Ugh. I am so dragging butt this morning.

[meredith_wood]

It's bad, bad, bad.  Sorta like some energy-stealing troll snuck in the house last night and carried it all off.  I was left a slimy slug and I had much bigger plans for my day.

Onward I trudge, and since I'm so tired you're getting the honest me today.  You know that person?  The one who lacks filters and blurts out things she really shouldn't

Comments

[olmue]

"So far I like it much better than any other writerly instruction book. Let me tell you why: He uses examples of books that I like and that do exactly what he said they would do. Most of the writer instruction books use crappy examples leaving me lost and thinking, "I don't see what you're saying here because this passage stinks and it's horribly overwritten.""

SOOOOO important! I hate writing books that use examples from books I've never read (b/c I don't care for that kind of book and it isn't what comes to mind when I think of Great Writing). Editor Cheryl Klein has a craft book coming out this month and I loved it in part because I felt the examples were both strong and relevant.

[meredith_wood]

I'll have to get that book then as well. To be honest, I had this same trouble when it came to blog posts about query writing. Some of the examples of "great" queries were about books I didn't feel I wanted to read. It made it hard to see what they were saying made it outstanding.

[olmue]

I think the most helpful books are ones that use examples from the genre you're writing in. That way you've heard of the books and have a good sense of how they compare to others in the genre. There are some books I see people raving about that I find rather useless, as they use examples from I don't know, adult bestsellers of the 1960s, where the characters are rich, glamorous people who play golf and go to the Bahamas on vacation. So. not. my. book!

[meredith_wood]

I think language and style plays a good part as well. Take Charles Dickens for example. I like "A Christmas Carol" but I can never see the characterization others try to point out. For me the translation gets lost in the language. I can realize I know the characters after the book has been read, but I can't understand how to dissect the method Dickens took to get there. In turn, this makes it hard for us to dissect our own methods, and if we can't figure out how we developed a character we usually hit brick walls trying to figure out what went wrong with our own.

The same problems surely come up with scene building.

[tracyworld]

Excellent! It makes all the difference in the world when the book connects with you. Enjoy (minus those horrible old feelings)!

[meredith_wood]

All the difference!

[anabelgonzalez]

I never read a book on writing , right now I'm in online classes and for me is more helpful bcuase you can ask. But I know that someday I will have to get to the point of writing books. I will keep the name of this one on my list

[meredith_wood]

So far it looks like it's a book to remember. :-)

[tracy_d74]

The Fire In Fiction, huh? Well, one day I will have to pick it up. Sigh. One more book to add to the list.

I'm glad it is helpful. AND I am glad that you were able to create YOUR own memories with the author.

[shaelise]

So glad that you're finding the book helpful. I've attended a few of his workshops and he's very good. :)

[meredith_wood]

I wish I lived near enough and had the money for some of his workshops.

[meredith_wood]

It's certainly a must read. :-)