Otherland

Akuma

Hope this is the correct board to say this. I just have to say---------I WANT TO BE AS GOOD OF A WRITER AS TAD WILLIAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He wrote the Otherland series, which is my absolute favorite. But rarely anybody I've met has even heard of it! The plot, the characters, I love it all! Oh, Tad Williams, teach me your ways!

*cough cough*

Well, I think I'm done. Back to the Norm.

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>The thing about crazy people is that they don't know they're crazy--Otherland, Tad Williams<hr></blockquote>
 

Greenwolf103

I don't think it's a good idea to try to emulate another writer, let alone one that you respect.

Sure, you can *try* to write better than him. But ultimately, you need to develop your own writing style and your own voice.

No two writers are the same.
 

Arisa81

Never heard of it/him myself :b

But I agree with Dawn, don't try too hard to write like someone else. You have your own style and you should use it. I imagine you are a good writer in your own way.

Maybe you want success like him as well, I can understand that. I think most of us would probably want to be as known as Tad Williams, or Danielle Steel or whomever else one may read.
 

LiamJackson

Williams also wrote the best-selling fantasy trilogy Memory, Sorrow & Thorn. If you're interested, the first book in that series is The Dragonbone Chair.

He also wrote Tailchaser's Song and the Otherland books.

Akuma, I'm with you. If you wake up tomorrow morning and find that you've mysteriously inherited talent and imagination from another writer, you could do worse than Tad Williams.
 

James D Macdonald

Tad is a cool guy.

Next: It's okay to try to emulate another writer.

Here's why: whatever else may or may not be true, you aren't him. You cannot, no matter how hard you try, write exactly the same way he does. Your plot will be different, your characters will be different. Your style will be different. You can't help yourself.
 

Yeshanu

It's okay to try to emulate another writer.

... as long as you try to emulate a good writer...

Now you folks have got me curious about Tad Williams. Time for another trip to the library...

:gone
 

Lori Basiewicz

His Otherland series is good (haven't quite finished it as I got sidetracked), Ruth, as is Tailchaser's Song. I don't recall reading any of his other works.
 

SRHowen

Me

I hated Dragon Bone Chair, but loved Tailchaser--go figure.

Shawn (duh! :jump )
 

Yeshanu

Re: Me

Shawn,

Just an off-topic comment -- if you want the italics to work, ya gotta use the square brackets, like so: [ ]
 

vstrauss

>>He wrote the Otherland series, which is my absolute favorite. But rarely anybody I've met has even heard of it!<<

I reviewed all four volumes for SF Site. I agree, it's a terrific work--though I think that Book 4, especially, could have been trimmed.

I also loved his latest, The War of the Flowers.

- Victoria
 

CindyBidar

Williams also wrote the best-selling fantasy trilogy Memory, Sorrow & Thorn.

Long ago I stumbled on these books. I didn't even know what Fantasy was. Now I'm hooked. No matter how hard I try, though, I can't write it.
 

Akuma

Tad

The War of Flowers was excellent too. I definitely would never want to be this guy, I just totally look up to him as a writer. I would never want to be anyone else beside me. Certain attributes, however, I could wish to have. :)
 

beezle

I'm also a big Tad Williams fan, from the day my uncle gave me The Dragon Bone Chair.In fact, some of you Otherland readers might recognise the nickname i'm using.
 

LiamJackson

Re: Otherland (Shawn)

Shawn,

re: the Dragonbone Chair
What gave you the most heartburn about the book?
The biggest knock I hear is the numerous loose threads left dangling after The End. Personally, I thought book two was the strongest of the three.
 

James D Macdonald

You want to learn Tad's ways, Akuma?

Type the first chapter of one of his books.
 

Cyyschn

Otherland was good for the first two novels, then it grew monotonous and the plot threads were far too many. I HATED the land that had nothing in it (the one that was undeveloped or whatever); they were in there forever there was nothing in there. Things shouldn't've taken so long. And the blind lady's journal was pretty stupid.

I'll just leave it as: it could have been much better.
 

aka eraser

I'm a huge fan of Tad Williams. I re-read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn every 3 years or so. I loved Otherland too though I agree it could have survived a snip or two.