tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post2052218596217150264..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: This novel seems very weakJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68935950206942517502017-05-15T18:01:49.665-04:002017-05-15T18:01:49.665-04:00I think the letter writer has a low bar for word o...I think the letter writer has a low bar for word overuse. 72 "seems" doesn't seem like that many, especially after I look at my original rough draft with its over 400 instances of the word "just"...<br />Morgan Hazelwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17713547255894719134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51078427347858453742017-05-12T16:17:46.439-04:002017-05-12T16:17:46.439-04:00John Davis Frain
That was the first time I'd ...John Davis Frain<br /><br />That was the first time I'd ever heard that line. But I had heard two of his jokes in the book when I was a kid.Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82869325412964220252017-05-12T11:18:22.270-04:002017-05-12T11:18:22.270-04:00So much to agree with here, both from Janet and th...So much to agree with here, both from Janet and the reef inhabitants. I've said all along that Rowling is a good writer, and a *great* storyteller. Which gives me hope; I am a storyteller even more than a writer.<br /><br />Thank you, <b>Colin,</b> for the editing comments! I believe her editor (or someone in the publishing chain) was a bit scared to touch her work by the 4th book. "She's making us rich! Don't argue with her!" But the story is so good that we keep reading (and rereading) anyway.<br /><br />And kudos to <b>BJ</b> for pointing out that the writing works not because children don't know, but because she's writing to who they are and how they read.roadkills-r-ushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14029861300358380117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-27330793502838096912017-05-12T02:10:24.186-04:002017-05-12T02:10:24.186-04:00Hey Joseph,
I'm guessing you were familiar wi...Hey Joseph,<br /><br />I'm guessing you were familiar with that line before you read The Long and Faraway Gone. Genevieve didn't coin the phrase, of course, but it helped shape her character in the story. <br /><br />So many things I loved about that book. I shot off an email to Berney and told him I had a friend who was my real-life O'Malley. I haven't told my friend that though. Probably never will.<br /><br />Take care, Joseph, and use that line any time you want. Own it!<br />John Davis Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020019400599228492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59817211004715681152017-05-11T22:44:42.943-04:002017-05-11T22:44:42.943-04:00Joseph: If the beloved offspring of your sibling w...<b>Joseph</b>: If the beloved offspring of your sibling was insinuating that the variants between the two versions constitute substantial alterations to the foundational plot, or their derivative story lines, then I'm afraid she has grossly overstated the literary divergence between these transatlantic cousins. Alterations were made merely to aide the American reader with the sometimes obscure but otherwise easy-to-figure-out-from-the-context variations between the two languages. Clearly, the world-weary middle grader is not able to figure out what it means for Harry's glasses to be held together by Sellotape, and what the "video recorder" is that Dudley got for his birthday, such that translations into the vernacular American form were deemed necessary.<br /><br />Heaven forbid we use such literature to teach about other cultures... ;)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22223690921391525172017-05-11T22:19:05.559-04:002017-05-11T22:19:05.559-04:00John Davis Fran - I get yelled at when I talk abou...<b>John Davis Fran</b> - I get yelled at when I talk about book specifics, but the line appears many times in the book. You can find an early mention on line 9 on page 39.<br /><br /><b>Colin</b> -So you're saying my niece was trying to one-up everyone to show how cool she is. She does do that, yes she does. <br /><br /><b>GingerMollymarilyn</b> - A writer at one of the Southern Voices Festival said he tries to be as accurate as possible because when he makes a mistake, readers (a) notice it and (b)write him long letters about it.Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-18944721893873706912017-05-11T21:30:17.023-04:002017-05-11T21:30:17.023-04:00Thanks for the warm welcome! Thanks for the warm welcome! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17787214531164076881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22207292360220329612017-05-11T21:19:20.038-04:002017-05-11T21:19:20.038-04:00I found this post really interesting. I feel like ...I found this post really interesting. I feel like middle grade authors, in general, get away with using adverbs and breaking the rules a bit more in the vein of keeping a "middle-grade voice." Kids use adverbs, they tell instead of show, etc, so it makes sense that to keep a middle grade voice some "rules" get broken. You need to remember that the average seventh grade teacher still has a funeral for the dialog tag "said" and encourages kids to get more creative...yet as writers "said" is all we are ever supposed to use. Great Post! Laura Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02885160895464207614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-9561417852496771852017-05-11T21:04:21.245-04:002017-05-11T21:04:21.245-04:00Wow, Brigid! Thank you!
I'm always surprised...Wow, <b>Brigid</b>! Thank you! <br /><br />I'm always surprised (but delighted!) if someone's heard of Valiant! Things got a little crazy with Egmont USA closing just before the release...Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06909176210194176373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-37461131211511364542017-05-11T19:54:05.150-04:002017-05-11T19:54:05.150-04:00What a great question, and very timely. Janet, I r...What a great question, and very timely. Janet, I really like how you cite examples of TV shows and movies; how they don't worry so much about authenticity. In my thriller, I'm writing and focusing on the crime scene, and though it's fiction, I'm strongly compelled to write it factually, considering every minute detail. I believe Janet's touched on this recently, the bottom line is that the most important thing is that a book should be a damn good read. RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN! Who came up with these rules, anyways?Gingermollymarilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684318210445109786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-64034259698631473092017-05-11T19:51:27.732-04:002017-05-11T19:51:27.732-04:00Very glad to see new names, especially Sarah—I lov...Very glad to see new names, especially <b>Sarah</b>—I loved Valiant!Brigidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13768090206152536761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23612481207424482402017-05-11T18:03:51.901-04:002017-05-11T18:03:51.901-04:00Joseph: I own the Potter books in both the US tran...<b>Joseph</b>: I own the Potter books in both the US translation and the original English. Aside from the title of the first book (UK: Philosopher's Stone, US: Sorcerer's Stone--because apparently, American kids are too stupid to figure out what the philosopher's stone is despite the fact it's explained in the story--don't get me started on that...), the other changes are primarily spellings, idioms, and terminology. Interestingly, the US editors changed fewer things as the series went on. There are tons of changes in Book 1, much fewer in Book 7.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21906553740037998342017-05-11T17:43:39.108-04:002017-05-11T17:43:39.108-04:00Um, Julie, by sixth grade you already had (at leas...Um, Julie, by sixth grade you already had (at least) 3 kids? Whoosh. I never would have guessed this about you! (Sorry, like Tom Cruise playing Maverick, "I had the shot, there was no danger, so I took it."<br /><br />I typically write very very sparsely, taking Hemmingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” as the ideal. I warn my CP’s of this so they know where I’m coming from when I ruthlessly recommend deleting every sentence but one from their beautiful paragraphs, then recommend cutting that sentence by half. And my CP’s are always telling me Rob, it’s a little too brusk, I didn’t get it, you need to add a few more words. The combination of a loquacious writer and sparse CP (and vice versa) is a great combo. The rule we are always trying to follow is have as many words as you want, but make sure that every single word counts. In Rowling’s case the “extra” words are not superfluous. They set the tone. They make the magic jump off the page for the kids reading them. <br />This has been a great comment thread.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02694333358894726440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-35397490886211499402017-05-11T17:36:19.339-04:002017-05-11T17:36:19.339-04:00Oh Lennon, you finished the damn thing. How awesom...Oh Lennon, you finished the damn thing. How awesome is that. <br />Such kind words. I'll buy yours if you buy mine. <br /><br />I love this place, really I do, quirks and all.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77998132707656460342017-05-11T17:16:16.025-04:002017-05-11T17:16:16.025-04:00Sorry, Joseph, I forgot time expired while I was r...Sorry, Joseph, I forgot time expired while I was reading many comments and so my comment didn't immediately follow your bit about your two criticisms of Berney's Long and Faraway Gone. Plus, the one line you've been tempted to use.<br /><br />Please, for the love of dog, use the line. I must know!<br /><br />I'll trade you one of my three comments for tomorrow. (This is my third today; otherwise I'd give you one for today.)John Davis Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020019400599228492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-37260993263208408772017-05-11T17:12:57.944-04:002017-05-11T17:12:57.944-04:00Joseph
C'mon.<b>Joseph</b><br /><br />C'mon.John Davis Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020019400599228492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32485624308035546442017-05-11T17:12:37.685-04:002017-05-11T17:12:37.685-04:00One last time
My niece tells me there are two ver...One last time<br /><br />My niece tells me there are two versions of each Harry Potter book - the England version and the American version. She prefers the England version better. I don't accept everything my niece tells me. Is she correct on this? <br /><br />Also, I've read a half dozen James Patterson novels in the past three years - all but one were Alex Cross novels - and enjoyed them. My favorite was "Along Came a Spider."Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85776665113452870762017-05-11T17:06:46.749-04:002017-05-11T17:06:46.749-04:00Such an insightful blog today. Thank you for posti...Such an insightful blog today. Thank you for posting, OP, and for your insights, Janet and all you Reiders. I'll only add that I think we probably write our best stuff when it's intentional. If we choose that adverb for a reason, decide to write "seems" or the passive voice, or to tell and not show, we stand a much better chance of having our work resonate with the reader. At least that's what I tell myself!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00057611467208638753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-71109651944261101292017-05-11T17:01:59.830-04:002017-05-11T17:01:59.830-04:00I enjoyed “The Long and Faraway Gone.” It’s got a ...I enjoyed “The Long and Faraway Gone.” It’s got a nice rhythm and balance to it. I had one criticism – okay two – but neither detracted from the book’s enjoyment. I guess it pays (in more ways than one) to teach Graduate Creative Writing courses (it certainly has for Lou Berney). <br /><br />Ironically there is one line in “The Long and Faraway Gone” that I’ve been tempted to use here and elsewhere. It is such a cool line, and only six or so words. It’s worth reading the book for.<br />Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77498903246761258472017-05-11T16:25:12.574-04:002017-05-11T16:25:12.574-04:00A while back I tried to create a drinking game for...A while back I tried to create a drinking game for nerds. You had to take a shot every time there was a dialogue tag in Harry Potter. Everyone passed out by the end of the third chapter. <br /><br />Harry Potter works. <br /><br />It's also fantasy and British. There's a different cadence to both styles of writing. Her structure wouldn't work in a Jack Bauer style thriller. <br /><br />An interesting question would be if James Patterson was trying to sell his books today, via the electronic slush pile, if his writing would sell. He has inertia now. <br /><br />TerriTerri Lynn Coophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07290316565247120848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-78170982655512682102017-05-11T16:19:01.316-04:002017-05-11T16:19:01.316-04:00I love the Harry Potter series, but when I was rea...I love the Harry Potter series, but when I was reading it out loud to my son, I had the same gut reaction, esp. in Book... 5(?) I want to say. <br /><br />Overuse of certain words/ adverbs, etc. drives me batty as a writer. Convenient or unrealistic plot points in movies make me want to throw popcorn at the screen. I turned to my husband one day while watching t.v. and said, "I just can't enjoy entertainment the same way I could before becoming a writer." It saddened me. It's like I can't turn off my editorial brain.<br /><br />But writing styles are always changing, and we have to keep that in mind. The same stylistic devices and ideas we think are absolute musts right now may be worthy of an eye-roll emoji by other writers in a decade or two. ;-) Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02288010060936146108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-69437956323702569922017-05-11T16:15:50.532-04:002017-05-11T16:15:50.532-04:00Joseph, I would be pleased to share it with you, A...Joseph, I would be pleased to share it with you, Angie Brooksby-Arcangioli has read it. My email is DLMajor (at) verizon (dot) net. Though I will admit: that sure is inexplicable! :) And thank you.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-89706049257888984952017-05-11T16:15:29.236-04:002017-05-11T16:15:29.236-04:00To me the most important thing I noticed was how w...To me the most important thing I noticed was how well planned the whole deal is. To have an uber plot run over, under, around and through a series with subplots strong enough to make stand alone books does not just happen.<br /><br />Once again I will drag out the watercolors. If you don't plan out a painting in watercolors you will end up with a page full of mud. The same thing can happen in writing.<br /><br />If literary, or "good" writing is not compelling enough to make the pages fly by, it is no different than bad writing. Write a compelling story using timing, rhythm and voice. Those need to shine through.<br /><br />I can't comment on Patterson because I haven't been able to finish one of his factory books in nigh onto twenty years. That somewhat ties into yesterdays 50 pages post. Patterson is one of those that I haven't gotten past page 50 in a long time. I don't feel like I am missing anything because they all seem the same, except for the town and the character names.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49650356426985488742017-05-11T16:12:53.505-04:002017-05-11T16:12:53.505-04:00Thanks, Colin! I haven't lurked enough to real...Thanks, <b>Colin</b>! I haven't lurked enough to realize there was a list. : )<br /><br />I so enjoy this blog- it's just that teaching often keeps me from getting to the comments section while there's still activity.<br /><br />I think the best books include fabulous writing and take us wonderful places, but ohmyword, I like that quote, <b>John Davis Frain</b>!Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06909176210194176373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87065231305914037892017-05-11T15:47:24.015-04:002017-05-11T15:47:24.015-04:00I'm not smart enough to add anything of value ...I'm not smart enough to add anything of value to this conversation, so I'll step aside and quote Lou Berney. BTW, have I mentioned yet today the incredible story, The Long and Faraway Gone? Read it! You will fall in love/hate in a most wonderful, memorable way.<br /><br />Anyway, in Berney's list of advice to a younger self, he says this:<br /><br />Don't spend too much time worrying about stuff that no one else will worry about. No reader ever said, "The characters sucked and the story was trite, but wow I really loved that one sentence on p. 321, so I'll recommend this novel to all my friends."<br /><br />John Davis Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020019400599228492noreply@blogger.com