tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post3849621151439208365..comments2024-03-28T12:40:14.627+00:00Comments on MOODY WRITING: Dead Story Walkingmooderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-2647966415453609092012-01-06T14:23:31.877+00:002012-01-06T14:23:31.877+00:00Glad Stina linked to this today as I don't kno...Glad Stina linked to this today as I don't know how I missed it the first time. Usually see your posts in CC's What did you blog about? forum. So adding you know to my Reader...<br /><br />Great post! I know I've made this mistake and probably still have some lingering scenes like this. Good food for thought as I go into the weekend revising :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-11852971395567889862011-12-28T16:52:12.981+00:002011-12-28T16:52:12.981+00:00The subject matter is not what I'm talking abo...The subject matter is not what I'm talking about. Mundane or fantastical doesn't matter. It's the journey, not the destination I'm discussing here. There are plenty of examples of small, mundane things making for great stories. But if what you see is what you get, if it is a literal depiction of a thing and nothing more, it won't be interesting.<br /><br />if a man is hungry and makes a sandwich and eats the sandwich, and then isn't hungry, it's not a story. If a man decides to kill himself, but first decides to make a sandwich, the making of that sandwich can become very meaningful. It's not what you're saying that counts, it's what you're really saying, and most often with aspiring writers they manage to convey the mundane well enough, but they forget to make it into a story.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-61623950160568368742011-12-28T16:27:55.635+00:002011-12-28T16:27:55.635+00:00All right, well perhaps it's just a confusion ...All right, well perhaps it's just a confusion about terms, because I'll agree with all fast being just as annoying as all slow is tedious.<br /><br />I do, however, think that the mundane can be written in a very engaging manner. As an example, I refer you to Skomsvold's 'The Faster I Walk The Smaller I Am.'Suzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07908805179119217608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-54014145775240235742011-12-27T15:49:15.118+00:002011-12-27T15:49:15.118+00:00That's not what I'm saying. An interesting...That's not what I'm saying. An interesting route doesn't indicate a set pace. All story should vary in tension and intensity. Pedestrian writing is where it becomes monotone, whether all fast or all slow. And while a lot of real life is pedestrian, that's why a lot of real life doesn't make very interesting reading.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-7463709974561463432011-12-27T15:07:50.481+00:002011-12-27T15:07:50.481+00:00'Whether the person running away escapes or ge...'Whether the person running away escapes or gets caught, the journey from one end of the scene to the other should not be a straight line, it should be a constant battle between what a character plans to do and what they end up having to do.'<br /><br />I disagree. It appears, to me, that what you propose is the intellectual's version of too much cool-guy CGI.<br /><br />There have to be moments of respite in a story. Or, well, there don't have to be, but I think it's a disservice to the full spectrum of human experience to insist, along with a bottom-line-oriented industry, that all stories we feed into the system be one giant strain. That's like gunning it too hard during the approach. There have to be texture and contrast. And one really good way to achieve as much is to release the tension on the string by writing what some might dismiss as pedestrian. Life is almost entirely 'pedestrian.' Having some of that in story can be the new black -- if executed well.Suzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07908805179119217608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-85425941654743840792011-12-19T16:25:39.566+00:002011-12-19T16:25:39.566+00:00So, where's your Google+ button? Was all set ...So, where's your Google+ button? Was all set to give this a +1, but no button... I even worked my way through the Share button with 335 options - everything but that one. :-(<br /><br />Talk about building tension... okay, maybe not. But great post, anyway.Beverly Diehlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00392288953821757887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-12493365120979142212011-12-18T12:48:18.293+00:002011-12-18T12:48:18.293+00:00Great post, as per usual! I remember reading (on m...Great post, as per usual! I remember reading (on more than one occasion), that the trick is to make your MC encounter many obstacles - the manner in which he/she deals with and overcomes these obstacles is the difference between an excellent story and a mediocre one.MISHhttp://writer-in-transit.co.za/deja-vu-blogfest/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-69884982920839005142011-12-18T05:47:05.141+00:002011-12-18T05:47:05.141+00:00A thought-provoking post, as usual. Thanks!A thought-provoking post, as usual. Thanks!Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-57232837144400607202011-12-17T22:38:38.698+00:002011-12-17T22:38:38.698+00:00@Nance-sure, but if you do care about your hero bu...@Nance-sure, but if you do care about your hero but make life too easy for them, or give them uninteresting action, that won't win you many fans either. And there are plenty of vile, disreputable, evil, or even buffoonish characters people love to read about - because they do interesting stuff.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-12830207869890553632011-12-17T19:19:53.624+00:002011-12-17T19:19:53.624+00:00If you don't care about your hero...if you hav...If you don't care about your hero...if you haven't shown your caring...nothing will work. Least of all, for this crucial scene.Nancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15166865250789996825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-13045011253472153902011-12-16T22:08:34.550+00:002011-12-16T22:08:34.550+00:00@Madeline-yes, at this point in history everyone i...@Madeline-yes, at this point in history everyone is so familiar with the usual tropes it makes little impact. <br /><br />@Rebecca-the thing that makes you like you character can only make others like her if they can see it.<br /><br />@Michael-Thanks.<br /><br />@LD-cheers.<br /><br />@Margo-many thanks for the tweet (I tweeted your deja vu post earlier today-great pos ton voice).<br /><br />@Stina-very kind of you to say.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-35878292062152575262011-12-16T21:21:43.667+00:002011-12-16T21:21:43.667+00:00@LA-glad to help.
@Darlyn-most of my ideas come ...@LA-glad to help. <br /><br />@Darlyn-most of my ideas come when I'm supposed to be writing my novel.<br /><br />@Julie-thank you for the kind words.<br /><br />@Jake-Cheers<br /><br />@halli-yes, you can.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-48411149336502307712011-12-16T20:38:30.145+00:002011-12-16T20:38:30.145+00:00Brilliant as always. And great example with the po...Brilliant as always. And great example with the potential fiance talking to her ex. That really upped the stakes. :DStinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11415189347501942340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-84001283469042503652011-12-16T20:31:34.148+00:002011-12-16T20:31:34.148+00:00This is so quotable: "the first thing to cons...This is so quotable: "the first thing to consider isn’t what would any person do in this situation, it’s what would this person do in this situation. And if they do what anyone would probably do, then you need to reevaluate why they’re the main character."<br /><br />off to tweet this!Margo Berendsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476308235642890474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-80752549022482311462011-12-16T19:06:42.532+00:002011-12-16T19:06:42.532+00:00I'm bookmarking this one to come back to. Goo...I'm bookmarking this one to come back to. Good food for thought here.LD Mastersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202135756299574972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-26386895915013424032011-12-16T16:45:13.648+00:002011-12-16T16:45:13.648+00:00Great post Moody. I love coming here, and reading ...Great post Moody. I love coming here, and reading your articles so that I can improve my writing.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-30300637787738926322011-12-16T16:06:38.499+00:002011-12-16T16:06:38.499+00:00A great post. It's about knowing your characte...A great post. It's about knowing your character and knowing how they will react and why. We all travel through life with many different experiences to make us the people we are today and putting that very real concept into your characters makes that run from the bad guy a much more interesting read. A reminder that the book isn't just a flat page.Rebecca Bradleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10194524230109997420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-68101214858531885802011-12-16T14:44:24.075+00:002011-12-16T14:44:24.075+00:00Another excellent post. I kept coming back to this...Another excellent post. I kept coming back to this particular part... <br /><br />"...the first thing to consider isn’t what would any person do in this situation, it’s what would this person do in this situation. And if they do what anyone would probably do, then you need to reevaluate why they’re the main character."<br /><br />I am definitely going to keep this in mind as I revise my ms, esepcially when I hit a part that doesn't work but I'm not sure why. I hear so much about how the scene has to have "action" but it really has to be the right kind of action, doesn't it?Madeline Mora-Summontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05529397293165046430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-42487858358530164872011-12-16T13:31:37.537+00:002011-12-16T13:31:37.537+00:00You are a mind reader. My scenes for today are act...You are a mind reader. My scenes for today are action. Running through the woods, escaping the person ready to pound you. All that while trying to hide the treasure you found. Hmmm, can I do it?Halli Gomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09667712458691917486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-21165097446670605842011-12-16T07:25:43.572+00:002011-12-16T07:25:43.572+00:00I'm pretty sure I make this mistake with my wr...I'm pretty sure I make this mistake with my writing fairly often. So I'm going to write this down so I can remember it.<br /><br />Good post, Mood.Jake Heneganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031767958230378191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-42151282996847199712011-12-16T05:17:34.266+00:002011-12-16T05:17:34.266+00:00This is a wonderful post. I've often thought a...This is a wonderful post. I've often thought about this as I'm writing. Critics always like to point out phrases and metaphors that are cliche. But a lot of writers fail to recognize that whole scenes and events and even plots can be cliche. Even with the tension at a 10. <br /><br />I think what you've discussed here really helps take the cliche out of a storyline. Thanks.Julie Daineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08350205936357263571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-34570821193137205822011-12-16T02:06:46.229+00:002011-12-16T02:06:46.229+00:00Where do you get these post ideas from? Tell me! L...Where do you get these post ideas from? Tell me! LOL. I like how you emphasized that every person would react differently to a particular situation. Reminds me how much fun you could have with your characters.Darlyn (Your Move, Dickens)https://www.blogger.com/profile/00979296421309409564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-49134745115433677362011-12-15T23:09:15.292+00:002011-12-15T23:09:15.292+00:00very very good post. Thanks. You make writing inte...very very good post. Thanks. You make writing interesting. And the examples help a lot, now that doesn't mean I let you grab my belt buckle! ;-)L.A Speedwinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07734240100355616049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-9363399293493913862011-12-15T23:09:11.098+00:002011-12-15T23:09:11.098+00:00@Alex-giant Staples Hard button also no good.
@Ci...@Alex-giant Staples Hard button also no good.<br /><br />@Ciara-yes, but not tougher in a simplistic manner. Not just: I was tired, and then I was really, really tired. And you have to avoid random or contrived events like: i was tired and then I was attacked by a bear! It has to be connnected e.g. I was tired so I took shelter in a cave and that's when I disturbed the bear...mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-46445908924932287582011-12-15T21:58:14.665+00:002011-12-15T21:58:14.665+00:00In other words, when things are tough for your cha...In other words, when things are tough for your character - make them tougher, and then again....and then AGAIN. The stakes should always be getting higher. Life's not easy as the protagonist of a fiction book.Ciara Ballintynehttp://ciaraballintyne.comnoreply@blogger.com