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Saxony Tarn · 07-12-2002, 12:52 PM

LMP, glad to have you aboard. i'll send you the link at your FWW e-mail address, probably tonight after i check the temperature in the room. i've been on hiatus from the tale for two weeks now and hope i'll be able to get back on it soon. (at least i remembered to write down the event chain for where i expect it to head, barring reader input that sways me, of course)

Plot-twist vs character-foible... hmm... now there's a juicy meaty bone to chew on. Pardon me if i do. It seems to me that you must strike a balance between both or your story comes out one-sided. Plot rollercoasters without riders that we can relate to or care about their fates get boring after awhile. On the other hand, the one book i mentioned where the first 8 of 13 chapters were character intro and setup, like i said, i only read it because the crossword puzzle in the inflight magazine was already done by someone else. If nothing HAPPENS to even the most wonderfully drawn characters, readers get bored and wander off.

i was talking with a co-worker the other day (guy who's been around as long as LOTR has) about just that work and he remarked that he thought that midway through the saga the Prof's train derailed. i could have debated it with him except that for large chunks of the plot, i was inclined to agree. i know that on a Tolkien board this is tantamount to blasphemy, but that was just one man's opinion. Oddly enough, another of the sales reps (also a Tolkien fan) asked me for the link to my latest WIP.

So since it's better to show than tell, let me see -- take some delightfully diverse characters, throw them together in a less than stable environment (in this case, the Two Towers - ROTK timeframe) and see if they can build a cohesive team. Every time it looks like they're relaxing and getting complacent, drop something else in their lap (something logical that they'd encounter, of course -- no anvils raining from the heavens, except figuratively! B) ) and watch how they react. Just when you thought it waas safe, etc.

As long as you can keep that dynamic going, my friend, you've got a story.

s.t.

|_|) <-- skoal!

07-12-2002, 12:52 PM	#496
Saxony Tarn Wight Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: a western shore Posts: 132	LMP, glad to have you aboard. i'll send you the link at your FWW e-mail address, probably tonight after i check the temperature in the room. i've been on hiatus from the tale for two weeks now and hope i'll be able to get back on it soon. (at least i remembered to write down the event chain for where i expect it to head, barring reader input that sways me, of course) Plot-twist vs character-foible... hmm... now there's a juicy meaty bone to chew on. Pardon me if i do. It seems to me that you must strike a balance between both or your story comes out one-sided. Plot rollercoasters without riders that we can relate to or care about their fates get boring after awhile. On the other hand, the one book i mentioned where the first 8 of 13 chapters were character intro and setup, like i said, i only read it because the crossword puzzle in the inflight magazine was already done by someone else. If nothing HAPPENS to even the most wonderfully drawn characters, readers get bored and wander off. i was talking with a co-worker the other day (guy who's been around as long as LOTR has) about just that work and he remarked that he thought that midway through the saga the Prof's train derailed. i could have debated it with him except that for large chunks of the plot, i was inclined to agree. i know that on a Tolkien board this is tantamount to blasphemy, but that was just one man's opinion. Oddly enough, another of the sales reps (also a Tolkien fan) asked me for the link to my latest WIP. So since it's better to show than tell, let me see -- take some delightfully diverse characters, throw them together in a less than stable environment (in this case, the Two Towers - ROTK timeframe) and see if they can build a cohesive team. Every time it looks like they're relaxing and getting complacent, drop something else in their lap (something logical that they'd encounter, of course -- no anvils raining from the heavens, except figuratively! B) ) and watch how they react. Just when you thought it waas safe, etc. As long as you can keep that dynamic going, my friend, you've got a story. s.t. \|_\|) <-- skoal! __________________ <-- who, me? Take the Ring? Betray the Fellowship?? Nah -- couldn't be ME, i'm too cute...