tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post7976995294917931975..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Setting The TableDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-13923988690068085282009-03-10T20:27:00.000-06:002009-03-10T20:27:00.000-06:00I really enjoyed this post, Maryann. A couple of ...I really enjoyed this post, Maryann. A couple of years ago I worked on a fanfiction site with teen writers. Part of my duties included working in the validation archives to make sure the stories met with our TOS. It was difficult to read stories that stopped to tell the reader, "She was tall and had long blond hair. Her skirt was purple with blue and white iridescent fabric patches and her haltered top was made from the same material as those patches. Her green eyes were large and serious with a hint of mischief..." They were all young writers, but I couldn't help wondering where so many of them learned to describe and introduce characters that way. <BR/><BR/>Enjoyed reading your wisdom!<BR/><BR/>Jenny Bean<BR/>http://theinnerbean.blogspot.com/Jenny Melzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11235663870008150355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-21055000793613920042009-03-10T19:24:00.000-06:002009-03-10T19:24:00.000-06:00It depends on the book and the subject matter for ...It depends on the book and the subject matter for me. I just read a highly touted book that kept describing the same people and objects over and over again, which turned me off. I got it. I got it.Elizabeth Bradleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03150221675618198674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-7546894835319915622009-03-10T15:20:00.000-06:002009-03-10T15:20:00.000-06:00I loved when you said this: "without making the ch...I loved when you said this: "without making the characters stand along the wall." That brought to mind when the police do a line-up. Each suspect is lined up and studied closely. Some books do read like each character has to be described as if they're lined up along the wall.Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-67218162815526852142009-03-10T14:52:00.000-06:002009-03-10T14:52:00.000-06:00Maryann,I love what you said about not having to e...Maryann,<BR/><BR/>I love what you said about not having to explain to the reader. One of my editing clients who writes historical novels is so wrapped up in the history that he wants to explain the importance of every character in history and the significance of every event. I keep telling him his readers aren't stupid; they'll figure out if the war turned on a particular battle, it was significant. He doesn't have to say so.<BR/><BR/>Lillie Ammann<BR/>http://lillieammann.com/blogLillie Ammannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01851121176224654240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-46235619260160307612009-03-10T14:09:00.000-06:002009-03-10T14:09:00.000-06:00Star, you are not controversial at all. I agree th...Star, you are not controversial at all. I agree that there are certain types of books where more description is called for than say, mystery. But the key to doing the description well is not to stop the story for a lengthy bit of description. Do it from the POV of a character. For instance, in describing a room I had a detective look it over as part of her job. Cops are always looking. That made it integral to the character and did not seem to interrupt the story as much as if I had just did the usual list of what the room looked like.<BR/><BR/>Hope that makes sense. My mind is fried right now. :-)Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-8438153095520439422009-03-10T14:03:00.000-06:002009-03-10T14:03:00.000-06:00Right on!! I frequently receive manuscripts that s...Right on!! I frequently receive manuscripts that start off wth rote, prolonged descriptions, especially in sci fi and fantasy where authors feel doubly inclined to "world build" ad nauseum. It slows down the action, sometimes fatally. <BR/><BR/>Much as I love JRR Tolkien, he was guilty of pages-long descriptions of trees and such, and I skip over this sort of thing nine times out of ten. I like as-you-go snippets of detail peppering the action. Much more suited to my preferred Short Attention Span Theater leanings.Lisa Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18259624498661417075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-71975663408051322822009-03-10T10:36:00.000-06:002009-03-10T10:36:00.000-06:00I suppose that works for the reader who is mainly ...I suppose that works for the reader who is mainly interested in the action, but there are also those of us who like to drown in the descriptive passages. Some readers are plot driven, others mainly interested in the relationship perspective, some readers prefer lots of dialogue and a few like to really "feel" the place they are in. We are all different. I don't want to sound controversial, but I thought I would just put down the other point of view.<BR/>Blessings, StarStella Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06699491230987143490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-74036875736121629032009-03-10T10:21:00.000-06:002009-03-10T10:21:00.000-06:00Just what I needed to hear today as I work through...Just what I needed to hear today as I work through my rewrite, thinking about detail/description. Thanks!L.J. Sellershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-69805630368972781672009-03-10T09:53:00.000-06:002009-03-10T09:53:00.000-06:00I'm guilty of flipping through pages of descriptio...I'm guilty of flipping through pages of description to find the point where the story begins again. I much prefer to discover things along the way.Charlotte Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09336641340221491792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-2152004778649137002009-03-10T09:13:00.000-06:002009-03-10T09:13:00.000-06:00Thanks for the comments, Donna and Lauri. I am alw...Thanks for the comments, Donna and Lauri. I am always amazed that editors at the big houses in NY are not urging writers to skip those detailed descriptions. I see them in a lot of books, and like you Lauri, I skip over them. But think of how much better the book would be if the lengthy descriptions were not there at all.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-43417718507408800442009-03-10T07:04:00.000-06:002009-03-10T07:04:00.000-06:00Maryann I always jump over those description inter...Maryann I always jump over those description interludes, they are dead boring you're right.Laurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11112458658109887868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-4683037115900590002009-03-10T06:42:00.000-06:002009-03-10T06:42:00.000-06:00Great post! Thanks for all the helpful reminders ...Great post! Thanks for all the helpful reminders about moving the story along. I love the discovery part about the characteristics as I move through the action that holds my interest.Donna M. Kohlstromhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04268172745025677265noreply@blogger.com