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Rumple_deWriter
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I've been out-of-pocket so long I had to log back in and found a couple friend requests from back in the summer. So now that I'm once again befouling this otherwise respectable site, I was wondering who is our beloved admin and what carbon-based life-forms are serving as ever helpful mods.
Today's Biblical Thought on Writing
Taken from JOB, chapter 19, verse 23
23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
From this, it would seem that old Job, with all his other troubles, was yet another author stuck in the middle of a stalled work-in-progress.
Taken from JOB, chapter 19, verse 23
23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
From this, it would seem that old Job, with all his other troubles, was yet another author stuck in the middle of a stalled work-in-progress.
Being a high-culture, prevaricating old fart:
The Boston Pops
The New York Philamonic
-- You say you're not buying that crap? Okay, what about:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Stones, Doors, Who, The Band, Blood Sweat and Tears, along with a special shout-out to, Kinky Friedman and His Texas Jewboys?
The Boston Pops
The New York Philamonic
-- You say you're not buying that crap? Okay, what about:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Stones, Doors, Who, The Band, Blood Sweat and Tears, along with a special shout-out to, Kinky Friedman and His Texas Jewboys?
Welcome ABG to this literary oasis amid the arid wasteland of the internet. Nost of the SS poets have reportedly had their shots. As for my fellow purveyors of prose, well, the jury is still out on how many of us have been housebroken so you might want to watch where you step for a few days. ;)
Naming a character is often important, but seldom crucial. Main characters, especially in novellas and novels, should usually have strong and distinctive names. Some authors like to give secondary characters a unique name since less time is normally spent developing their personality and a notable name can help bring them to life.
Maggie's research into popular names 'back when' is a good idea even if the story setting is contemporary. In 40 years are so, there may be a slew of grannies name "Katelynn' but at the moment that might strike current readers as a bit odd. ;)
Bottom line is there are no hard and fast rules. For instance, I believe it was Mr. Martini who said he often uses names of friends and that works for him. Me, I'd never, ever do that since I want, need, characters with no baggage except what they get from me.
Maggie's research into popular names 'back when' is a good idea even if the story setting is contemporary. In 40 years are so, there may be a slew of grannies name "Katelynn' but at the moment that might strike current readers as a bit odd. ;)
Bottom line is there are no hard and fast rules. For instance, I believe it was Mr. Martini who said he often uses names of friends and that works for him. Me, I'd never, ever do that since I want, need, characters with no baggage except what they get from me.
Bad monkey
Carl Hiaasen
When a tourist fishes a human arm out of the ocean near Key West, the horrified sheriff instructs black sheep Detective Yancy to pass it off to the Miami morgue. Instead, Yancy hooks up with the attractive Dade County ass't medical examiner and attempts to solve what becomes a very convoluted case. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller.
A must read for fans of Hiaasen. A good read for anyone who likes a dash of humor with their suspence/mystery.
.
Carl Hiaasen
When a tourist fishes a human arm out of the ocean near Key West, the horrified sheriff instructs black sheep Detective Yancy to pass it off to the Miami morgue. Instead, Yancy hooks up with the attractive Dade County ass't medical examiner and attempts to solve what becomes a very convoluted case. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller.
A must read for fans of Hiaasen. A good read for anyone who likes a dash of humor with their suspence/mystery.
. Welcome, Sarah. Since you're proposed book would be non-fiction, you might consider working up proposals to send to various agents/publishers. (That's pretty much a no-no for fiction.) For what it's worth, I think your idea has a lot of potential but could become a complex, organizational nightmare. If an agent/publisher shows interest, they might suggest a book doctor or some other pro to help you with the project. -- Best of luck.
Sounds interesting, Circle, a bit like an old Info game such as Zork, but with visuals.
Being light years behind the technology curve, I've just finished, "Bad Monkey" by Carl Hiaasen. If you like CH, it's a must read. If you've never read any of his stuff and like quirky mysteries with a cynical and somewhat off-beat sense of humor, give it a try.
Being light years behind the technology curve, I've just finished, "Bad Monkey" by Carl Hiaasen. If you like CH, it's a must read. If you've never read any of his stuff and like quirky mysteries with a cynical and somewhat off-beat sense of humor, give it a try.
I hear you, Ms P. It's been suggested by some writing 'authorities' that about one POV shift per chapter is optimum.
And I agree with you that a slew of 'shift notifications' can be very disruptive. That said, if you want a POV or scene shift w/o a sign, then it's important to have the location of the new scene and/or the ID of the new POV character established quickly. For instance: ...Mary sighed, turned over in bed, and drifted off to sleep wondering why Jack hadn't called.
Jack gazed around the crowded, smokey bar and wondered why Mary wasn't there.
And I agree with you that a slew of 'shift notifications' can be very disruptive. That said, if you want a POV or scene shift w/o a sign, then it's important to have the location of the new scene and/or the ID of the new POV character established quickly. For instance: ...Mary sighed, turned over in bed, and drifted off to sleep wondering why Jack hadn't called.
Jack gazed around the crowded, smokey bar and wondered why Mary wasn't there.
Two characters having a conversation would not involve POV shifts (head hopping) unless the narrative includes what they're thinking.
With the exception of the romance genre, most agents, editors and reviewerslook down on 'head hopping' since it can easily confuse the reader about who is the current POV character.
IMO, it can be done effectively (see some of Poppet's work) but using it can be tricky and is, IMO, best avoided. .
With the exception of the romance genre, most agents, editors and reviewerslook down on 'head hopping' since it can easily confuse the reader about who is the current POV character.
IMO, it can be done effectively (see some of Poppet's work) but using it can be tricky and is, IMO, best avoided. .
Welcome to, Stories Space, Suzi and Escort. Thanks for your thoughtful and knowledgeable comments. Hope there not one-and-done examples of your writing.
FWIW, to me genres are a marketing device, not an element of writing. Tell your story in the most effective way possible and then worry about the classification.
FWIW, to me genres are a marketing device, not an element of writing. Tell your story in the most effective way possible and then worry about the classification.
Neal Stephenson's trilogy, 'The Baroque Chronicles' (Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World) carries the unusual double-lable of: science fiction and historical fiction. It also contains: fantasy, adventure (Barbary pirates and galley slaves) , humor, philosophy, sex (a Turkish harem and a French hay loft), and famous secondary characters such as Isaac Newton and Louis XIV. Check it out.
Just finished, "The Generals Mistress" by Jo Graham. It is one of the most erotic mainstream (historical fiction) novels I've come across, so to speak, and among the best written stories I've read in some time. While the sex is hot, the story is about the protag's coming to terms with her own sexual identity during the Napoleonic Era. It's well-done and very erotic, but not porn. Highly recommended, especially to would be published authors of mainstream fiction with significant erotic content.