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Voila. Very interesting. http://www.slate.com/id/2140683/

If you do that, it'll probably sound like you used a template. I'd recommend creating characters and keep getting to know them better until they start speaking for themselves.

The dialogue is amazing too. Like the immigrant who's profanity is not quite right.

I have. Not you, but others.

The writing is the weakest part of the DVC. To me, the lesson out of all this discussion is that it's better for a writer to do one thing extraordinarily well - like make 25 million people believe Jesus was married, or make kids feel like a school for wizards is so much more interesting than...

I'd say its patronizing to say that something millions of people find interesting, isn't interesting. It is, however, OK to peel the onion, ("Interesting, but not well written") or to disagree ("I wasn't interested.") I don't understand how anyone can say there's something wrong with...

When I get a minute I shall return to the Dan Brown thread where I will repeat my argument that many things in The DaVinci Code are excellent: others, not so much. I will repeat here, however, my belief that I can think of no other reason why someone would make a statement like "There's no...

I can't agree with you there. The archaic terms are the one thing that prevents me from liking Shakespeare. I see a lot of similarities between Shakespeare and 24: a very personal story, with very high stakes that affect lots of people. People root for Jack Bauer, but millions will die if he...

Actually, you agree with me. That's my point. I also believe, however, that you should be able to acknowledge that a plot is good, or the characters are unique, or that the sacred feminine is an interesting theme, without liking something.

It was a long time ago, but I didn't like that one. I waited the entire book to find out what happened and then didn't believe it when it was finally revealed.

No problem. All books have strengths and weaknesses. (If you've read the perfect book I'd like to hear about it.) The idea that one genre is inherently better than another always gets me going. It's just false. (I like 80's head banging metal better than reggae, but Bob Marley is obviously...

Yes. If you don't like him, that's fine. No one needs to like anything. But if you claim to like "good writing" then you should love Elmore Leonard. If you like stuff that's not plot driven, that's fine. And if you say, "most best sellers are plot driven" I don't have a problem with that...

The bible is the best selling book ever. Why is this "crap?" Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman...

No, but when you say that "all best sellers are crap," you are making a stereotype and it seems to me that most stereotypes are elitist.

Do you think that insults are always wrong?

You are very wise and persceptive.

Personally, I think that the vast majority of people who say "bestsellers are crap" are frustrated writers who lack the intellectual honesty, or the self confidence, required to admit that they have no idea how to write one. If they were true fans of "good writing" they'd be gushing over...

If you want it to be good, you need to throw out everthing that sucks and rewrite it. If you want it to be excellent, you need to keep revising the good parts until they're excellent.

That's an excellent time. What other running has she done?

A friend of mine ran Boston, with the flu. Tell her to enjoy it no matter what. It's such a grueling sport, no matter how good she is, there's no guarantee she'll be able to do it again.