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A couple of writing questions

Dimness

New Member
Hi, this is probably my first substantive thread here at this forum.

I do a moderate amount of reading and writing, mostly the pop fiction type (Stephen King, Anne Rice, Frank Herbert, etc.).

Two important questions come up when I'm writing:
1. How important is ancillary description?. What I mean by this is description beyond the physical appearance of the characters and the setting. I realize the difference between a film and a book is that you have to guide the reader's imagination in building a scene. However, I don't want to get bogged down in describing things like a trash can and other pieces of furniture. :)

2. Is there a good guide to describing faces? I have a hard time with this. :(
 
Re: Question #1 - I think it's very important. When I'm reading about a character, I want to know about "motivation" - what makes him tick, why he's where he is now, what happened to make him the way he is, what's likeable/unlikeable about him.

One of the things I dislike about film is that movie-makers often take shortcuts in order to get straight to the action, blood and guts, and don't spend enough time developing their characters.

The great thing about a novel is that you can take your time in developing a character and letting him unfold over time.

Just MHO.

Ell
 
#Question 2:

:p

If you are finding dificulty describing faces a trick i have learned though talkin to succesful and talented authors is to base charachters on people you know, first try to fit the personality of the charachter to anyone you know. Once you have covered its best to look at the persons face, describe it firstly by takin breif notes on the first words that come to mind and fit them into your novel.

:cool:
 
#Question 2:

Don't many 'real' people have one prominant feature?

Therefore, if character 1 is described as having a long, fine nose, and character 2 as having apple cheeks, the mind fills in details for the rest of each face. Instantly, two distinct and unalike faces appear in the imagination.

Well, they do in mine!

TMG
 
Well hot dickety darnett!

I like the name, TMG! Who ever could have thought of that?!

Cheers, (a bored) Martin :D
 
Talking of names and talking of writing, don't you find it irritating when an author uses the same first initial for several characters?
I have just finished reading a book where almost every male character's name started with 'J', two had the initials 'JL'. Of these, one was called Joe and another Joseph.

My brain can't cope!

Incidentally, how can we unbore you, Martin?

Third Man Girl
 
Don't bother... I'm always bored. Everything, everyone, has always, and will always, bore me.

And, by the way, no comment on the name-thingie. (Useful, hey?!)

Cheers, (a severely depressed and still bored) Martin :D
 
When you have description, I think a good goal is to have a purpose for it. If you are describing something that a character sees or owns, it should provide some insight into his character, either by the way he describes it or the fact that he owns it. And don't overdo it, let your reader make the connection for himself and don't get bogged down in too much. Otherwise, anything you describe should have a role in the plot. A creative writing prof I had used to say that if you have a sword on the wall in chapter 1, someone better take it down and stab someone with it later.
 
Originally posted by third man girl
#Question 2:

Don't many 'real' people have one prominant feature?

Therefore, if character 1 is described as having a long, fine nose, and character 2 as having apple cheeks, the mind fills in details for the rest of each face. Instantly, two distinct and unalike faces appear in the imagination.

Well, they do in mine!

TMG

This is really good advice, too. If you let the reader fill in the details a bit she'll be more likely to identify with the character.
 
"Everything, everyone, has always, and will always, bore me." - Martin


Hi Ashlea

Shall we play around with Martin's character (the 'severely depressed and still bored' one)?

Do we deduce that he is also STUBBORN? (Determined that we can't 'unbore' him!) :)

Third Man Girl

PS Don't you just love a challenge? !!!
 
The boredom would certainly explain the frequent posts, anyway. But sounds more attention-deficit than bored really. You can do acupuncture for that. ;)
 
I can assure you pseude-psycho-people that it's not an attention-deficit. Besides that, I'm also not at all stubborn. Seriously, I'm not. I don't care what you all say, I am not stubborn!

Anyway, needles. Tsk... Is that all!?

*walks away in a nonchalant manner*

Cheers, (a mortally frightened, though still decidedly bored) Martin :D
 
Did I forget to mention that the first needle is inserted under the Big Toe nail?

That should hold your attention nicely!

Third Man Girl

PS Still bored? - perhaps you're reading the wrong books?
 
That's just it. The books I read are so good, that everything else (and I do mean everything) seems so... mundane, so... so... boring, really. It's the books that are killing me!

And by the way, this is my toenail:
9408539.jpg

Are you going to be doing the procedure?

Cheers, Martin :D
 
To several of you, keep doing the 'writing skills'. I am just into my first writing class ( my age is 77). Those were very helpful; I will re-read them periodically. ---Walter---
 
Originally posted by Martin
It's the books that are killing me!

That's because you read wacky books...

And by the way, this is my toenail:
Are you going to be doing the procedure?

Oh, you can't scare me. I spend my working hours poking pipettes into spleens, kidneys, livers and other nasties.

You could do with tweezing those old toe-hairs, though!

Third Man Girl
 
Hey! I wouldn't be an honorary Hobbit without those hairs. Work long and hard on 'em, and they're staying!

You got that!?

Cheers, Martin :D
 
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