Hi,
just got a wave of this last night while reading. I thought I would relate. Remember though that I suffer from terminal nievity and you guys probably all already know this :-)

I was reading the second part of Robin Hobbs Farseer trilogy, the whole thing is first person and written in flashback. kind of anyway.

A particular section deals with our young hero off on a troubleshooting mission, he's just getting his marching orders and all of a sudden we're there (page 132'ish if you have the book). The author completely bypassed the journey and the build up in favour of getting to the juicy stuff. She could do this because she was writting from the point of view of an old man recounting his youth. This is very often forgotten during the course of the novels though as you get swept up in events.

It was a trick like so many used by film directors etc but it was an excellent one. I was in the process about reading the events while they're all sat at a feasting table and one double take later I was skimming back to find out how it had been done.

No fuss, just a little slight of hand with the keyboard. In this hightened state of "Hey I should be making a note of this!" I went and re-read it three times. It was then I noticed the subtle use of my own imagination. Half of what I had visualised in the hall where the meal takes place wasn't even there.

Think about that, how can the author be so aware of the ground work she had done previously as to not even bother to tell the reader what the place looked like.... and we still saw it anyway? I am amazed I didn't see this as a big deal earlier.

This is the second book in the series and the setting is well known to the reader. Beyond describing who sat next to the king and our hero there was no mention of the size of the hall or it's decorations, how hot or cold it was, I can't even say clothing was mentioned except perhaps the antagonist in the scene. The author was quite comfortable in painting very light strokes. This couldn't be done at the start of a story as the reader does need a few clues but if you want to see how to evoke with the minimum waste of words you could do worse than track down this section of the book.

While I'm on the subject of such things I feel very strongly about the introctory 100 words of Game of Thrones by George RR Martin. About to become more high profile if HBO get their way....here's hoping. The first hundred pages felt like a chore but were ultimately very rewarding and I can't wait till the next book is out (must check amazon:-).

Hope this helps.

Do any of you wish to point out favourite examples?

Pete

Interesting stuff! Don 't get me started on 'Martin'.....OK you just did. I like his writing but for me there are many many problems.

Firstly, it was a huge cop out to write a book and then 'half way through' decide it was going to be too long, and then cut out half of it to make another book - OK so with his style of writing it doesn't actually matter that half the book is missing as he can write different 'sequences' that occur at the same time and tell them at different times due to the fact that they cannot have any bearing on each other....

Secondly - way way way way way too many characters - I've read all four books so far - listened to them as MP3s and still get confused with some of the characters.

Thirdly - while I'm not against some main characters dying, it seems almost that you don't want to be a 'good guy'in his books - you're either dead, or pretty close to it pretty soon. I'm sure he'll tie it up nicely by the end of book 7 (or 8 or 9) but as a reader I find it disconcerting that I get to know one character and then 'BANG' he's gone.....it's OK once or twice, but four, five, six times???? I find myself deliberately trying not to get attached to everyone.


On a different matter has any one read the 'Sword of Truth' series - they aren't that bad, but as you mentioned that Martin's work may get on HBO I should mention that the 'Sword of Truth' series is coming to ABC on November 1st - 26 episodes worth - from what I've seen of the previews it looks pretty nice too.

So what if you don't like fantasy - if I mentione there's a leather clad 'dominatrix' type character that should appear in the series eventually - does that perk your interest????

To be or not to be....that is totally illogical captain.....Spock.

http://personalopinionator.blogspot.com

Simey,
I've never heard of Sword of Truth I'll have to look right into that. The Song of Ice and Fire is a rollercoaster of an epic though as you point out you just can't be sure of anything. I particularly like this. It's given a kind of realism in that anything might just happen and just because you're on the side of right doesn't mean you're triumph is secured. I realised the way he wrote was special when I was just at the point ( book 2 or 3 I can't remember) when I started thinking 'Hang on this is all getting a bit samey' and then realised it was a prelude to a huge sucker punch.....you'll know the one I mean. You don't often get that. It was an austentascious move.....(spelling ???)

I was more posting though in the hope that little tricks could be pointed out and aired so that we could learn more of 'the craft'. I re-read the section in the farseer trilogy agiain last night and noticed a use of a kind of mini-foreshadowing. At the beginning of the dinner scene, page 132'ish, Hobbs mentions all eyes following the character as she goes through a room (or something). This happens just prior to the dinner sequence in which there is obviously a crowded room. Though the room at large is never described. When I read it I visualised the people there. She put images in my head without having first put them on paper. This is worthy of study.

If we can gather these tricks as we find them and post them we'll learn quickly. Please everybody post references to the scenes and chapters which impress you with their literary magic.

Regards,
Pedro

I agree with your notes on 'tricks' - a great writer lets the reader do all the work. In my latest short story I attempted that - I gave the reader a brief description of a bar that the main characters were in and then hope that the reader would fill in the gaps, either from past movies or past experiences - I'm not saying that I'm a great writer mind you.

I guess the key is to give the reader enough of a hook to build the world on - this is one of the skills that Tolkien had - he set the scene for Middle Earth very well and at times was perhaps a little too wordsy - but as you read Lord of the Rings, the world takes over, and you almost feel as if its real - and somehow the world then builds itself in your mind.

This is even more impressive when done with characters. One series of books I read very early on was by David Eddings. In it there's a character that is barely described - but by his actions, by being called rat-face and having his nose described in detail, I get a very clear picture of the character....

To be or not to be....that is totally illogical captain.....Spock.

http://personalopinionator.blogspot.com