tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post8611308914092673397..comments2023-11-06T12:28:13.575-05:00Comments on A Million Monkeys: Rules? I Don't Need No Stinking Rules!Jon VanZilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-39183037886916849462009-05-13T11:36:00.000-04:002009-05-13T11:36:00.000-04:00Jon, lol!
Spy, emotions are where I really try to...Jon, lol!<br /><br />Spy, emotions are where I really try to make sure I'm showing. That and when my MC is in "pain." I apparently used that word A LOT instead of describing the pain. That's one of my top things I'm watching for on this pass-through.Melanie Hooyengahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08781235493983907234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-3108224449972093762009-05-13T11:02:00.000-04:002009-05-13T11:02:00.000-04:00Lurker:
I'm with you on overly long descriptions ....Lurker:<br />I'm with you on overly long descriptions . . . that's a sure thing to have me jump to the next paragraph. <br /><br />EErica Orloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16415925758466527671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-90621151820948962782009-05-13T10:30:00.000-04:002009-05-13T10:30:00.000-04:00Eric,
Yeah ... I still struggle with some of thes...Eric,<br /><br />Yeah ... I still struggle with some of these, too. And honestly, others I've just decided I'm going to break the rule if I want.Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-7959323206420235762009-05-13T10:29:00.000-04:002009-05-13T10:29:00.000-04:00Jude,
That's the funny thing for me. I totally ag...Jude,<br /><br />That's the funny thing for me. I totally agree that good writing is invisible, but a lot of times, I'm not pulled out of a story by these kinds of things. I am, however, pulled out by run-on sentences and overly long descriptions, etc. But in some cases, I even find dialogue tags to be helpful. There. I admitted it.Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-1260983795089077112009-05-13T10:28:00.000-04:002009-05-13T10:28:00.000-04:00Spy,
Toggling narrative distance rules!Spy, <br /><br />Toggling narrative distance rules!Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-35389766415753128672009-05-13T09:48:00.000-04:002009-05-13T09:48:00.000-04:00I'm still struggling with most of these from time ...I'm still struggling with most of these from time to time, but then again, I'm new to it anyway. Nice post though.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07823808700523297184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-38514875081314025052009-05-13T09:19:00.000-04:002009-05-13T09:19:00.000-04:00To me, writing is best when it's invisible. There ...To me, writing is best when it's invisible. There aren't really any "rules," of course, but writing that calls attention to itself with head hopping, adverbial dialogue tags, huge coincidences, etc., tends to take me out of the story. I know I've read a good book when I remember the story and not the writing.Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-15291697922825962062009-05-12T14:42:00.000-04:002009-05-12T14:42:00.000-04:00Jon, it's not head-hopping. It's called toggling n...Jon, it's <I>not</I> head-hopping. It's called <A HREF="http://theresefowler.blogspot.com/2007/02/whose-line-or-paragraph-or-chapter-is.html" REL="nofollow">toggling narrative distance</A>. ;-)<br /><br />I hate the telling. I was studying the Anita Blake series in depth, and the next chapter I wrote was all telling. Grr. But it seems to bring her success, LOL.<br /><br />I'm most particular with it when it comes to emotions. If you have to <I>tell</I> the emotions to a reader, then you haven't elicited those sympathetic emotions from your reader. And if you have elicited them, the telling is redundant and risks killing the ones you've created. Just my opinion, and given the number of <I>she felt</I>s I read, I must be in the minority on that one.Spy Scribblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14299551957327543491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-49857810463512558372009-05-12T13:13:00.000-04:002009-05-12T13:13:00.000-04:00Melanie,
"I avoid dialogue tags like the plague,"...Melanie,<br /><br />"I avoid dialogue tags like the plague," she said archly.<br /><br />:)Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-34831585119223314792009-05-12T13:12:00.000-04:002009-05-12T13:12:00.000-04:00Mark,
Possibly my favorite preposterous movie plo...Mark,<br /><br />Possibly my favorite preposterous movie plot point ever: when Jeff Goldblum uses an Apple computer virus to disable an advanced alien star cruiser in Independence Day. Bwaa haa haa! I was laughing out loud throughout.<br /><br />p.s. Why can movies get away with such crap?Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-49080385327275050502009-05-12T13:11:00.000-04:002009-05-12T13:11:00.000-04:00Amy,
I'm reading an MG book right now that inspi...Amy, <br /><br />I'm reading an MG book right now that inspired this post. It wasn't a huge book, but it was pubbed by Scholastic, so you'd think ... But, man, the coincidences! The head-hopping! The dialogue tags! I was starting to think maybe I'm just crazy.Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-56045258920836046632009-05-12T11:48:00.000-04:002009-05-12T11:48:00.000-04:00These are great. I'm so tuned in to showing and no...These are great. I'm so tuned in to showing and not telling that I sometimes have to remind myself that a little telling is okay.<br /><br />I avoid dialogue tags like the plague. :)Melanie Hooyengahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08781235493983907234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-73905553212981382582009-05-12T10:41:00.000-04:002009-05-12T10:41:00.000-04:00Having seen the latest Star Trek movie and enjoyed...Having seen the latest Star Trek movie and enjoyed it immensely, I find it quite the coincidence that Kirk gets stranded on a freaking frozen moon and manages to run into old Spock while trying to escape a monster, and in an even larger stunning coincidence, finds Scotty working at the Federation station there--exactly the person possible who, with a little help from old Spock, could transport them onto a moving starship (without even knowing where the damned ship was).<br /><br />Coincidence?<br /><br />Ayuh.Mark Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410424046477699059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125214612971306615.post-81776808924059413082009-05-12T09:55:00.000-04:002009-05-12T09:55:00.000-04:00Reading like a writer gives us a lot of insight. ...Reading like a writer gives us a lot of insight. I'm reading a book right now, am on page 101, and I'm not sure anything has really happened yet. There's lots of stuff going on in the main character's head. Yet, it's interesting. I'm not captivated though - but hey, the author has published three or four novels and I have not. I think breaking rules might be the way to go.Amy Sue Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13854920309673361956noreply@blogger.com