Nathan Bransford - The Forums

J.T. Shea,

I noticed Twilight's shortcomings while reading, though they didn't disturb my reading experience. I wondered why the preface labeled opening chapter was labeled a preface. I didn't have any doubts why that nonlinear timeline scene is at the front. I agree with its placement there. Purportedly, Meyer didn't write it that way. The publisher's developmental editor insisted that it needed to be. I'd have preferred a stronger opening and stronger payoff ending. Someplaces the narrative is predictable and superficial, but then they're motifs partly related to a minor subtextual theme of the novel. Noted unexpected depths too that might not be as accessible as the surface story.

J. T. SHEA wrote:BTW, someone recently proposed a mash-up to be titled A TALE OF TWO CITIES DESTROYED BY GODZILLA!

Yes. This. Would. Be. Awesome.

...

The first time you read a book, I think it's important to allow yourself to be swept away. The mark of a well-written book/movie is one that makes you forget your thinking/craft/analysis hat and totally lose yourself.

I keep bestsellers/favorites on my desk for reference. For instance while trying to figure out the opening to my story, I studied the first chapter in Percy Jackson. It's interesting to write/read at the same time, because you pick up on much smaller things. Characters, location--these come quick in Percy Jackson, but wow does the action come fast (by page 12 if I remember right).

On a side note, I took a really close look at how long Charlie takes before he gets into the Chocolate Factory and found some really interesting stuff.

Philip,

That's an interesting observation about Charlie. I'm reading it myself for the second time and I've seen the original movie several times. I hope Polymath won't mind my hijacking his thread, but I think you're right about the suspense being worth every word. Every time I get to the part where he finds the golden ticket I cry. I think structurally it works as well if you consider Wonka's announcement as the catalyst instead of actually finding the ticket. In that respect, I feel that the discovery of the tickets is not truly setup per se but rather the first part of Act II. If you think about Act II as being an entrance to a new world, the world Charlie enters is not simply the chocolate factory itself but a world in which in he has hope.

I think structurally it works as well if you consider Wonka's announcement as the catalyst instead of actually finding the ticket. In that respect, I feel that the discovery of the tickets is not truly setup per se but rather the first part of Act II. If you think about Act II as being an entrance to a new world, the world Charlie enters is not simply the chocolate factory itself but a world in which in he has hope.

Fascinating stuff lj: I would love it if you posted this as a comment on my blog (dont want to take over a different thread)

Done. :)

Huh, boy, some fellow multitask close readers. For me to get past my hypercritical editor-writer-reader blues I had to develop an ability to multitask while reading. I guess I'm tracking up to seven disparate processes at a time, including enjoying what I read and noting my backmind responses so I can engage it on other tracks.