tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post6049759248861080709..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Vocabulary Quiz to comeJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1926099202638272982017-04-22T10:59:34.577-04:002017-04-22T10:59:34.577-04:00What a great article! I found this article really ...What a great article! I found this article really insightful I particularly like the section that talks and it is a lot less then what people think.<br /><a href="http://www.pinnaclemetalcraft.com/" rel="nofollow">metal dog crate pans</a>Elizabeth Floreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02137236294842341276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65726037955929398292017-04-21T19:51:59.321-04:002017-04-21T19:51:59.321-04:00Wow, lots of comments (and I'm very late to th...Wow, lots of comments (and I'm very late to the party). Enjoyed reading through - some great discussions. Nothing insightful to add because I'm sure the conversation has moved to the next post so I'll see you there =)AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10362183766874220722017-04-21T16:15:32.218-04:002017-04-21T16:15:32.218-04:00Dena, I can go you one better than the lantern. I ...Dena, I can go you one better than the lantern. I burned my whole house down (well, the roof anyway) from a chimney fire from the woodstove. Needless to say, I no longer have a woodstove and am even squeamish around candles.<br /><br />I should note, this was 20 years ago, and I haven't burned anything down recently.Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-83975896898318558582017-04-21T11:18:59.613-04:002017-04-21T11:18:59.613-04:00I think you can read a million books and it will n...I think you can read a million books and it will never make you a good writer. What makes a good writer? Who knows? Some people will write all their lives and never be great at it. Ideas? Nope, just an idea wont cut it. Voice? Sure if you have the execution to back it up. Plot? Not enough if your characters are lacking. You have to be able to put it all together. I don't think the "G" word matters as much to a reader as it does to those in the industry who need a neat little slot to stick your book in. I will say that each type of book has certain rules that must be followed and some that can be bent to a certain extent. Again, I say its the execution that matters to me. I would rather spend my time writing than reading. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09471177018723836565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-16728359714502747212017-04-20T22:33:20.926-04:002017-04-20T22:33:20.926-04:00So many ideas and it's so late. I'll just ...So many ideas and it's so late. I'll just share two. <br /><br /><b>EM Goldsmith</b> "And one of them did come to pass." I assume you're not a ghost, so that leaves bitten by a shark. Do tell!<br /><br />On reading: if we only based our writing on reading, it would be boring. If we only based it on life experience, it would not be well-written. We need both to make rich stories. And, while I understand the importance of reading one's genre, any reading piques interesting and creative thoughts.So does living life fully, with eyes and ears open.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03581361783795436259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-75694132351835784262017-04-20T21:20:36.921-04:002017-04-20T21:20:36.921-04:00Huh? No co-incidence it's 420 Day. This postin...Huh? No co-incidence it's 420 Day. This posting would also work on April 1.Gingermollymarilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684318210445109786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-76531671755925888832017-04-20T20:46:25.773-04:002017-04-20T20:46:25.773-04:00I'm not going to get into the discussion on re...I'm not going to get into the discussion on reading other than to say I'm thankful that I read fast and thus get to enjoy many books at any given time. Books are one of the few things in life that are both good for my health and my heart. <br /><br />Shoutout to Dena for knowing the answer to today's blog :)<br /><br />As for the whole sci-fi vs. sci fantasy thing, well, I tend to differentiate between sci fi, fantasy, and science fantasy as follows: <br /><br />science fiction—where the systems, worlds, occurrences, peoples have a scientific explanation (even if the explanation is based on the "fake" science of that world or impossible theories)<br /><br />fantasy-where the systems, worlds, occurrences, peoples etc. have a mythical or magical (a fantastical) explanation.<br /><br />science fantasy- a blending of the two. Some things are explained by "science" others are explained by "magic" and both things are most likely accepted in the book's universe as normative. Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-43093464970527250232017-04-20T19:15:36.276-04:002017-04-20T19:15:36.276-04:00Julie - 'You can write any way you wish. This...Julie - 'You can write any way you wish. This is your magic carpet ride.'<br /><br />OMG I love that! Completely sums up the writing experience for me (the first draft, at least).MA Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11055543285024785889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-57546090614104762772017-04-20T17:59:40.748-04:002017-04-20T17:59:40.748-04:00So much for getting any work done...
BJ, nobody&#...So much for getting any work done...<br /><br /><b>BJ</b>, nobody's been able to come up with a universally-acceptable definition of science fiction, so why should we expect anything different for science fantasy?<br /><br />My two bits* worth: Science fiction takes a idea that is or could apply to the real world, and extrapolates its effects on society. Science fantasy is the same, except that the idea can't apply to the real world. And yes, I'm well aware of the holes in these definitions.<br /><br />* Today's fun fact: one bit is 12.5 cents because the Spanish dollar, aka the infamous "piece of eight," was designed to be literally broken into eight bits to make change. I've heard (but can't verify) that in the early days of the US, the American dollar was pegged to the value of the Spanish dollar, hence its applicability to US currency.<br /><br />So next time someone asks you, "Brother, can you spare a dime?" give him one eighth of a dollar bill and tell him he can keep the extra two and a half cents.<br /><br />(And then give him a twenty, or buy him dinner, or something. A dime doesn't go far these days.)Casey Karphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10592351859886981726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-90168270927683757432017-04-20T17:39:15.152-04:002017-04-20T17:39:15.152-04:00Dena: That's scary! That would squelch any wis...Dena: That's scary! That would squelch any wish to light a lantern for me. (When I used to go camping, I always had battery powered lanterns.)<br /><br />Casey: Ah, but now there is at least one zine out there calling itself a 'science fantasy' zine. The genre name seems to be making strides into the mainstream. Though no one still can quite define how it is different from science fiction...BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49103474568636447262017-04-20T17:29:34.305-04:002017-04-20T17:29:34.305-04:00Forgot to say that I read every bit of Agatha Chri...Forgot to say that I read every bit of Agatha Christie I could lay my hands on when I was a kid (Dick Francis mysteries, too). Roger Ackroyd was one of my favorites, but it's been so long that I can't recall the plot or the murderer or anything at all, frankly.<br /><br />I believe beach reads came up in the thread today. If you enjoy laughing until your sides hurt, I'd highly recommend Paul Feig's painfully funny autobiography, "Kick Me."Claire Bobrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15666082441972111293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-83326165501983211662017-04-20T17:23:15.008-04:002017-04-20T17:23:15.008-04:00Long comment thread today - I'm afraid I only ...Long comment thread today - I'm afraid I only made it about halfway through. However, I'm glad Janet continues to refresh us on genre vs. category. It shouldn't be confusing, but sometimes it still is. Yargh.<br /><br />I like <b>Sherry Howard's</b> analogy of improving our understanding of craft so it's more like a cottage than a crumbling shack. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Claire Bobrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15666082441972111293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70428388165145039342017-04-20T17:06:15.791-04:002017-04-20T17:06:15.791-04:00Casey, I think we have similar problems not opposi...Casey, I think we have similar problems not opposite ones.<br /><br />It still surprises me that things get done and get done well,Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-1319952155139837662017-04-20T16:42:50.379-04:002017-04-20T16:42:50.379-04:00BJ, science fantasy as a sub-genre has been around...<b>BJ</b>, science fantasy as a sub-genre has been around, going in and out of fashion as long as I have. Been around, I mean. I'm pretty sure I've never been in fashion. Come to think of it, when I was querying my first novel, I described it as science fantasy. For the record, I got about the same number of requests that way as when I called it magical realism. Go fig.<br /><br /><b>Joe Snoe</b>, I've got the opposite problem. I spend four hours a day untangling my mangled typing enough that I'll be able to read and rewrite what I spent all day writing.<br /><br /><b>Steve</b>, I think the same could be said of any genre and category. Why, I know some writers of memoirs who have been researching <i>their entire lives</i>!<br /><br />And that's my three for the day. Time to [del]find a different way to procrastinate[/del]write something.Casey Karphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10592351859886981726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77800083838297207312017-04-20T16:09:51.836-04:002017-04-20T16:09:51.836-04:00Julie and Stacy
I naturally write “no more than f...<b>Julie and Stacy</b><br /><br />I naturally write “no more than four hours at a time.” Usually a lot less than no more than four hours. Unfortunately it often takes me four hours to gear up to write a lot less than no more than four hours.<br /><br />It’s the typing what I write in not more than four hours that takes all day.<br />Joseph S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07437663031050410028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-60827451748383065402017-04-20T15:50:48.685-04:002017-04-20T15:50:48.685-04:00BJ re explosions - several years ago while camping...BJ re explosions - several years ago while camping with my husband and kids, I was asked to light the Coleman lantern. I slid the lit end of the match thru the slot. The lantern flashed really bright, poof! Being the seasoned camper that I was, I screamed. I thought it exploded but it didn't go out. It stayed bright. Way too bright. Hubby came and turned off the gas, but nothing happened. The lantern stayed lit and very bright. I don't have a good memory of what happened after that but I think hubby had to put on oven mits and unscrew the propane to shut it off. <br /><br />After that, hubby had to buy a battery powered lantern for me. I still refuse to be anywhere near a propane lantern. <br /><br /><br />Dena Pawlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14444683810125395220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-52963691114048905142017-04-20T15:44:40.003-04:002017-04-20T15:44:40.003-04:00Something I've noticed is that heavy readers i...Something I've noticed is that heavy readers insist that everyone else needs to read a lot in order to write. I used to be a heavy reader. Not everyone can read that much, whether because of life or health. But you can tell from Colin's writing here on the blog (and, I hope, from mine) that you don't have to read as much to write well. Yes, reading a lot is preferable, but it's not the end-all and be-all to writing publishable fiction. It would be nice to have a degree in science when writing science fiction, or a degree in history when writing historical fiction, but that's kind of unrealistic for many folks, too.<br /><br />Science fiction and fantasy are two genres that often fall under the general term of speculative fiction. They go well together, though, because they both deal with alternate realities, requiring more suspension of disbelief.<br /><br />There does seem to be a subgenre of 'science fantasy' beginning to take hold, but I think lines are still being drawn around that. <br /><br />Of course, if you ask any group of science fiction writers, you'll have a number who claim that space opera - or anything that isn't as hard as a rock - is 'fantasy'. And others telling this number to stop being so hardass and actually use some imagination. So the genre lines are not as straight as one might think.<br /><br />As for genre vs. category - I do agree with our Queen's distinction, but not all people in publishing do. I see many agents and editors calling YA a genre, and genres categories. This hurts my brain. But then, a lot of things hurt my brain lately.BJ Muntainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12977414826388000094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46056899226889865772017-04-20T15:41:49.461-04:002017-04-20T15:41:49.461-04:00Very interesting. I thought I understood genre and...Very interesting. I thought I understood genre and category, but this has clarified my understanding some more. It is amazing how much there is to learn reading your blog.<br /><br />It should be added that beginners might shy away froom historical because it takes SO DAMN MUCH RESEARCH. No matter how much you think you know about some vanished period, you are kidding yourself.<br /><br />I know you have a birthday coming up tomorrow, so in case I don't wake up tomorrow or something else happens, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I hope you have a good one and one of your customers sends you a big advance or royalty payment.<br />Steve Stubbshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13421775912951050610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-8960520193926915092017-04-20T15:14:59.589-04:002017-04-20T15:14:59.589-04:00Colin,
Everyone has to find their own path.
Di...Colin, <br /><br />Everyone has to find their own path. <br /><br />Diana was on a panel some years ago where an author and agent insisted that you had to outline your novel and write linearly or you'd not only never finish a novel, but certainly never be successful. Diana disagreed, saying writers can write any way they wish as long as it works for them. She writes in chunks and the pieces eventually fall into place. Then, when enough pieces are in place, she fills in the holes.<br /><br />The author who insisted on outlines was aghast. "How can you build a house without a foundation?"<br /><br />"If the builders deliver the roof first, I just hang the roof in the air where I think it will go. It's fiction. I can do anything I want."<br /><br />You can write any way you wish. This is your magic carpet ride.<br /><br />If I read too much of one kind of author at a time, I get depressed with my own writing because I feel so inferior. That's why I usually have more than one book going at a time.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-8491882777032745282017-04-20T14:54:35.390-04:002017-04-20T14:54:35.390-04:00Rachel: Please note, I said: "I could just sa...<b>Rachel</b>: Please note, I said: "I <i>could</i> just say, "Well, that's it--I quit!" But that won't last long." COULD--not would. Unfortunately, some WOULD read about the large number of books successful writers read, and exhortations to read canon plus best sellers, and give up because they simply don't have time.<br /><br />As it happens, I think my perspective is close to your optimism: Do what you can with what you've got. Each of us has our own load to bear. Some can give all their time to reading and writing, others can't. That may mean writing well is more of a struggle for some, but one's willingness to make the most of the schedule you have to do the best you can is what will make the difference, not how you compare with someone else.<br /><br />Yes, some people are encouraged by stories of how busy writers manage to find time to write. But others find these stories demoralizing, finding such standards impossible to live up to. Which is why we need to be careful with how we share our journeys.<br /><br />Thanks for the dialog, Rachel. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-91447018508760958082017-04-20T14:46:25.090-04:002017-04-20T14:46:25.090-04:00Ah, Colin, that makes sense! I wasn't implying...Ah, <b>Colin</b>, that makes sense! I wasn't implying that you didn't read widely, it was more along the lines of I used to think <i>I</i> read widely, but I recently discovered that there's a lot of territory I've left untapped (due to the time constraints you alluded to).Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29064922739977190302017-04-20T14:35:53.435-04:002017-04-20T14:35:53.435-04:00Amy,
Welcome. That was the lesson of the discussi...Amy,<br /><br />Welcome. That was the lesson of the discussion we had. You can describe clothing, for instance, but if you put and action or emotion with it then the clothing becomes secondary underpainting and is much more effective. <br /><br />Reflected red and yellow flames danced merrily on the brass andiron belly, only slightly marred by the dent where I had bashed John Frain over the head. Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-25180703402516109032017-04-20T14:28:05.362-04:002017-04-20T14:28:05.362-04:00Colin, I absolutely didn't mean it that way, I...<b>Colin</b>, I absolutely didn't mean it that way, I'm sorry it came off as a I-do-this-so-why-can't-you comment. Your first comment came off as binary and defeatist in a way that's unusual for you - If I can't read X books I should quit writing...I was trying to describe how I haven't found it to be a zero-sum game, and the benefits to me from muddling through in my small way. You've been writing seriously longer than I have, and I would never expect our reading needs to be the same, even if our circumstances were identical. <br /><br />Warning: Relentless optimism below.<br />In defense of writers sharing their specific goals and circumstances, however, I am frequently amazed and inspired by the creativity people show in arranging their lives to serve their passions, the multitude of circumstances that can be made to work, even around responsibilities or challenges that appear overwhelming to me. I am grateful for the people who had similar circumstances (e.g. academics who move constantly, day jobs, working parents) who shared the what and how of their goals. Some find that kind of sharing inherently advice-y, or competitive—I rarely do.<br /><br />As a working mother I get so many How Do You Do Anything !?!?! comments that I often mention family stuff to counteract a limiting cultural narrative about motherhood/family and working that I encounter at least weekly. I intended the mention above as a positive one—I'm grateful for circumstances that are marvelous to me, (except for the one where DH works in the city for the summer, but I have too many friends in the military to really complain about it) and I'm doing my best to take advantage of them by improving as quickly as possible.<br /><br />I shared my current reading goal within my current circumstance (both are subject to change) as a single data point in the scatterplot of the writing community, not to suggest anyone else needs to change coordinates. I like data, and it can be hard to find - no one wants to look like a boaster or a slacker.<br /><br />To end on a more On-Topic note, I think the hardest part about mastering the vocabulary of genre vs. category in the beginning is that both are used in the same way to sort and shelve things in bookstores and libraries. The physical spaces treat them as equivalent levels in an outline. You have the Romance genre right next to the YA category (which can have stuff from all genres)..additionally, there are plenty of craft books where the author uses the term genre in their own made-up theoretical framework, without much reference to how the industry uses the term. <br /><br />That's three - I'm out for the day.RachelErinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09510327163701754950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46608305452307932017-04-20T13:38:56.624-04:002017-04-20T13:38:56.624-04:00I have long thought that a work of fiction with sc...I have long thought that a work of fiction with sci-fi elements was called Speculative Fiction.<br /><br />Actual sci-fi is immersed in something other than the current time.<br /><br />I actually think it is a good thing for writers to experiment in other genres. You should find the place you are most comfortable with before you query something. If that gets published you will be fairly well stuck in that genre.<br /><br />When you set a scene(world-build) and determine a voice direction you write. It is all the same when you are pounding a keyboard.<br /><br />Yes, you do have to read some in that genre. You don't need to be expert in it.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-75231705301433016542017-04-20T13:18:06.270-04:002017-04-20T13:18:06.270-04:00No, I didn't really pick up on that, but that&...No, I didn't really pick up on that, but that's the way it's been for me today. :(Stacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03365582623380288038noreply@blogger.com