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Jamie

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Posts posted by Jamie

  1. The Pecman is correct about media moving into the digital realm.

    I feel the issue here isn't if some of these things will exist or not. They certainly will remain to some extent. Books won't completely vanish, neither will other forms of media. To even think so would be foolish, and overly simplistic.

    There will always be a place for most all types of media as long as there's technology to support them. There are still artists producing art using old polaroid technology, vinyl records won't completely disappear (and as has been stated above are having a small resurgence), some film makers still use 8mm or super 8 in commercial indy productions. So if you want to use or buy an older technology you generally can (with some exceptions - I don't see large segments of society crying about the loss of 8-Track).

    And just as we still have a need or desire to print the occasional email or some document for the purpose of making a hard copy, books too will not disappear. There will always be options in printing, buying, owning and storing books.

    What Pecman referrs to quite correctly is a basic paradigm shift in ALL media.

    Those of us who are a certain age will always find comfort in what we know. It's human nature. My 88 year old mother has never had an answering machine, nor has she ever opted to have a message service as part of her phone landline package. If it is part of the package she surely never uses it. When we bought her a machine for Xmas years ago, she had us return it. She either answers the phone or not PERIOD! Receiving or leaving messages is foreign to her, and I'm not going to alter her opinion. She will never change. Likewise writing a letter is right up her alley, but email... no way.

    But just because one group of society won't embrace a technology doesn't mean another won't.

    People who have never lived in a world without, computers, email, cell phones, the www, personal blogs, You Tube, Facebook and Twitter, can't imagine life without them. And often those are the people who create the numbers that drive an economic trend...and generate the $/?/?⁄? etc.

    At the moment newspapers, book and magazine publishers, Hollywood and the major TV networks are struggling to understand this. So too are music companies. Even government postal agencies if they are quasi independent.

    While it's true that the paperless society hasn't emerged as quickly as we thought, newer technologies have made carrying documents and using them much easier. I keep all my revenant documents on my flash drive and carry it with me. My copier at work not only copies, but scans them so I can digatally store them. Every office in the buildings I work in have meeting and conference rooms with large screens, or projectors and computers so all I need do is plug the flash in and viola... I can do a basic presentation. If someone wants or needs a copy it's as easy as jumping into my email and sending them an attachment of the document AND doing it right on the spot while we're still meeting face to face. Then can then immediately tell me by checking their Blackberry or iPhone if they've received it!

    Sure things move slow. Governments still like things in triplicate and the idea of REAL paper, but as younger people move into positions of leadership they're going to find some of that ridiculous. I worked for a guy a few years ago who INSISTED that I put a double space after a period. He was 65 at the time and that was the way HE was taught using a typewriter. But that's no longer the standard given modern wordprocessing. If I would have done that for my dissertation, my committee members would have summerly returned it to me and not so politely have told me to correct my ERROR.

    I for one am excited about this - at least on one level. As a writer I see the ability to get my work out there and published under less then conventional methods. Years ago even IF you decided to self-publish you had to order a minimum of books and the cost was expensive. Most self-publishing companies made money off the people paying to have their works published, while the people actually writing the books lost money. While not completely true, it was a bit of a scam and some self-publishing companies had more than a bit of a flam-flam reputation. More than a few people ended up with cartons of unwanted and unsellable books taking up space in their sheds or garages. But today on-demand or digital publishing allows more freedom. As a writer you don't have to commit to buying 500 books that UPS or FED-EX is going to deliver to your door.

    You Tube has made people who never would have been famous well known... likewise with stores like iTunes or various Apps stores. You may or may not like them. You may use them or avoid them in protest, but various indy artists have gotten fame and recognition from them. Likewise independent Apps writers and software designers are making money, bypsssing traditional software companies. Something they would never have achieved through traditional publishing houses or music companies or softwear companies just a decade or two ago.

    Even an outlet like AwesomeDude allows us to write and share things that 40 years ago we would never have had the opportunity to do.

    That things are changing is a fact. That we love or hate them boils down to our own personal opinion, but the fact is we're not going to stop it. We can choose not to use it, buy it, support it, but we won't stop it.

    This whole issue has led to great confusion on the part of some of the major players. It's only going to get worse. Look at some of the battles between Apple and the media at the moment. What do you charge for something you want to place on an iPad? Is .99 too little or too much to pay for a song or TV show? Is Apple TV the future or just a gimmick to make Steve and Co. richer? The market will sort these issues out. It usually does over time.

    Newspapers have been closing and/or their revenues have been declining. Hollywood may have the occasional blockbuster, but they're not all that healthy these days. Music companies are batteling illegal downloading. We're no longer bound by what's "on TV" tonight since we can access, or download and play almost anything. A quick search of You Tube can get you just about anything... for FREE. Films are being watched online (illegally) weeks before they're released. And even conventional cinemas are rebelling over the price film producers are charging them. (E.g the battle a while back between cinema chains and the producer/distributor of Alice in Wonderland when they wanted to release the DVD far ahead of the usual conventional release dates set in the past.) And don't even start about countries like China who have a mega media black market that no one can seem to stop.

    20 or even 10 years from now as a whole generation of first graders start school with electronic tablet devices in their back packs, what's going to be on them? Who's going to control it?

    As an educator I for one have always had an axe to grind with textbook publishers who charge uni students $100 or 100? for a single text book (now days even more). The author of said book usually gets pennies from the publisher. I'd be more than happy to create my own material and "sell" it to my students for a reasonable fee thorough my uni. That's already happening some places.

    So don't decry what's happening. It's coming. Your not going to stop it. You can choose to not support it, but that won't end the debate. What we need to do is not to try and stop the tide, but to see if we can control or work with it to some extent for the better good.

    I for one would LOVE to see TSOI on every person's Kindle and ipad... I wouldn't shed too many tears over that.

    cheers

  2. Dear TSOI Readers,

    I don't mind if not all (or even many) of you don't access the audio file. In fact after a quick listen many may chose to continue reading instead of listening to the work. That's really ok with me.

    Some readers prefer the quiet act of reading. I think it's one of the best ways to stimulate the mind and the imagination. Like adding pictures of characters, the spoken word can violate the images readers have in their minds as to the look and sound of the characters. And that's a bit of a sacred thing between a writer and their readers.

    I too enjoy the act of reading, but sometimes I will buy or download an audio book. This is so I can listen at the gym, on the Metro or when I'm driving. I do it out or convenience when reading isn't as practical. But most of my reading is just that... old fashioned reading sans audio.

    The audio files are basically an experiment; a way to present the story in a different form. I have more then a few readers who are blind or sight impaired. They use programs to read the text. These programs are great, but the voices can be rather flat. So I'm hoping a file I create might have a little more life and emotion to it.

    I am curious to peoples reactions. If it's something that's not really necessary that's also good to know. The first audio chapter I've posted - Chapter 33 - is almost an hour and fifteen minutes long. It took a long time to make. So I have to balance the time spent doing that against the time writing the story. If the audio interferes with the writing then I will concentrate on writing which is the number 1 priority.

    So if anyone is curious to take a listen to the audio files. You are most welcome to do so, but if you as one of TSOI's readers prefers to bypass the audio and go directly to quiet reading mode... that's quite alright. I take no offense or exception. I'm just happy that you are following the work... in whatever form it appeals to you.

  3. Dear TSOI readers,

    I am engaging an experiment in creating TSOI audio files.

    An audio file of The Scrolls of Icaria's CHAPTER 33 from Book 2 is currently available on the TSOI CHAPTER PAGE .

    BE WARNED that if you listen to it without reading any other parts of TSOI you will be opening yourself up for some spoilers.

    Please let me know what you think, and if it's something that you would like to see regarding past and/or future chapters.

    Jamie

    Click HERE

  4. Very nice work TR, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It?s amazing how the truth is much more incredible then fiction. I?ve always been amazed that many gays don?t know this true story and I?m glad you brought it to light. The fictional Wizard?s Imperial Legion of Icaria that appears in TSOI is based 100% on the real fighting unit who fought so valiantly that they had to be completely slaughtered in order for them to be defeated. I?ve always held the story of the formation of the Thebian fighting unit and their bravery in high regard, it?s one reason I ?modeled? my own fighting troops on them.

    It is said that after they were defeated and their bodies lay across the field of battle, Phillip of Macedonia (their conqueror) looking out across the battlefield paid them the highest of compliments saying that he?d never seen such a brave army and one that not only fought for their country, but also for the honor and protection of their lover ? each fighting as a pair to protect the other ? for if they failed they would lose their mate. And he could think of no greater and fiercer motivation.

    BTW loved the artwork you choose to illustrate it with. One scene is a relief carved on the ?Alexander Sarcophagus? it depicts scenes of Alexander the Great?s life although he actually never was interred in it. Today it sits in the Turkish National Museum in Istanbul. I got to see it in person this summer during a trip to Turkey. It is very impressive in real life.

    Again great job! I hope everyone coming to AD reads it.

  5. I enjoyed all of the special and well written Halloween stories in this weeks Awesome Dude posting, but this story was my absolute favorite.

    Maybe it appeals to my activism, but I thought it was the BEST of all of them. :icon12:

    Thank you for writing it and sharing it with all of us.

    Jamie

  6. Here?s how I look at the issues of ?scrolls? that you bring up. When I first envisioned writing this story the mental image I gave myself was as follows:

    I set up my mental construct based on the assumption that many years have passed since the time of the original story. In the far distant future, Jamie returning from one of his long voyages visits one of the scholarly academies of Icaria. While there, a young scholar doing research on the formation of Icaria and it's history cautiously approaches him. Although slightly fearful and not wanting to appear bold and forward, the young Icarian nevertheless asks Jamie with some trepidation to tell him some of the facts from the wizard?s point of view. He also asks about some of the famous heroes of that era, along with some of the villains and questions what really happened so long ago. At the end of their brief encounter, the young Icarian gathers up his courage and suggests to the legendary wizard that he should tell the story in his own words ? thus setting the record straight and separating reality from the myths and legends that have grown up surrounding those early formative years.

    Jamie returns to his palace and thinks on the young Icarian?s words for quite some time. A few weeks go by and the young scholar receives a summons to the wizard?s palace. When he arrives he is ushered into a private study ? a small space, candle lit, that is quiet and reflective. The room is filled with books, art, interesting objects and personal mementos. He can?t help notice a sword lying on one of the shelves ? it markings indicating it once belonged to Duet Lizard the legendary ?first duet? of the original gladiatorial pairs. He sees a child?s ball carefully preserved under a small domed jar and can?t help but wonder if the legend of King Niklas retrieving the ball for a young Jamie really is true. On another shelf is a small gold and silver flute ? could it be the famous Marzotti flute, Barsetba had in his possession when he first met the Icarians? Forgetting where he is he reaches out to touch a miniature portrait of an old knight with one eye and jumps when Jamie tells him that yes, it is miniature of his dear friend Brotus. Looking to the center of the room he sees a table upon which are piled stacks of parchment, a few bottles of ink and a sheaf of fresh quills. Jamie tells the young Icarian to sit and that while he can?t tell him the full story of Icaria from every perspective, he will tell the young angel his personal story through his eyes. Amazed over this, the young Icarian is paralyzed, but Jamie ushers him to the table, makes him sit, and hands him a quill. Moving to a comfortable low rising chair, the great wizard sits back and begins to reminisce. Occasionally he is interrupted by the young scholar asking a question or seeking clarification on a point, but for the most part Jamie talks and the younger man writes. Weeks pass and the process continues as the Icarian scholar fills parchment after parchment ? creating The Scrolls of Icaria.

    Does that answer you question?

    Think of them as a great bundle of reminisces, filling hundreds of parchments, rolled up into scrolls that eventually get catalogued and make their way to the great Library of Donas at Eagles Rock.

    As I write this Bronze (of interlude 4) is in it's first edit. Silver is being composed by the author and Gold is finished and also in first edit.

    Jamie

  7. Thanks for the feed-back everyone. It makes me glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I did this a while back as a Christmas piece. It was fun to write and although it doesn't have any Icarians in it, it does feature a little boy with wings... funny I always seem to find a way to put wings on my characters.

  8. I STILL say moderation. Nothing wrong with being authentic, don't get me wrong, but if you are trying to reach a wide group make sure they understand what you're saying. The goal of writing is communication (at least that's what my high school creative writing teacher always said). Most writers want people to read and UNDERSTAND their work - the more the better. No?

    Of course if you're writing for a narrow group (civil war reenactors for example) you better get it all exactly right or they will crucify your inaccuracy and point out each and every mistake.

    There are anachronisims for authenticity's sake that are IMPORTANT, but there are also anachronisms the writer can put in to "show off" their knowledge. And I ask are those anachronisims critical to the work or will they muddy the waters... it's a question every writer has to personally resolve. If it contributes positively to the work sure put them it. If it is going to detract... again that's up to each writer to decide.

    If you've written a work that hasn't been read by ANYONE why write it? (and I don't even mean broad publication here - even if only few friends read it would be nice). Share it here for example... I for one would be interested in reading it. Unless you're waiting to die so your heirs can find it, and publish it so you become famous posthumously and they become rich!

    And Blue I wasn't sure if you were saying that the French language hasn't evolved since the Middle Ages? But it has and continues to.

    Jamie

  9. The moral of the story... Language is a living thing. We don't speak or write English like they did in the middle ages, or in colonial times. That also goes for other languages... Modern French has evolved from what it was in middle ages or during the French revolution - so have most other living languages.

    I personally feel a balance needs to be struck... some "archaic" language can be placed into a piece, but each writer must ask what audience they are looking to reach.

    Sure if you're writing a period piece based on historical accuracy as a "scholarly work" and the majority of readers will be experts in that field you need to be faithful to the original because you're credability will be questioned. But on the other hand if the work is for general consumption; strange, ancient, or unfamiliar words and phrases need to be balanced with modern day language. If you have to explain every reference in your work, that gets ponderous and makes the piece heavy.

    Just because you may know and understand all the esoteric phrases and their meanings your readers may not... and instead of impressing them with your great knowldege it may have the opposite effect and might turn off to those trying to wade through it.

    As always moderation in all things.

    Jamie

  10. This discussion has moved to one of those philosophical areas where there?s lots of room for disagreement ? the critical evaluation of art. In addition there arises the secondary issue of art produced for it?s own sake or for profit? And is there some how a demarcation that says art produced for cash isn?t as good as art produced to advance the craft.

    Historically many artists never received the monetary remuneration they deserved in life. We all know Mozart was buried by the city in a pauper?s grave. Yet years after these artists demise their work receives great acclaim or sells for phenomenal amounts of money. I often wonder what Van Gough would say if he knew the record art prices his works fetch, when during his lifetime he couldn?t sell any of them.

    All successful cash earning artists produce work that doesn?t always meet high standards, but it?s how they make their living. Many a famous or talented actor will take a part in a movie or sitcom not to advance the ?art,? but because they getting big bucks to do it. The same goes for authors, screenplay writers, painters etc. I?ve seen more than a few interviews of movie stars who freely admitted that they took certain parts because the price was right ? is that disingenuous? Maybe, but than I think of the many every day people who work at jobs they hate producing work for which they get paid. And that dislike of the job many times causes them to put out less then 100% effort. Yes, when anyone is paid for something they should always put forth 100% and produce the best they can, but does that really happen in reality?

    How many of us who post on this site would refuse the generous offer of a publisher who after perusing the works on AD offered us a contract. Would the offer of that money suddenly diminish the quality of the work? Would we be ?sell-outs? to the art?

    How many painters struggle to sell their paintings every day, yet along comes Thomas Kincade who has been able to produce work, sell it on QVC and make a very good living? Is his stuff better or worse because he gets decent money?

    I think that one has to look at the entire body of work any artist puts out (especially if they have a long history). The work of Humphrey Bogart, Steven King, Picasso, Sean Connery, Hyden etc. has to be viewed in its entirety and in point of fact sometimes can?t be fairly evaluated until the life of the artist ends. Definitive evaluations often don?t come until years after the person?s death. Some artists who were lauded and famous during their lifetimes have been panned years after their demise while others who were ignored become venerated. And once an artist achieves a statue in the ?sacred pantheon? are they beyond criticism. Is every piece of music that Bach ever created an unqualified masterpiece? I?m sure some would say yes, but I suspect he had his off days. He certainly produced a fair amount of music on demand for various aristocrats ? for cash.

    I?ve read in these forums where some people praise J K Rowling and call her a great writer ? it?s certainly a matter of opinion. Her initial goal in producing the Potter books wasn?t to create great literature ? a fact she freely admits. It was simply to feed her family and earn a living ? something pre Harry Potter she struggled at. Once she ends the Potter series I?ll be interested to see if she continues writing, and if so what she writes. She has more money then the Queen of England at this point so maybe she?s met her goal and will hang it up? time will tell. At this point even if she produces something less then stellar her reputation with Scholastic is solid and they?ll pony up the big bucks to publish it. Sometimes in art luck can play a significant factor.

    Not every painting, story, book, album, or performance an artist does is steller ? that?s the nature of the human condition, but examined over time does the good out weigh the schlock ? for me that?s the ultimate test.

    And then finally ? as I have stated before in other posts ? it often comes down to the likes and dislikes of the person experiencing it. We all live in different houses, wear different clothes, paint our walls different colors and enjoy different things. Does my like or dislike of something make it right or wrong? Hardly! We?re all opinionated ? that?s not a bad thing, but we need to temper our opinions with an understanding and respect for others.

  11. Blanket statements serve no purpose other then to offend others - especially in matters of personal taste. Much of art is personal and internal. That's why so much of it exists in so many different forms. You don't have to like it all, but one should be respectful of other's opinions even when they disagree with ours.

    Jamie

  12. Questioner, you have posed a great and interesting question to ponder. And as in many a good question responses and opinions can vary widely. Ultimately I don?t think there is a firm right or wrong, good or bad here. But there are quite a few gray areas and more then a few subtle nuances.

    Graeme?s point about a novice writer producing a work in the first person has merit, since I think many times a new writer may more easily find their own voice by looking through the eyes of one of their characters ? usually the central one in their story. But on the other hand, while I have read my share of first person narrated stories, when I scroll through a source like Nifty, I also find many that are written in the third person by authors I am quite sure are new to the craft.

    But to say that writing in the first person is very easy, while writing in the third person is much more difficult I feel begs the question. I have read great stories ? both amateur and professional ? in both voices. Similarly, I have encountered rather poorly written stories in both voices. Of course all of us who are big into reading have had this experience.

    Voice is probably one of the very first things that most writers decide when they begin to write their work ? especially those who haven?t really done that much pre-story plot or character development. So in one respect Graeme?s comment about writing in the first person being easy is true. If one doesn?t have a firm grasp of their plot, their characters, the setting, (a beginning, middle and end), it?s probably easier to begin, ?One cold and rainy night I?? as opposed to he, she, it. From that starting point the writer can write looking through the eyes of the character they have chosen and go from there. They may perceive that doing this is easier and at first blush it may be, but they have to take it quite a bit further. The work may or may not be good ? this of course depends on that all important element PLOT?, and its companions: Character Development, Dialogue, Descriptive Narration etc.

    Having written in both first and third person I personally haven?t found one easier or more difficult. The ease or difficulty arises when I do or don?t know where the story is headed, my organization (or lack thereof), the plot (presence or absence), my characters (believable or cardboard cutouts), and most importantly how much fore thought and planning I've put into the process. A good work is a good work no matter what voice it is written in, a stinker is? well a stinker!

    Third person writing often forces the writer to become more descriptive. This takes a bit of thought and planning; therefore, I can see why someone would think it harder then writing a work in the first person ? it does take more effort (at least on the surface). First person writing can get to be a little trite if the writer is always doing the I? I? I? thing. Also first person writing can tend to be more emotional as opposed to factual, so once more I can see where someone would think this is easier.

    But to make a blanket statement about voice probably is over generalizing. I wouldn?t definitively say one is easier or harder. I would read the work and make my assessment based on the story.

    Initially writing a first person account may seem easier since the writer is only looking through the eyes of one character. But in reality well-written first person accounts can be quite difficult and taxing for a writer, simply for the very fact that WBMS mentioned ? that of the character not having first hand knowledge of everything. When looking through the eyes of a character in the first person, they?re usually not omniscient so naturally there are things they will not see that may be excluded from the story.

    The real skill ? and here I feel the great difficulty ? comes in taking a first person account and making it descriptive to the point where the reader gets to see a picture much broader then just that of the person whose eyes it is being viewed through ? written in such a way that it is subtle and not so completely obvious that it hits you squarely over the head. There are many ways to do this, and they all require careful thought along with sincere and genuine effort.

    This I find to be the real challenge. And it involves a whole array of techniques and quite a bit of skill. Depending on the work, an author writing in the first person must consciously move outward and help the reader see the ?big picture.? That?s takes work ? hard work ? and lots of brain cells. So while it is easy to say that a writer writing in the first person is lazy, I would counter that it depends on the story.

    A well written first person work takes effort, lots of planning, a decent plot, serious character development and that subtle shift of perspective that can help the reader see the forest for the trees. A poorly written first person account is narrow and constrained, a well-written one is much broader and deeper ? and it?s something I think a lazy writer would avoid. Maybe that?s why WBMS says first person writing is lazy, simply because lots of works are written in the first person that aren't so skillfully crafted. I admit a first person account poorly written looks sloppy, although once more I?ve seen my share of third person accounts just as badly written.

    I think it is important to point out the differences and compare and contrast the differences in voice. This is important for writers to learn and understand, but for myself I personally would avoid saying that one is easy and the other hard or that one is the skillful writer?s style and the other the lazy man?s half baked effort. There are merits to both and a good writer needs to be able to write in both voices. Kinda like a basketball player that can shoot from the foul line with deadly accuracy, but can?t do much else, or the golfer that has a wicked drive, but can?t putt very well.

    A truly skilled practitioner of any thing must be well-rounded and certainly not lazy. Often it?s the simple looking, easy seeming tasks that are in reality the hardest to master correctly. Yeah everyone can do them, because they?re easy? but are they doing them correctly and with the skill and mastery really called for? If you?re a coffee (or tea for that matter) drinker, making a pot of coffee or tea is easy? a no brainer. But if you really love coffee or tea you know that there are heavenly cups of the stuff and rather nasty ones. They can be made with the same ingredients, with the same equipment, but by two different people. Two different people who both can do a very simple and easy job? one just happens to do it better then the other!

    Jamie

  13. Thanks for the reminder about the essay on criticism for READERS Graeme. I've been working on some other projects lately, but maybe it's time I put pen to paper and punch it out.

    A little piece on reader etiquette when it comes to criticism sounds good right about now.

    I know for a fact that most of us don't shy away from criticism or are not afraid of it, but there are positive and negative ways to make a criticism.

    I think the above exchange proves that. Nathen I don't think you meant to be mean... but it sure came off that way. Please don't be offended yourself by all of this, just remember when you start to take a wack at someone's work it IS their baby, so be honest but not brutal. And Josiah I must say that you handled this WAYYYYYY better then I probably would have. You displayed a lot of maturity and poise.

    Wow, and TR came rushing out of the corner like a fighting tiger hehe. Damn TR I want you on my side the next time I'm in a street fight!!! Those bunny claws are sharper then I thought!

    By the way Josiah, for a first story started by a 16 year old, I think you've done an excellent job. Of course as you have matured and have written more you look back and see things you might want to change a few years later... welcome to the club. As TR said... we've all been there. But remember that's what re-writes are all about... we've all done those too.

    Now everyone, fight NICELY and lets turn the thread back to Josiah and the actual story he wrote.

  14. James,

    This is to wish you well and good luck...

    While no illness or malady is pleasant, the good news is that glaucoma is a treatable disease for the most part... my 83 year old mother has had it since she was in her 50's and still drives her Pontiac Grand Prix... does the daily crossward, runs a large house and cooks up a storm... upon her initial diagnosis we were all very concerned, but as the years have gone on we see how her regeme of a simple and very easy treatment has allowed her to keep her vision and live a full life...

    Hopefully you will be just like her and no one will ever know you have it unless you choose to tell them, because you will be living a completely normal life... so don't dispare...

    I wish you all the best and am convinced you will do great...

    My thoughts are with you.

    I'll get the wizard to send a healing spell your way... maybe I'll even get Cody to pay you a visit... his smile would drive away even the darkest storm...

    Take care buddy.

  15. Cliffhanger or Story Element ? A Matter of Perspective

    Graeme, I think your topic ? the issue of using or not using a Cliffhanger ? is quite salient. It?s certainly one of those story elements (along with plot, and character development) that can add or distract from a work. It is something authors of serialized pieces need to seriously address when writing a multiple installment story that will be posted over a period of weeks or months. But I also feel that in some instances the term ?Cliffhanger? is in the eye of the beholder.

    I think WBMS's post in this thread where he states he purposely wrote only 2 cliffhanger chapters, yet many readers thought he had produced quite a few more is a rather telling point.

    Like you, I have read serialized fiction where every chapter ends in a peril, or crisis and in some of those instances it often seems to me the author takes particular delight in torturing the reader. And also like you, I have found that when every chapter falls into the cliffhanger category I can certainly find it annoying ? especially when the author isn?t posting with regular frequently or it seems like he thinks he is being clever or "cute" in the presentation of the story by constantly churning out yet one more cliffhanger chapter. ::YAWN::

    Like most things in life moderation in all things is usually best. Overuse of anything in writing can quickly turn a piece dull, boring, and uninteresting ? or in the case of the cliffhanger, frustrating for the reader ? elements any serious and conscientious writer seeks to avoid. (psst?. that?s just one more reason to have a good editor.)

    But having said that, I must return to WBMS's post and say I feel that what?s sometimes one man?s cliffhanger is another?s story element. I think most people have heard of the term ?page turner? indicating that a book is so interesting and fascinating the reader is driven to keep turning the page until they reach the end. I?m guessing most of us who like to write also like to read and have sacrificed sleep or some other activity because we simply couldn?t put the book down. Most serious writers strive to create a work that is gripping, inspiring, fun, exciting etc. If we succeed or fail is another story, but every writer wants to produce a work that others enjoy reading.

    When I write anything from a story to a novel I try to encompass the big picture ? namely the plot, characters, action, and so forth. I see the work I am writing as a whole, stretching out before me. I don?t know if my style is similar or dissimilar to other writers, but I never start a piece without some idea of how it will end (even if later that ending may change). Because I look at the piece I am writing as a whole, I don?t think of it as serialized. I genuinely see it as a finished work that someone can pick up off the shelf and begin reading, making their way to the end at their ? not my ? pace.

    Agreeing with WBMS?s observations, I must say that when I come to the end of a chapter I try to end it in what I feel is a logical conclusion. I take into consideration what I have just written, along with what has gone before in previous chapters and what will come after in chapters yet to be.

    In some cases it may mean that what I have presented for the reader to consider or ponder will not be resolved in the very next chapter. In fact it may not get resolved in the chapter after that or even the next ? they may have to wait many pages later.

    The way I see it is that if I end a particular chapter with something unresolved or even with anticipation, it will in the end be dealt with and resolved. If the chapter in question was part of a completed novel, the reader would simply turn the page and continue if they wished.

    Because I?m currently writing in a serialized fashion some readers may look at the way I conclude a chapter from time to time and accuse me of ending in a cliffhanger, when in fact I purposely don't make a concerted effort to end in cliffhangers ? it?s not my style and I don?t find it fun or ?amusing? to frustrate a reader.

    Again agreeing with WBMS?s point, I write to what I feel is the logical conclusion for the chapter. When the day finally comes and I finish TSOI for example, anyone who has never read it will be able to begin reading and reach the end. There really won?t be any cliffhangers since they will have the ability to turn the page and continue if they wish. (Hopefully they will like what they read and will keep turning those pages.)

    I think if any author does something simply as a ?gimmick? it has a better chance of failing then succeeding, and if that writer keeps using the same gimmick over and over their work becomes tedious and unimaginative.

    I also think that what some people call a cliffhanger isn?t always a cliffhanger. Like all things it?s not necessarily black and white. Concluding a chapter with a sudden gun shot, and having the main character fall to the ground is definitely a cliffhanger. But I?ve ended chapters where nothing even near that dramatic has happened, yet have had readers mention that I ended the chapter in a cliffhanger, when in fact the way I ended the chapter was simply what I felt was it?s logical conclusion. What the reader took for a cliffhanger I attributed to as their eagerness and impatience with being disappointed that the chapter had simply ended and they wanted more! That?s not a bad way to end a chapter with the reader wanting more. Some readers in their impatience to get still more of the story consider that anticipation a cliffhanger ? I don?t.

    When I go to the gym and do my workout, I always take along my MP3 loaded with a book or two. (I belong to Audible.com and highly recommend it.) At the conclusion of my workout I always find myself regretfully turning off the player in order to change, shower, and continue on with my day when in fact I just want to sit down and keep listening. In effect I create my own cliffhangers (as we all do when we read a book and have to stop for various reasons at the end of the chapter). But that?s the fun and anticipation of reading a good book.

    As an author one has to balance one?s own feelings and convictions with those of the readers. Interestingly Graeme, just as you started this thread, I concluded (I think) a chapter that I would definitely say has a cliffhanger element to it ? and a rather dramatic one at that. I agonized about ending the chapter the way I did (since it?s shorter then the ones I usually write and because I thought people would think I purposely wanted to be cute and end in a cliffhanger ? I didn?t!). But after lots of thought I had to conclude that for ME it was the logical way to end the chapter. I wanted the conclusion to be dramatic although not necessarily a cliffhanger

    Now I?m very much aware the consequences in pulling a stunt like that on the reader so I feel in this case have 3 options: 1. Don?t conclude the chapter the way it?s currently written (write more and resolve it), 2. Keep it the way it is, knowing that since I post regularly it will be resolved the very next week, 3. Try something different.

    I?m leaning to the ?try something different approach.?

    Since I feel so strongly about ending the chapter where it currently ends ? and I really do! I will launch into the next chapter and bring the situation to a rapid conclusion ? something I planned to do anyway. Then I will post both chapters simultaneously so that the reader can read the first shorter chapter ? come to the cliffhanger and simply ?turn the page,? to see how things turn out. I feel this allows me to remain true to myself and my convictions that the chapter I have just concluded should end as it does, but I also won?t penalize the reader in making them wait to see the resolution. Sound fair? I think so.

    Remember writing?s an art not a science. A lot of what we do depends on how we ?feel? and on what seems ?right? to us in the telling of our tale. I think if we don?t cultivate or pay attention to that, our writing just becomes so many words on a page devoid of any real meaning.

    Regards,

    Jamie

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