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Article #28740Re: Some thoughts on the prominence of story and character development over style.
From: Holly
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:35
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:35
211 lines
11919 bytes
11919 bytes
On Jun 21, 8:55 pm, ah <splifing...@gmail.com> wrote: > Holly wrote: > > On Jun 20, 10:13 pm, ah <splifing...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Holly wrote: > >> > On Jun 18, 12:24 am, ah <splifing...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> Holly wrote: > >> >> > On Jun 13, 7:42 pm, ah <splifing...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> >> Holly wrote: > >> >> >> > On Jun 4, 10:22 pm, ah <splifing...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> >> >> Holly wrote: > >> >> >> >> > On Jun 1, 9:52 pm, ah <splifing...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> Holly wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> > On May 31, 9:39 pm, ah <splifing...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> >> Holly wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> >> > On May 28, 9:34 pm, ah <splifing...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Holly wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > On May 26, 10:08 pm, ah <splifing...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Holly wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > saulgoode wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Holly wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>> When we think of great writers in general, we think of their style. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> <xxx> > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>> achievable by one author remains to be seen ... nevertheless, I think my > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>> point is well taken and that is: The art of great writing seems to me > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>> to be achieved through losing who the author is. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>> Holly > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Very nice, very nice, and I'm a fan, 100%, of stylistic-over- > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> descriptive writing, although I love a well-written setting. I'd argue > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> the same as you on letting Dear Reader fill in the character, but I'll > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> argue against cardboard settings. Don't ~overdo~ settings, but > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> certainly tell me what's going on around these characters, and let me > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> fill in their faces, shoes, hair color, and all that basic crap you > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> get so much of from formula writers. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> I'd also argue that only ~necessary~ descriptives be made. King, for > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> all his windy setting descriptions, didn't tell you his character in > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> "It" was black, never -- instead, he had some kids chase him and rant > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> racisms at him. Why did he never tell you? Because it didn't matter. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Anyway. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> I dug up a personal note I wrote a few years back in my private > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> journal along the same topic. Style's something any writer should be > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> thinking about, constantly, from usenet to emails to private stories > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> to anything you're begging the world to buy, and something the writer > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> should control, same as a bartender throwing out rounds from a wall of > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ammunition, no two drinks the same, all poured to please. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Note the change in style between my private and public thoughts... ;) > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ~~~ > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Where does style come into the writing? That eloquent lilt to the > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> words that floats them off the page and into Reader's ears? Where is > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> my style? Do I like the old-school method, with its rolling sentences, > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> tailored and cut for the story, full of color, flavor, sentences that > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> flow around and around the paragraph with nary a period in sight, soft > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> rivers of words chortling through the story? Or am I concise? Direct? > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Come to think of it, the more I write, the more it feels like talking. > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> It's hard for me to write like I once did-cheesy, long sentences. Now > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> I like short. Here's the point, now let's continue-that type of stuff. > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> I'm not gonna bore you wrapping words from one margin to the other, > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> chock full of two-bit locutions (which remind me of taunting > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> squirrels, jamming nuts in their cheeks-mine are bigger than your- > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> oors, mine are bigger than your-oors). I've got big words. I just > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> don't use them. Webster's ain't all that interestin', knowaddamean? > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> So that's it, I suppose. My style. Short. Sweet. Here's the fucking > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> point, now let's move on. If you want a description of what color some > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> chick painted the inside of her sock drawer-and why-go read someone > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> else. Or write your own story. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ~~~ > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> - Saul > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > Hey Saul, Answer me this. If you were washed up on an isolated island > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > and you could have only one book .... only one for ten years ..... what > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > would it be? > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Neverness, by David Zindell. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > The review for Neverness is enticing. Thanks for the recommendation. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Welcome. The complete quad is an excellent read. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > Elsewhere, someone else said Elias Canetti's Auto de Fe, which also > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > looks very promising. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Nice, but he tends to micro-manage the writing. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> > Ew > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > For me it is a toss up between two old faithfuls: The Complete Works > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > of Shakespeare, or Homer's Ulysses. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> You're gana need a heck of a lot of water to compete with such dryness. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> > I do not find them dry ... oh contraire! But perhaps I am a literary > >> >> >> >> >> >> > camel ;) > > >> >> >> >> >> >> > Despite not liking to reread most books or see a film twice, I have > >> >> >> >> >> >> > reread these a few times, starting young, and I can imagine never > >> >> >> >> >> >> > tiring of either. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> > They stimulate my imagination which is very juicy. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> Goodness. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> I have a penchant for futurism; the past doesn't interest me at all. > > >> >> >> >> >> > So you value a timeline? > > >> >> >> >> >> Not in this particular case: I am an unwitting slave in the yearning to > >> >> >> >> >> break-free from the constraints of others' time-line dogmatic constraints. > > >> >> >> >> > Hm, a mystery. This sounds like Charles De Bohne's POV. Perhaps the > >> >> >> >> > two of you have more in common than you had thought. > > >> >> >> >> Communality does not brethren make. > > >> >> >> >> >> > Adventure is adventure, as far as I am > >> >> >> >> >> > concerned. > > >> >> >> >> >> No offence, but that's like saying "Red wine is red wine." > > >> >> >> >> > I prefer red to white any time ... but to equate, let's say red to the > >> >> >> >> > future and white to the past is illogical. The potential quality that > >> >> >> >> > you point to is possible at any time. The elements needed to give it > >> >> >> >> > that quality we have not mentioned. My point was whether we are > >> >> >> >> > adventuring 30 KBP or 30 K in the future the potential for an > >> >> >> >> > excellent *time* is there. > > >> >> >> >> Given enough of a differential, all things are possible :D > > >> >> >> >> >> > And, I don't view time as linear ... well I participate in > >> >> >> >> >> > the shared idea for the sake of convention. > > >> >> >> >> >> Likewise, my friend. > > >> >> >> >> > So you acquiese .... ;) > > >> >> >> >> No; but, I bend, on occasion. > > >> >> >> > A virtual Willow /// <*> > > >> >> >> Poplar :D > > >> >> > baggard! > > >> >> >> >> >> A shared time-line makes for a satisfyingly-cooperative set of > >> >> >> >> >> interpersonal relationships. > > >> >> >> >> > At least the snap-shots on the coffee table make sense. > > >> >> >> >> Did I post that? > > >> >> >> > A momentary morph. > > >> >> >> What's the date? > > >> >> > When? > > >> >> Little late for that, 'n'nt? > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > Yup ... I bet you'd wish you had a dictionary. A Webster could come in > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > mighty handy when you're all alone, under the stars, wishing you could > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > remember how to spell "overdue" or feeling you need to find that just > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > right word to describe the flashing lights in the sky ... and you cannot > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > remember what to call them. Of course you could draw pictures in the > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > sand. In that case, you could wish for a pictionary. > > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > I bet you never thought about that. ;)- > > >> >> >> >> >> -- > >> >> >> >> >> a 'hyphen' h- > > >> >> >> >> > Sweet. > > >> >> >> >> > -- > >> >> >> >> > The Fox then -- The Rose now > > >> >> >> >> You're delimiter is missing a space. > > >> >> >> >> Fixored > > >> >> >> > Complieded > > >> >> >> Cool.- > > >> >> > <inane smilie face>- > > >> >> Isn't that a Catch-22?- > > >> > That would then read "insane smile." > > >> Ah! Meaning, at last! > > >> Wot?- > > > It confused me too. ;)> > > Why ask why? > > Have another beer.- Your solution to everything?
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X-Google-Thread: 1156f6,d47403e0d2dc4629 X-Google-Thread: fee76,d47403e0d2dc4629 X-Google-Attributes: gid1156f6,gidfee76,public,usenet X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!g2news1.google.com!postnews.google.com!n2g2000hse.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail From: Holly <noon_union@yahoo.com> Newsgroups: demon.local,misc.writing Subject: Re: Some thoughts on the prominence of story and character development over style. Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 05:35:52 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Lines: 212 Message-ID: <1182515752.800179.296520@n2g2000hse.googlegroups.com> References: <1180367978.753706.295620@o5g2000hsb.googlegroups.com> <465b7fae$0$4817$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com> <1180445028.539522.51280@w5g2000hsg.googlegroups.com> <465f7579$0$16688$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com> <1180703305.117753.198950@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com> <4660ca12$0$4826$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com> <1180799135.552619.75420@o5g2000hsb.googlegroups.com> <4664c592$0$4807$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com> <1181042740.897960.286400@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com> <46707dad$0$32330$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com> <1181780079.498231.224880@a26g2000pre.googlegroups.com> <4676053f$0$8051$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com> <1182198292.492914.55200@u2g2000hsc.googlegroups.com> <4679db22$0$4826$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com> <1182460379.986638.126840@w5g2000hsg.googlegroups.com> <467b1a39$0$4808$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.2.235.248 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Trace: posting.google.com 1182515753 26721 127.0.0.1 (22 Jun 2007 12:35:53 GMT) X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:35:53 +0000 (UTC) In-Reply-To: <467b1a39$0$4808$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com> User-Agent: G2/1.0 X-HTTP-UserAgent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727),gzip(gfe),gzip(gfe) Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com Injection-Info: n2g2000hse.googlegroups.com; posting-host=24.2.235.248; posting-account=m9xshw0AAABUmNeTxnIlEOujlnRQovnq