tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post8326833685030727327..comments2024-03-28T12:40:14.627+00:00Comments on MOODY WRITING: Can You Be Trusted To Tell A Good Story?mooderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-39976440959341608952012-06-04T15:20:23.885+01:002012-06-04T15:20:23.885+01:00@Charmaine - steady. Family blog.@Charmaine - steady. Family blog.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-73113656701016510352012-06-04T05:48:44.357+01:002012-06-04T05:48:44.357+01:00Oh ohOh ohCharmaine Clancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18059559142070140041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-9853379790909344482012-06-03T12:07:31.849+01:002012-06-03T12:07:31.849+01:00@Suze - there's nothing wrong with faking it i...@Suze - there's nothing wrong with faking it if you're good at faking it.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-29320512211736867802012-06-03T06:19:39.279+01:002012-06-03T06:19:39.279+01:00Writers are a very insecure breed, but we're a...Writers are a very insecure breed, but we're a noble breed, too. Even when we're 'faking' it. And I've always thought pretending was just the first step to becoming.Suzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07908805179119217608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-70184383643266095012012-06-02T16:18:04.265+01:002012-06-02T16:18:04.265+01:00@Rachna - knowing which bit of your knowledge to u...@Rachna - knowing which bit of your knowledge to use us as important as knowing it, I think.<br /><br />@Joseph - I think that's true, but you still have to find a way to convey that emotion. If you come across as sly or manipualtive that will push people away. Faking sincerity is as hard as faking confidence.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-87421419663746335862012-06-02T15:44:34.245+01:002012-06-02T15:44:34.245+01:00This article touches on the truth without hitting ...This article touches on the truth without hitting it directly. Human beings, as evolved and intelligent as we've become, still respond initially much more strongly to emotion than cold, hard, logic.<br /><br />I RT'd though because the article's good.Joseph Teahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07709661602561279555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-74944811710458851252012-06-02T14:50:57.155+01:002012-06-02T14:50:57.155+01:00I get cheesed off when people try too hard to impr...I get cheesed off when people try too hard to impress others, both in writing and life. Confidence speaks for itself, one does not have to scream about it.Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-56972289838661737672012-06-02T10:22:03.575+01:002012-06-02T10:22:03.575+01:00@julie - a little knowledge can make all the diffe...@julie - a little knowledge can make all the difference.<br /><br />@nutschell - that's why I often lie for no reason, good practice. Now I'm off to hunt swans with the Queen.<br /><br />@LD - I think poor grammar or poor authenticity can both spoil a story. But good grammar and good authenticity won't guarantee a good story either. <br /><br />@Mary - I'd never noticed that before. Very interesting.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-85361201386965936522012-06-01T22:48:56.319+01:002012-06-01T22:48:56.319+01:00Some time ago it occurred to me that word "au...Some time ago it occurred to me that word "authority" contains the word "author." This post explains the connections between the two nicely.Mary Maddoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11804303876835029488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-19978460739442139792012-06-01T17:32:32.566+01:002012-06-01T17:32:32.566+01:00For me a poor story, delivered with all the subjec...For me a poor story, delivered with all the subject expertise in the world, is still a poor story. If it's a good story, as long as the author doesn't make a lot of glaring mistakes, I can forgive a lack of knowledge. But grammatical mistakes,especially the ones you can hear (dialogue excepted), will pull me out of a story faster than anything.LD Mastersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202135756299574972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-62731741583340273582012-06-01T17:14:58.118+01:002012-06-01T17:14:58.118+01:00Absolutely right! I love that line about needing t...Absolutely right! I love that line about needing to be a damn good liar> <br />Happy Weekend!<br />Nutschell<br />www.thewritingnut.comnutschellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10967710710805174781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-18680003771429375742012-06-01T14:51:38.592+01:002012-06-01T14:51:38.592+01:00Yep, that's how things are sold, whether they ...Yep, that's how things are sold, whether they are cars or stories :) But I like to make sure that I know what I'm talking about, so often I do research on a topic I'm not very familiar with. That way, if I ever have to fudge through another subject, it'll sound more plausible!Julie Daohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13814052162359300933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-38451149201742714712012-06-01T11:54:51.825+01:002012-06-01T11:54:51.825+01:00@Ciara - I would more or less agree with you, alth...@Ciara - I would more or less agree with you, although there are some writers of wonderful prose who bore the pants off me, while other people are big fans. It's a diffciult club to get into, and maybe a little prentious, but I think it does exist.<br /><br />@Botanist - I think that's true, although how you play the trick is open to different approaches. Schoolboy errors, though, are a pretty big giveaway that the writer has no clue.<br /><br />@John - I think good literary fiction has more goin on than appears on the surface. That's why so many aspiring writers only manage a pale imitation. It's like trying to build a clock by only looking at clock faces.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-30792508176985016602012-06-01T04:50:00.234+01:002012-06-01T04:50:00.234+01:00Good craft has definitely been used to make medioc...Good craft has definitely been used to make mediocre or slim stories work. Most quality Literary Fiction has a thin plot; not a tremendous amount happens in Adiga's White Tiger, and much of what the narrator does is predictable, yet with the quality of insight, satire, commentary and general prose craft, it winds up a great book.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-30344108516821828332012-06-01T04:22:46.754+01:002012-06-01T04:22:46.754+01:00I think writing fiction in general is something of...I think writing fiction in general is something of a confidence trick. By definition, you are writing about something that hasn't happened, but you have to make the reader believe in it.<br /><br />One of the most important things I'm looking for when I pick a book off the shelf is whether or not I feel I am entrusting my valuable time into good hands. Does the writer instil confidence? It's a quality that's very hard to pin down, but I have to say that poor writing or poor grammar is a big turn-off, because it erodes my confidence in the writer.Botanisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12098709722475364465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-56776047126081642572012-06-01T01:03:04.671+01:002012-06-01T01:03:04.671+01:00There is a difference between story-telling and wr...There is a difference between story-telling and writing. Writing is just one way to tell a story. So story-telling has components to it (plot, characterisation etc.) and writing has components to it (sentence structure, grammar etc.). I believe great story telling can overcome mediocre writing (altghough not outright bad) but brilliant writing will never overcome mediocre story-telling.Ciara Ballintynehttp://ciaraballintyne.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-50523511041357991492012-05-31T23:51:07.422+01:002012-05-31T23:51:07.422+01:00@Michael - yes, but how you gain that authority is...@Michael - yes, but how you gain that authority is variable. You don't have to be Olympic swimmer to write about a swimmer, but it might help to have been in a pool or two.<br /><br />@Jason - my new book "Fifty Shades of Gandalf the Grey", the story of an older teacher and his young student with hairy feet will be out soon.<br /><br />@Nick - Being an expert is just one way to attain authority. But if the reader fails to be convinced by the story, that isn't their fault, it's the writer's.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-16792089423956002522012-05-31T23:39:01.021+01:002012-05-31T23:39:01.021+01:00I think there's a lot to be said for suspensio...I think there's a lot to be said for suspension of disbelief. Many authors write books on lots of different subjects. They can't be an authority on all of them. I would like readers to get swept up in my story, but at the same time I don't want to get something shamefully wrong, so it's about finding the balance.Nick Wilfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03841776353790635132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-19160099307027429682012-05-31T22:09:53.087+01:002012-05-31T22:09:53.087+01:00Moody, I love the fresh perspectives you always se...Moody, I love the fresh perspectives you always seem to bring with your posts!<br /><br />I agree that half-truths are used the most successfully, whether it's for a salesperson or a writer. A salesman may have tattered underwear underneath his silk suit. He may be behind on his mortgage, but drives a BMW 7-Series. Confidence trumps knowledge.<br /><br />And I'm going to avoid saying anything about Fifty Shades of Grey ;-)Jason Runnelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16656622649601360477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-64395611692280386412012-05-31T22:05:40.240+01:002012-05-31T22:05:40.240+01:00So the idea then is to come across as a kind of au...So the idea then is to come across as a kind of authority on the subject and that gets you "credibility" in the eyes of the reader. I got ya.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-82237883381477702012-05-31T20:35:16.100+01:002012-05-31T20:35:16.100+01:00@Lauri - yes, but you also know how to embezzle, w...@Lauri - yes, but you also know how to embezzle, what it's like to be focussed on something for hours and the effects of sleep deprivation.<br /><br />@Alex - I would imagine you do.<br /><br />@Ted - Authonomy could be such a good site if only HC actually paid it a little attention.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-13232318373417116232012-05-31T19:55:05.308+01:002012-05-31T19:55:05.308+01:00Bad grammar turns me right off. Some Authonomites ...Bad grammar turns me right off. Some Authonomites complain that we should just ignore the bad grammar or spellings for now because they'll get around to that later. No way, at least not for me. Those are the fundamental building blocks, so if a writer can't even get those right, I certainly don't trust them to get a full story right.Ted Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-36815503553330125212012-05-31T19:44:06.045+01:002012-05-31T19:44:06.045+01:00I hope I knew enough about real military fighters ...I hope I knew enough about real military fighters to fake it with my space fighters.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-64171263540332948962012-05-31T19:23:33.638+01:002012-05-31T19:23:33.638+01:00I know a lot about boring things (accounting, scra...I know a lot about boring things (accounting, scrapbooking, changing diapers..) so I rely on quite a bit of research. But I have to be careful bc the anal part of me can get so sucked into researching that I forget to write!Lauri Meyershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15714245926405732068noreply@blogger.com