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- Dec 3, 2007
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Fingers On Keyboard.
Not even close.
(Also thanks, I didn't actually know what FOK was )
Fingers On Keyboard.
Step 1)
BIC
Step 2)
FOK
Step 3)
POWAA
I would be happy to answer that. You see, I am a simple man, rooted to the earth. Four steps up a ladder is as far into space as I prefer to go. Imagery is confusing and I tend to spend so much time trying to pronounce the characters' names, that I forget where they are, how they got there and what they're doing. I relate better to baseball bats, hot dogs, and cigars, unless the author is trying to trick me with symbolism.
When you have ideas like that? What do you do? Do you just write it, taking the risk of losing your readers or do you just keep it to your self.
Occasionally I have a similar thought about names especially in Fantasy. Were there never anyone in an alternate reality, or dimension that was named just plain Jim?
... adding needed description and back story should flesh it out.
Arrrgh!
I threw the book against the wall.
I keep meaning to finish it, but... it's been five years now. I don't think I will.
My very good friend, I've been trying to present general principles that pertain to all fiction, not just to science fiction.
I'm facing a dilemma at the moment: stay true to the story and write it in the second-person present, or cop-out and stick to the first or third.
Now this clinched it for me. Thank you.Let us take one of those games of chess that I've used as a metaphor for plot and character. The novel is the game.
If you use an Orcs'n'Elves chess set, you have a fantasy novel. If you use a Space-Aliens'n'Rocketmen chess set, you have a science fiction novel. If you use a Housewives'n'College-Professors chess set you have a mainstream novel. If you use a Cunning-Murderers'n'Detectives chess set you have a mystery novel.
The game itself is the same. The characters go to their most effective places; the characters move and interact; surprising combinations develop; a satisfying conclusion is reached. All that's changed is the feel of the game.
Thank you so much for saying that. I'm relieved. I have a hard time with making up "fantasy names" and mine have pretty normal names with maybe a bit of an old world version. I have a hard time reading fantasy work that has odd names because my mind obsesses over how to say them.UncleJim said:Well, I have an eight-volume science-fantasy series where the main characters' names are Owen, Beka, and Ari.
Have I given my Chess Set Analogy yet?
Hey, Jim.
I'm not sure whether you've covered this yet, but I was wondering what your stance is on second-person writing.
I'm facing a dilemma at the moment: stay true to the story and write it in the second-person present, or cop-out and stick to the first or third. I don't wish to betray the essence of my story, but at the same time really don't fancy running the risk of alienating my reader.
Bear in mind this is a short story intended for contest submission (if that makes any difference).
I'd greatly appreciate any advice you could impart.
. Four steps up a ladder is as far into space as I prefer to go.
3. I like the image of the Celtic Knot for plotting but I'm still not clear how it all works. I know it's hard to explain without images but I guess what would help me understand the concept better was if, along with the image on Post #3552 (or any other image actually) there was a short description of a plot that had been based on it so I could relate the threads with the plot elements. (For example, one thread is at the top and two are going down. What does that do to the story?)
My Circle of Magic series was based on the Celtic Knotwork plot pattern.
I assume you are fairly new at this vocation.
As a beginning author/writer, I try to take advantage of the advice I receive here at AW, particularly from Uncle Jim and the other published authors in this forum. I also read a lot of "How-to" books.
My question is, why would you make things harder for yourself? I see this many times in this forum, where unpublished writers and even those working on their first novel or short story, are trying to incorporate things that very experienced authors often fail at… These are very difficult concepts to describe, why would a beginner, add this burden?
Let’s say you love the books that are written in second person. Are you sure they are all second person or do they hop in and out from third to second? You might find that your favorite writings are a blend of first person and second person. You might try doing pieces of a chapter in second person to see how it reads. Even in a short story it might be more effective to hop between third and second.
The reason I’ve chosen to write in the second person is because it works more effectively than the first or third. First would suffice, but second is contextually-relevant to the story. The intention is for it to seem as if the reader is speaking to the protagonist, rather than the narrator speaking to the reader.
As Jim said, it might work, or it might fall flat on its arse. For now, I’m glad to say that it seems to be working.
To Odd but:
Best of luck to you.
It seems that after falling on my arse many times, I'm now much more conservative.
Which threads / patterns should I be looking for?
Wish me well.