Comments on: More Topic Salad

By: BernardL

BernardL — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:29:59 +0000

When I’m reading a novel, it doesn’t annoy me when I notice all the things I can’t get away with – ellipses instead of dashes, POV changes within a scene, adverbs aplenty, inanimate objects gaining sentience (murmurs ran through the crowd). I don’t complain. I sigh with envy.

By: vanessa jaye

vanessa jaye — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:01:16 +0000

I usually don’t think in terms of ‘they got away with it’. Nine times out of ten, the established author rocked the ever livin sh*t out of the execution. The newbie’s ham sanwhich on white-bread version doesn’t even come close. No contest. Or if I do think they got away with it, it’s more about giving them a pass because they do something else so extraordinarily well. There are times when you do have to concede that, yeah, they do get away with the 4 page itallicized internal musing because they’re name on the cover guarantees that a babillion copies of that book is going to fly off the shelf. Same can’t be said for Debbie Debute novelist.

Going by his definitions, I re-write, touch-up and spell-check. Almost all simultaneously. I’ve never re-drafted. My process just wouldn’t let me get that far in a book that was so fundamentally flawed in some way that required a complete write in that. I’d be spinning my wheels forever until it got worked out.

Still spinning over the Quartet news. Got an email at work about it and thought the person was pulling my leg. I feel for Angie considering the position she left, but I don’t doubt given her skills/knowledge/profile that she’ll land on her feet eventually. Sorry of the authors who’ve had a setback re publishing. Hope they[re able to place those mss somewhere else.

I can’t see the pics of the docs, but I can just imagine who they are.

By: Charlene Teglia

Charlene Teglia — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:48:27 +0000

Hey, you don’t have that guy from Scrubs on here. Come on, he’s cute.

Very sad news about Quartet and I hope Angie lands on her feet.

Now I shall go back to my touch up draft.

By: Dennie ~

Dennie ~ — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:01:41 +0000

I wouldn’t turn any of those docs away (though I have no clue who the one between Hugh Laurie and Mathew Fox is)

The editor’s getting away with… head hoping I think is my biggest one (most freqently seen). But with the big BIG authors it boils down to the story telling and they can so who cares

I LOVED that Aha video when I was a kid (we saw it recently on some count down and it brought back fond memories)

writing as therapy–I don’t know that I have a following thread from life so much as a way to get emotions or ill will out

as to motivation; it’s not so much the motivation as the ideas never quit coming and the thrill of writng (maybe not the pub process) has never once left

By: Raine

Raine — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:01:35 +0000

1) Of course I’ve seen this in ‘name’ books that’ve been nixed or R’d in newbie or wannabee books. Can’t say I resent it that much. One of the perks, I guess? {shrug}

4) A pervasive theme? I don’t think there’s just one that stands out. I do like my tortured heroes who find redemption. And I do love the alternate realities, the “what if the world had gone this way?” stuff.

6) Saw that! According to PW, they disbanded because they discovered they wouldn’t have enough financing. Curious–you’d think that’d be the first thing they would’ve been sure of!

7) How do I keep yourself motivated when I feel like quitting?
Masochism and insanity?

9) Always had a thing for Clooney.