🚀 go-pugleaf

>P.S. to Heinlein worshippers:  IMHO, some of his later stuff would
>have had substantially more  impact if some editor had had the guts (or
>the authority) to say to the great man, "Look, I *know* you're famous now,
> but that doesn't mean everything that comes from your pen  is sacred.
>Let's  cut some of the philosophical  musing, and
> tighten this  plot up a little, OK?"   [Please, folks, no flames!
> It's just an opinion!]
>
>Maureen (a.k.a. Jane)

Fire and Brimstone on you.  No, seriously, I just recently completed the
combination of rereading Heinlein's _Friday_ and Ansen Dibell's _Plot_.
There is not doubt in my mind that, if that novel been send over the
transom to a publisher with no name on it that it would have been
rejected.  (And you thought you would get flames!)  This and most books
I have on writing fiction point out numerous problems in this novel that
should have been fixed.  If nothing else, at least 20% of the text
should have been cut, it does nothing to advance the plot.  Also, there
is a huge section of exposition about intersteller travel routes and
colonys that nearly bored me to death.  It is what Mr. Dibell calls
"World Builder's Disease."

I guess what I am saying, Maureen/Jane, is that I agree with you that Mr.
Heinlein may not be the best example/expert in fiction writing.  The
knowledge to do something is not always equivalent to the ability to
teach.  

-- 
| Charles B. Owen                            Internet: mgcbo@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu |
| Western Illinois University                            Phone: 309-837-4292 |
| 1002 E. Murray                                                             |
| Macomb, IL  61455                                                          |