Writerly Ways
Nov. 18th, 2018 11:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessSo I have two reviews that are 4.5 stars out of 5 and that's hard to be unhappy about, right? I wish I knew how things were selling since there isn't much in the way of software to track that (that I know of).
But I can't help but think about the bad world building comment.I still don't see the world building as that bad, but I bet I can pick out the problem (mental abilities). But I CAN see the world building as a problem in my nano.
It's hard to work it in without feeling like info dumping. Some ofnotasupervillain's comments to the snippets have been helpful to my subconscious so I can see problems where I can fix fairly easy enough once nano is over.(so thanks for that!)
But still being an author requires one helluva thick skin.
And I'm back with a snippet (dear self, NAME the cities)
Arria came back almost as quickly. “The wards are holding. It didn’t get in.”
Zvon made a startled sound, the air squeezing out of him. “What if it does?”
“Don’t worry. Mom can handle one without lifting a finger,” Arria replied with confidence that had to border mania.
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.” She sat back on the bed with him, slipping her arm around him again. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that it made his back hurt worse. She meant well. “I know Mom would say it’s rude but I have to know. What happened to your hand? How did a splinter do all that?”
He started at his stump and its bandages, now a bit rusty brown with drying blood. Dare he tell her the truth? Would they be so disgusted with him that Tanyth would pop him right back where she found him? “It got infected and by the time Dad took me to the doctor’s it was so bad all Dr. Dobro could do was chop it off before I died.”
Her eyes became seas of green. “That is so scary. Why didn’t your father take you to a healer?”
Zvon dropped his arm into his lap. “Doctors cost money we don’t have and there aren’t many healers here. Magic users mostly follow the Goddess and her Consort. The followers of Clasan are in charge here in ZZZ. They don’t like magic. They drive people like you and your mom out if they can.”
Her lips trembled. “I know. It’s one of the reasons we’re here. The Queen wants to know how bad it is.”
He slumped back against the wall, yelping when a goose egg hit it. “You do know the Queen! I can’t believe it. Why in the world would you bother with someone like me? You’re like a princess.”
She laughed. “Oh, I’m really not. I know the princess though. She would be disappointed if I passed by someone who was hurt like you are and didn’t help.”
27719 / 50000 words. 55% done!
Don’t Be Too Smart or Clever in Your Book Descriptions
Writing Tips: The 4 Stages Of Writing A Book From First Draft To Publication
Five Common Storytelling Mistakes in the Pursuit of Social Justice
Five Common Storytelling Mistakes in the Pursuit of Social Justice
Should Your Sapient Aliens Be Bipedal?
But I can't help but think about the bad world building comment.I still don't see the world building as that bad, but I bet I can pick out the problem (mental abilities). But I CAN see the world building as a problem in my nano.
It's hard to work it in without feeling like info dumping. Some of
notasupervillain's comments to the snippets have been helpful to my subconscious so I can see problems where I can fix fairly easy enough once nano is over.(so thanks for that!)But still being an author requires one helluva thick skin.
And I'm back with a snippet (dear self, NAME the cities)
Arria came back almost as quickly. “The wards are holding. It didn’t get in.”
Zvon made a startled sound, the air squeezing out of him. “What if it does?”
“Don’t worry. Mom can handle one without lifting a finger,” Arria replied with confidence that had to border mania.
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.” She sat back on the bed with him, slipping her arm around him again. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that it made his back hurt worse. She meant well. “I know Mom would say it’s rude but I have to know. What happened to your hand? How did a splinter do all that?”
He started at his stump and its bandages, now a bit rusty brown with drying blood. Dare he tell her the truth? Would they be so disgusted with him that Tanyth would pop him right back where she found him? “It got infected and by the time Dad took me to the doctor’s it was so bad all Dr. Dobro could do was chop it off before I died.”
Her eyes became seas of green. “That is so scary. Why didn’t your father take you to a healer?”
Zvon dropped his arm into his lap. “Doctors cost money we don’t have and there aren’t many healers here. Magic users mostly follow the Goddess and her Consort. The followers of Clasan are in charge here in ZZZ. They don’t like magic. They drive people like you and your mom out if they can.”
Her lips trembled. “I know. It’s one of the reasons we’re here. The Queen wants to know how bad it is.”
He slumped back against the wall, yelping when a goose egg hit it. “You do know the Queen! I can’t believe it. Why in the world would you bother with someone like me? You’re like a princess.”
She laughed. “Oh, I’m really not. I know the princess though. She would be disappointed if I passed by someone who was hurt like you are and didn’t help.”
Don’t Be Too Smart or Clever in Your Book Descriptions
Writing Tips: The 4 Stages Of Writing A Book From First Draft To Publication
Five Common Storytelling Mistakes in the Pursuit of Social Justice
Five Common Storytelling Mistakes in the Pursuit of Social Justice
Should Your Sapient Aliens Be Bipedal?
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no subject
Date: 2018-11-19 04:57 am (UTC)Or don't. I can name any number of worlds in famous, beloved books that aren't perfectly built. Narnia. Little Prince. Wrinkle in Time. Sometimes, the world building isn't the point. The job of a reader is to suspend their disbelief. If a story has good characters, I'll forgive a lot in world.
As for info dumping, I'm taking my lesson from Fire Upon The Deep. I know how my world works. I'll tell the reader as much as they need to know. I'll be internally consistent with everything else. Fire Upon The Deep was next level about showing not telling, and I'm not going that far. But there are aspects of my world that, unless they need to be explained, won't be.
If you wanna talk more through after Nano, you know where to find me :)
no subject
Date: 2018-11-19 07:07 am (UTC)Do Healers work for cheap? How do doctors work? So many questions! :)
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Date: 2018-11-20 04:34 am (UTC)Good questions. I think in order to have tech of any kind I'm going to have to make healers rare (and probably expensive unless you get a socially conscience one) in order to develope actual medicine.
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Date: 2018-11-20 08:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 03:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 03:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 03:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 03:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 04:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 04:12 pm (UTC)(I could not. I am very tentative with the weapons.)
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Date: 2018-11-20 04:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-20 04:46 pm (UTC)But demons often require specialized killing devices to be vanquished.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-21 01:16 am (UTC)yes I'm sure these demons do, just as I'm sure I haven't thought it thru yet