tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post3721703231172807590..comments2023-11-22T06:35:25.251-05:00Comments on POE'S DEADLY DAUGHTERS: ChameleonJulia Buckleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270211923343731659noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-13115821445668345152012-09-16T10:27:17.191-04:002012-09-16T10:27:17.191-04:00You don't cheat. As fans (as I've mentione...You don't cheat. As fans (as I've mentioned to you before, my father in law, 90, grew up in Granville and our relishes the books), we recognize you walk that tightrope with skill. And you raise an excellent point - the difference between protagonists who are insiders versus outsiders versus a combination of both and how that influences our writing! Allure of Deceithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16511022282504267700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-19281943663774707612012-09-15T11:06:01.575-04:002012-09-15T11:06:01.575-04:00Fear (?), you make a good point. An insider would...Fear (?), you make a good point. An insider wouldn't pay much attention to some details because they've become background. I'll admit I've cheated by making my protagonists newcomers, so they're more aware of their unfamiliar surroundings.<br /><br />And I hate it when writers use clumsy devices to paint a picture by way of the protagonist, who isn't thinking about such Sheila Connollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05165644581595919711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-19450679421461756972012-09-15T10:45:50.517-04:002012-09-15T10:45:50.517-04:00"But it's not the same as being there and..."But it's not the same as being there and observing. There are too many small but significant details that you will not notice on a computer screen...." <br /><br />But what if the plot's told from first-person POV of an insider? That narrator will ignore details detected by outsiders, especially if she does not share the assumptions of the outsiders. The insider narrator wouldAllure of Deceithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16511022282504267700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-17964684268569765182012-09-14T11:38:52.390-04:002012-09-14T11:38:52.390-04:00Sometimes an outsider sees details an insider no l...Sometimes an outsider sees details an insider no longer notices. So for my new series, I'm trying to remember to occasionally put on my "outsider glasses." <br /><br />Nice essay, Sheila -- thanks!Leslie Budewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942314846112875042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-53233360269969701952012-09-14T10:55:20.019-04:002012-09-14T10:55:20.019-04:00I like to think it makes a difference. For exampl...I like to think it makes a difference. For example, I know that Barry Eisler made Japan come alive for me (I've never been there) with a wealth of specific details, without making it feel like I was reading a travel guide.<br /><br />And there are times when you read a book and can't even remember where it's set, other than "big American city".Sheila Connollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05165644581595919711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-39240768655428244412012-09-14T10:24:32.558-04:002012-09-14T10:24:32.558-04:00I know it is a cliche to "write what you know...I know it is a cliche to "write what you know about" and many books about writing say you should stretch yourself, but I tend to agree with you, Sheila. It's all in the details, and when you know them intimately your plot seems more real.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14080938779828043023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056815460076050228.post-25253827646848309012012-09-14T07:16:31.943-04:002012-09-14T07:16:31.943-04:00I don't know, Sheila. I loved the glassblowing...I don't know, Sheila. I loved the glassblowing series! Was so sorry to see it end. The setting, a part of the world I love, didn't feel untrue to me.Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.com