Warning, potential Susanna Clark-sized doorstop: "Over the labor day weekend, I read Elizabeth Kostova's THE HISTORIAN. Never has Dracula been so dull."
Oh, for several hours, a pot of tea, a quiet corner, and much talk of shop: "As I said here some time ago, I get tired of literary stars writing condescending introductions to short story collection by pulp writers they liked in their youth. So far this year Philip K. Dick has had to suffer two or three such introductions. A) He's lot of fun to read but B) He can't write for beans."
Simply beautiful: "If there's a plot twist that you simply must have in your book, find another way to get there than to make your character a f*ckin' imbecile."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Woooo wooo! We're back to writing!
ReplyDeletePBW posted:
Simply beautiful: "If there's a plot twist that you simply must have in your book, find another way to get there than to make your character a f*ckin' imbecile."
On the second draft of my novel, I discovered the cool start and the awesome ending were held together in the middle by the bubblegum of character stupidity. It's fixed now. (Ah, the glorious power of the outline.)
Jaye has a way of getting to the point that certainly resonates!
ReplyDeleteTotally off topic, but I read your Darkyn novel and loved it. Validation for your blog: I picked it up off the shelf because I recognized your name from here. The blurb cemented the purchase. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait for the next one!
Down with stupidity in characters. I can take mistakes in judgment (We all make 'em), naivete if that's consistent with the character from the beginning, and even out and out obliviousness (Something else that I'm convinced we all demonstrate at one time or another). Out and out dumb-this-character-would-never-do-this things make me scream.
ReplyDeleteZornhau wrote: On the second draft of my novel, I discovered the cool start and the awesome ending were held together in the middle by the bubblegum of character stupidity. It's fixed now. (Ah, the glorious power of the outline.)
ReplyDeleteI think this is one of the big benefits of pre-planning. After I finish the outline, I hunt down and stomp out every stupid plot thread/character/twist.
Sela wrote: Totally off topic, but I read your Darkyn novel and loved it.
Thanks for investing, Sela, and the very kind words. PBW has definitely boosted sales for me -- though I try not to think about folks who stop by the weblog reading my print stuff. Makes me want to hide under the bed.
Mary wrote: I can take mistakes in judgment (We all make 'em), naivete if that's consistent with the character from the beginning, and even out and out obliviousness (Something else that I'm convinced we all demonstrate at one time or another).
I'm better at accepting emotional naivete or bad judgement versus physical. We might misjudge a guy we fall in love with, or not know how to respond to committment, but we've all been educated on how to avoid physical threats and when it's obviously time to call 911.
hehehe jaye defintely knowns how to cut to the chase.
ReplyDelete