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Post by Stacy on Apr 30, 2010 19:52:42 GMT -5
Today I was talking to my husband about the differences I've noticed between my comments on stories and other people's comments. Like it seems that most people comment on the plot or the characters but I tend to focus on the writing and the pictures. He used to work at the library, and Nancy Pearl came and gave a talk on one of their training days and shared her theory of the four doorways into literature - plot, character, setting, and language. And he said "Ah, you may be the rarest of all - a language fan." I think this blog post explains the theory pretty well. And yeah - I loved The Hours and thought it was beautiful and I regularly make fun of Dan Brown. I am indeed a language doorway snob. What do you think is your biggest doorway?
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Post by mdpthatsme on Apr 30, 2010 21:28:57 GMT -5
Hmmm, my characters always came first; therefore, I must be a character lover.
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Post by thelunarfox on Apr 30, 2010 21:47:52 GMT -5
Oh that's interesting. I'm definitely Characters and Setting. I love Sci-Fi and enjoy really getting to know a character.
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Post by laura on May 1, 2010 10:25:34 GMT -5
That was very interesting, despite a strong language-love biased attitude (though she did admit that pretentiousness, didn't she?). There's nothing wrong with the way different people approach a story, and I'd never try to imply that one was more worthy than another. And I'd have to disagree that a language-heavy book doesn't need to have great characters or a good story, at least if it wants to get anywhere. (Wow, maybe I'm just in an argumentative mood today, lol! Sorry about that! Anyway...) I do agree thoroughly that people approach stories differently. Funny enough, I thought of this differently as both a writer and a reader. Character comes first for me in both perspectives, as a writer and as a reader. I want to know and feel the characters like I'd know my own friends and family. Setting is more interesting to me as a reader than a writer - maybe because I'm bad at writing it, lol! I love reading the things other people do with setting though. Language is more interesting as a writer than as a reader, but only slightly. I do enjoy reading really well-written books, but I have more fun playing with language in my own stories, and sometimes get bogged down if a story is *really* language-heavy. Probably the reason I decided not to be a poet. Not a coincidence that story ends up at the bottom of the list, lol! The only story I need is what naturally emerges through the conflict of the characters and place. I've never read Dan Brown, but I bet I'd want to throw his books too. I certainly wanted to throw Stephanie Meyer across a room, so I'm sure you can count me in the snob crowd as well, even despite my protests
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Post by rad on May 2, 2010 3:37:33 GMT -5
Well, with the Lazarus Dispatches, which was the most story-like of my challenges, it was the setting, then the characters, then the challenge, though all three came together.
With Taken, the story I am prepping at the moment, the opening chapter, the two central characters in that chapter and the events that set the rest of the story in motion came to me and then as I thought about it, other settings and characters sprang to mind, then elements of the plot. I have a rough idea where it will go, but I suspect as I start writing and taking the shots things will take on a life of their own.
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Post by dbloveshermac on May 4, 2010 12:12:31 GMT -5
Would something like idea or perspective fall under Setting? I love language and character, but I am also wild about books/stories that propose a big What If. Carnaxa's Inside Hope Springs is a good example of what I'm trying to describe.
As a writer, I guess setting gets me going, because I've had a story idea in my head for months now, and I've spent most of my time working out the town and the home where most of the story will be based.
Really interesting discussion! (and now the language snob in me is berating myself for not coming up with a better description than "really interesting")
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