tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614806041076628929.post4983119118835845838..comments2023-07-12T05:20:11.008-07:00Comments on Falling Toward Mythopoesis: Things that make me feel better...Sarah McCabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985261436020635823noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614806041076628929.post-40940626525485355452011-03-10T21:03:43.638-08:002011-03-10T21:03:43.638-08:00I look forward to that post! I'm enjoying read...I look forward to that post! I'm enjoying reading what you have to say so far. :)N.M. Martinezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12979520233768148136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614806041076628929.post-255683914514384812011-03-10T13:52:40.188-08:002011-03-10T13:52:40.188-08:00Adverbs are not bad, but sometimes people use them...Adverbs are not bad, but sometimes people use them badly. There's a whole world of difference there. <br /><br />I think the rejection of adverbs is really just a telling symptom of a more general and very problematic way of looking at storytelling that has been cultivated for decades now. One of these days I'll do an elaborate and very boring post about it.Sarah McCabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10985261436020635823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614806041076628929.post-54755040385789297752011-03-10T10:17:49.532-08:002011-03-10T10:17:49.532-08:00First off, I saw your comment on Pimp my Novel and...First off, I saw your comment on Pimp my Novel and I had to come over and say, Bravo! Exactly what I was going to say, but said better. I didn't even catch horrible incorrectness of the apps comparison. You're so right.<br /><br />I'm going to self publish, and my concern is not all the bad books out there, but all the good ones. (There are so many.)<br /><br /><br />Second, I don't necessarily agree with this post completely, but at the same time I do completely agree with this post, lol. What?<br /><br />I agree with the storyteller bit. Yes, exactly. I think of myself as a storyteller first, and I'm way more concerned about that than the words or crafting a perfect sentence.<br /><br />But adverbs are bad because people use them as a crutch. The same with non-said tags. They can so easily be placed into a story and used to explain/tell rather than painting a picture of the scene and letting the reader figure it out. <br /><br />As a reader, I prefer to have there be some leeway for me to interpret actions in the story and discuss it further. I don't mean picking it apart, but just going, "Hey, did you see that? He looked away from her when she asked that question. Do you think that means something?"<br /><br />I shared a short story online that was this way. I made it first person, so actions of the other characters were important. Not only were people entertained, but their imaginations took the story even further than I had intended. We had some amazing discussions about possible motivations for the other characters. The readers made the story better than I alone could have.<br /><br />But I'm not completely against adverbs or non-said tags. It really just depends on a person's individual style and what they do with them.N.M. Martinezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12979520233768148136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614806041076628929.post-43566705057669275002011-03-08T09:43:24.855-08:002011-03-08T09:43:24.855-08:00Just like any tool, adverbs can be used badly. I r...Just like any tool, adverbs can be used badly. I recently was reading a book that had a sentence that went something like "The captain looked at him puzzledly." I put the book down at that point and haven't picked it back up. But just because sometimes you might hit your thumb with a hammer is no reason to reject the hammer. Adverbs are still a valid and useful tool in my book. <br /><br />I find that I prefer the books where the prose is clear and easy to understand. And I think some authors get so caught up in words that their stories become hard to follow. I was reading a book by a well know fantasy author where one scene began with an extended metaphor and after reading it I found myself thinking "what the heck was all that supposed to mean?" I don't think it's about laziness. I'm a smart cookie, if I do say so myself. But novels are meant to entertain, not prove how clever the author is.Sarah McCabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10985261436020635823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614806041076628929.post-35538140452990551302011-03-08T08:50:46.193-08:002011-03-08T08:50:46.193-08:00As a "lazy reader" I appreciate this pos...As a "lazy reader" I appreciate this post. I find myself skipping big portions of description and prose because I want to know what happens next in a story I am enjoying. I know some people like to be dipped into lots of details and immersed into the world created by the author, so I know all this exposition has a place, but I personally dislike having to wade through the author's descriptions in order to find the meat that I am looking for.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14266127396351211649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614806041076628929.post-72756927122126206772011-03-08T08:16:44.346-08:002011-03-08T08:16:44.346-08:00Great post.
I love words, and I daresay I collect...Great post. <br />I love words, and I daresay I collect them. When I learn a "ten-dollar word" I want to use it and share it. However, given all the no-noing of adverbs I suppress my urges. <br /><br />I feel sometimes certain adverbs can help make something more clear to the reader, but too many and our writing quickly becomes convoluted. I think the proper application of an adverb or two is like adding a secret spice to a stew. It gives a particular sentence or paragraph an extra bite.Lindz Pagelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04663646312808701883noreply@blogger.com