A question elsewhere about use of contractions in narrative set me to thinking about narrative voice.  Because, of course, the answer to the question is that it depends on whether it would be appropriate for the narrative voice to use contractions.

The same applies to use of slang, expletives, colloquialisms, etc. As well as pacing, word choice, ( Read more... )

[Forgot I had saved the previous rant here, and the same thing happened again: by the time I got this version written, the original discussion elsewhere had digressed. Anyway, I think this one is better.]

(Caveat: This applies to fiction and general nonfiction only. Some academic and professional disciplines have mandatory styles; those overrule ( Read more... )

The SFWA vs. scribd.com kerfluffle is being widely discussed around the net.  Among many other issues, the nature of copyright itself is being discussed. I have no dog in that fight, and the odds are approaching certainty that I never will. Strangely enough, however, that doesn't stop me from having an opinion.

I believe that the law should ( Read more... )

A common bit of writing advice is that no two character names should start with the same letter.  That's excellent advice as far as it goes, but with a large cast, you could run into trouble once you get past Quentin and Zelda. Besides, those of us writing SF/F occasionally want to use patterns of name prefixes to signal cultural details.

So, ( Read more... )

(This one isn't quite so wimpy; I did post a much reduced version in the appropriate forum thread.  But I like the long version, too and wanted to save it.  ETA: No I didn't.  I kept fiddling with it for too long.  The original thread had gone sideways, and my comment was no longer apropos.)

The true answer is that house style trumps all, but it ( Read more... )

(Yet another wimped-out forum comment.  What's up with me this week?)

SF/F writers discuss this endlessly, so there is a whole vocabulary of specialized jargon related to the problem.

• Worldbuilding aka Backstory - all the details you invent about your world. From the physical environment to the rules of magic to the economics, and everything in ( Read more... )

(Apparently I am in a phase of being both opinionated and timid. Here's another "had second thoughts about posting in the forum thread that inspired it" comment ( Read more... )

(yet another comment I wimped out on posting where I should have)

Someone elsewhere was discussing certain critiques:
I have gotten similar criticism on my own heroine. People seem to want her to have sprung forth from the head of Zeus with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal persons. And she can't have any flaws or any room to grow and ( Read more... )

Place names are a product of history. They traditionally start out as simple descriptions used in conversation: South Fork, Jones' Mill, Eagle Rock, Snake River, etc. After a while, the description solidifies into a name. Then, as more time passes, the name gets slurred and shortened. Eventually, the area gets taken over by people who speak a ( Read more... )

1. Watch a couple of movies based on books from genre X ( Read more... )