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Post by marianne on May 9, 2005 21:18:06 GMT
How hard is it to come up with an idea that hasn't been 'done', and isn't cliched or obvious? (I have real confidence crises over stuff like that!) Yeah, I try not to think about that. It's hard to be fresh with ideas. Better to concentrate on freshness of voice. From that new ideas will often spring. Write it your way. MDP
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Post by richardharland on May 10, 2005 6:14:56 GMT
Ah, realism is over-rated. How hard is it to come up with an idea that hasn't been 'done', and isn't cliched or obvious? (I have real confidence crises over stuff like that!) Hi Chirugal! Definitely over-rated! I sometimes think, it's a pity that journos are generally such reality-oriented people - have to be, for their job - but it slants reviews and such towards the kinds of fiction that journos are most likely to be interested in. Here's a consoling thought about new ideas: most elements of ideas have probably been used before, but when you put ideas together into a larger whole then it's less and less likely that anyone has done exactly what you're doing. Consoling comparison: there are only 26 letters you can use, only, say, a million words - but there's an infinite number of sentences. (And the beaut thing about sentences is that it doesn't even matter if someone once said the same thing somewhere else - this is still your sentence for the very first time.) I deduce the moral: think big! Cheers Richard
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Post by richardharland on May 10, 2005 6:24:11 GMT
oh no i was just saying in a science fiction or an action based world emotions can be displayed in a different way and in some way better than normal ordinary life I had this discussion with my dad over 'Leon' he said its just violence to make money thats all. I said thats not true the story delves into the character of Leon and the kid and brings out emotions that would not be normally scene if the conflict and action was missing. Maybe i'm just an action junkie! Hi Cj, Ah good, we're on the same wavelength after all! And yes, isn't it great to be able to put characters under pressure and see their qualities really show up! In real life, we take in countless perceptions and think countless things that don't go anywhere, don't count for anything - but we edit them down before they really come to consciousness, and we edit them down again in retrospect when we remember what happened. I think that's a good thing - and it's even better to edit them down again in a story. Even the fullest and most detailed story can give only a hundredth of what the characters would experience in real life - but it gives what's significant, what truly matters. Cheers richard
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Post by Chirugal on May 10, 2005 20:10:32 GMT
Thanks Richard (and Marianne!).
Regarding comedy: what's your approach? Anyone! Is it just a case of thinking something funny and putting it in, or is there more to it?
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Post by Sheepie on May 11, 2005 1:00:21 GMT
My advice about comedy is: Run Away! Run Away!
Nobody's publishing straight comedy at the moment. It has to be dark or subversive or "gonzo" (which apparently means dark, subversive and on drugs).
Straighter comedy which is only mildly dark and subversive or comedy which deals with the absurd is currently regarded as flippant. It's just a sign of the times. I think if Terry Pratchett started out today (he initially intended to be flippant) he wouldn't get published... but who knows what next year will bring?
Chick-lit is probably the only booming comical genre at the moment. Chick-lit sf (which is what I seem to write because I adore obscurity) is a very hard sell.
It's heartening to see the slightly more serious chick-butt-kicking going so well tho with Parris!
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Post by Sheepie on May 11, 2005 1:10:19 GMT
Definitely over-rated! I sometimes think, it's a pity that journos are generally such reality-oriented people - have to be, for their job - but it slants reviews and such towards the kinds of fiction that journos are most likely to be interested in. I deduce the moral: think big! But lots of reviews are done by poor down on their luck authors who know people who run small magazines and are roped in to write reviews even tho they don't really like writing them In those cases, they champion the new and appreciate what authors are trying to do because they are trying to push similar boundaries. Sheepie (who failed journo class by writing too humorously and pointing out all the teacher's use of the passive)
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Post by marianne on May 11, 2005 4:53:39 GMT
Richard's visit is 'officially over' but I hope will call in again. His thread will remain open, so if you have any further questions ask away and I'm sure he will get back to you in due course...
Thanks to everyone who participated.
MDP
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Post by Chirugal on May 11, 2005 13:35:10 GMT
Thanks for the tip, Sheepie. And, aww, sad to see Richard go. Thanks for all your help, and come back and see us sometime!
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Post by Cj on May 11, 2005 17:41:21 GMT
Thanks for coming to speak with us Richard much appreciated
hope to see you again here some time ;D
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Post by richardharland on May 12, 2005 4:31:34 GMT
But lots of reviews are done by poor down on their luck authors who know people who run small magazines and are roped in to write reviews even tho they don't really like writing them In those cases, they champion the new and appreciate what authors are trying to do because they are trying to push similar boundaries. Sheepie (who failed journo class by writing too humorously and pointing out all the teacher's use of the passive) Hi Sheepie! Yes, that's another type of reviewer, though usually reviewing in small magazines or small papers rather than the big dailies. All praise to them! I suppose I wasn't thinking so much of reviewers as of the editors (who've come up as journos) who decide what books will get reviewed in the first place. Big newspaper reviewers are normally asked for reviews on particular books - they have only a small space for personal selection. Cheers Richard
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Post by richardharland on May 12, 2005 4:35:08 GMT
Thanks everyone! I've enjoyed being on the patch - very interesting discussions! I shall certainly keep hanging around!
Cheers richard
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Post by Sheepie on May 12, 2005 5:10:37 GMT
Richard, I spoke to Dag, my boss at sffworld (apparently it's a Norwegian thing, being named after grubby sheep's bottoms), and he's happy to set you up a forum anytime you're ready. Drop me an email at brenmacd@optusnet.com.au and I'll put you in touch. You can see what is happening there at the moment by going to: www.sffworld.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=36. Sorry, Chirugal, for posting links to other forums in your forum, and sorry for muscling in on the comedy question. I hope Richard still has time for a comment too.
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Post by richardharland on May 12, 2005 7:58:15 GMT
Richard, I spoke to Dag, my boss at sffworld (apparently it's a Norwegian thing, being named after grubby sheep's bottoms), and he's happy to set you up a forum anytime you're ready. Drop me an email at brenmacd@optusnet.com.au and I'll put you in touch. You can see what is happening there at the moment by going to: www.sffworld.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=36. Sorry, Chirugal, for posting links to other forums in your forum, and sorry for muscling in on the comedy question. I hope Richard still has time for a comment too. Hi Sheepie, I'll email in a few weeks time, that OK? I enjoy discussion groups too much for my own good - I could spend all my time on the web and forget to do my own writing! I think the problem with comedy is that the Poms have got a stranglehold on it! I mean, look at how much of the shelf Terry Pratchett uses up! I suspect that editors in Australia have a feeling it's done better overseas and don't feel totally comfortable with it anyway. But there's one area where comedy will always sell in Australia - kids' fiction. Editors for kids fiction are always on the lookout for comedy, can't get enough of it. Come to think of it, does anyone know Terry Pratchett's publishing history? Did his comedies for kids come before or at the same time as his adult comedies? (I seem to remember he kicked off with humour in SF rather than fantasy settings ...) Cheers Richard
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Post by Sheepie on May 12, 2005 9:50:27 GMT
Discworld is technically SF because its fantasy elements are set on a disc-shaped world held up by four elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle swimming thru space (there is a theory that it's on its way to the turtle breeding grounds which would be bad for discworld if the turtle turned out to be female but attempts to lower people over the edge of the world to check for the sex of the turtle turned out badly). Discworld started out as a satirising fantasy using dwarves, magicians, witches and trolls but quickly caught on and carried on satirising life in general. Its main readership now consists of 13 year old boys. Unlike Black Crusade which is most definitely for us big kids. Stories like Maurice and his Amazing Rodents which were for kids came later. But I don't know where Truckers fits in. They may be earlier.
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Post by Chirugal on May 12, 2005 12:23:05 GMT
Sorry, Chirugal, for posting links to other forums in your forum, and sorry for muscling in on the comedy question. Oh, hey, don't worry. It was much appreciated. Oh, and hail to the Discworld... Terry Prachett is great!
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