makes more sense than the formal query. That may be the case here. Why not develop the query from your informal description? Something like:- Once in every generation (TOWN NAME) sacrifices a single life to a powerful wizard (NAME?). The wiza...
- May 28th, 2010, 2:55 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: Nathan's query "template"
- Replies: 20
- Views: 6906
Re: Nathan's query "template"
Thanks, Poisonguy, but 'pariah' and 'the Syndicate' are interesting additions. Regarding your own mad-lib, some readers will ask exactly what the connections are between Dragan Sakic's childhood molestation, his having a baby, and his being framed. But it may not be possible to answer such questions...
- May 28th, 2010, 1:52 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: BROKEN MIRROR, new query, new delivery
- Replies: 38
- Views: 12735
Re: BROKEN MIRROR, new query, new delivery
BROKEN MIRROR will be a difficult sell, no matter what you do with the query. But this last version (28 May) is much better. Impressionistic but simpler than the earlier versions. It quickly itemizes protagonist, situation, relationships and challenge. And you're right to use the second person. That...
- May 27th, 2010, 11:50 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: What's the Message?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 7425
Re: What's the Message?
Impressive, Polymath. None of us has all the answers, but you do seem to have your questions, at least, more clearly worked out than most people.
- May 27th, 2010, 11:30 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: The rules of "stronger" writing... lol?
- Replies: 52
- Views: 18387
Re: The rules of "stronger" writing... lol?
As wise men have advised since time immemorial, do find out the rules. Study them and the reasoning behind them. Meditate on them. Know them well. Then break them. Deliberately.
- May 27th, 2010, 4:19 pm
- Forum: Queries
- Topic: Nathan's query "template"
- Replies: 20
- Views: 6906
Re: Nathan's query "template"
I don't agree with your wife, Bigheadx. What about:- September 1970. Las Vegas sheriff's detective Heber Parkins is the outcast of his department. Then, mysteriously, he is assigned to a high profile gangland murder case. He must defy corrupt authorities and murderous thugs to discover who ordered t...
- May 27th, 2010, 2:59 pm
- Forum: Books
- Topic: Start with THE HOBBIT or FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING?
- Replies: 85
- Views: 37361
Re: Start with THE HOBBIT or FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING?
Mira's suggestion of Gollum's redemption is fascinating. Watching the movies (I have not yet read the whole story) I hoped Gollum might be redeemed and was quite dismayed he wasn't (as I saw it at the time).
- May 27th, 2010, 2:28 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Voice in a query
- Replies: 10
- Views: 5715
Re: Voice in a query
Criddy? How about granky? Struggling? Burnt out? Sounds like your mood matches your narrator's!
And Polymath's copyediting hundreds of dreary pages? I'm starting to feel a bit granky myself...
And Polymath's copyediting hundreds of dreary pages? I'm starting to feel a bit granky myself...
- May 27th, 2010, 2:02 pm
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Flashbacks (writing them, not having them)
- Replies: 13
- Views: 13241
Re: Flashbacks (writing them, not having them)
Flashback haters should ask themselves, are characters in novels never allowed to reminisce? Most novels ARE single long flashbacks. Interesting how many of Nathan's prologue commenters also condemned flash-forwards, the kind of 'coming attractions' teasers writers often put at the start of novels. ...
- May 26th, 2010, 4:22 pm
- Forum: Self-Publishing
- Topic: So I want to self publish... kinda sorta, not really
- Replies: 17
- Views: 7329
Re: So I want to self publish... kinda sorta, not really
What's wrong with POD for 100 copies? And I thought LSI was a POD company.
I can see no problem for a 'traditional' publisher in what you propose, but people and organizations do have odd taboos. So do make sure you can 'unpublish' the book at any time.
I can see no problem for a 'traditional' publisher in what you propose, but people and organizations do have odd taboos. So do make sure you can 'unpublish' the book at any time.