How This Critter Crits
Viewing comments for Chapter 6 "Micro-Critter and the Eavesdropper"GROWTH? ADULATION? HURRY -- CHOOSE!
94 total reviews
Comment from chasennov
A Fundamental Craving -- Character and Drama How This Critter Crits Micro-Critter and the Eavesdropper.' Another excellent chapter you have created here which I enjoyed reading, and learning from, Jay. Well done.
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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A Fundamental Craving -- Character and Drama How This Critter Crits Micro-Critter and the Eavesdropper.' Another excellent chapter you have created here which I enjoyed reading, and learning from, Jay. Well done.
Comment Written 17-May-2015
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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Thanks, Chas.
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You're welcome, Jay.
Comment from Gloria ....
It was about a guy who was stuck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named, Richard Parker after the ship that he and his family ....
Stop? Ooooooh. It was only a rhetorical question? Gotcha. I fell right into the trap? Dammit! I always do that.
I was on the right track though because you brought that other fish and the old man in.
Oh yes, we love our drama, providing the characters in the drama are interesting. Or, the author can write some dynamite gore.
Ha, ha. Love the warring bunnies. That's my very next story. Can it also involve sex? You just had to mention Fifty Shades. It was an average book but I sure wouldn't mind making that kind of dough on my averagely written best-seller. :P
As always terrific advice presented in most interesting manner, Jay.
I like eavesdropping on writer's private conversations as long as they have really juicy goods to reveal.
Great job with this series. Looking forward to the next one.
Gloria
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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It was about a guy who was stuck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named, Richard Parker after the ship that he and his family ....
Stop? Ooooooh. It was only a rhetorical question? Gotcha. I fell right into the trap? Dammit! I always do that.
I was on the right track though because you brought that other fish and the old man in.
Oh yes, we love our drama, providing the characters in the drama are interesting. Or, the author can write some dynamite gore.
Ha, ha. Love the warring bunnies. That's my very next story. Can it also involve sex? You just had to mention Fifty Shades. It was an average book but I sure wouldn't mind making that kind of dough on my averagely written best-seller. :P
As always terrific advice presented in most interesting manner, Jay.
I like eavesdropping on writer's private conversations as long as they have really juicy goods to reveal.
Great job with this series. Looking forward to the next one.
Gloria
Comment Written 17-May-2015
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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Thank you, Gloria. I always appreciate the personal slant you put on your crits. Bless you!
Comment from Sis Cat
This was a great treatise on not only the craft of critting but the craft of writing. I highly recommend your series. I feel like I am taking a crash course in writing and critting. You state things I have intuit but not put to words. These are some of my favorite passages:
The process is largely intuitive and is developed from the "weight" and the "movement" of the piece.
I noticed, and I'm hoping you have as well, that there can be an almost alchemical interaction between the writer and his reader.
In fact, in the final analysis, timing may be the single most important element in the writer/reader embrace.
It is the responsibility of the writer and his craft to involve the reader so much he does not realize he is eavesdropping.
These passages resonated with me because they put in words what I have felt, but they also sere as guides to writing.
I found only one spag: You spelled "in medias res" with an "X." "Rex" in Latin means king.
This is an exceptional essay on craft. I waited for a new allotment of six stars to award you one. Thank you for sharing.
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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This was a great treatise on not only the craft of critting but the craft of writing. I highly recommend your series. I feel like I am taking a crash course in writing and critting. You state things I have intuit but not put to words. These are some of my favorite passages:
The process is largely intuitive and is developed from the "weight" and the "movement" of the piece.
I noticed, and I'm hoping you have as well, that there can be an almost alchemical interaction between the writer and his reader.
In fact, in the final analysis, timing may be the single most important element in the writer/reader embrace.
It is the responsibility of the writer and his craft to involve the reader so much he does not realize he is eavesdropping.
These passages resonated with me because they put in words what I have felt, but they also sere as guides to writing.
I found only one spag: You spelled "in medias res" with an "X." "Rex" in Latin means king.
This is an exceptional essay on craft. I waited for a new allotment of six stars to award you one. Thank you for sharing.
Comment Written 17-May-2015
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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You are a gem, Andre. I fixed "in medias res", thank you. I even had "medias" spelled "medius". That goes to show you not to go with your memory when your memory is as old as mine. You know you've said some generous things, my friend. Thank you for the six stars as a bonus!
Comment from alexisleech
Hi Jay. Yet another really helpful piece to make us all think about the craft of writing well.
My daughter is a qualified opera singer after eight long years at The Royal Scottish Academy, but she knows I preferred her voice before it was controlled, 'perfected' and made stronger. It doesn't matter how often she's sung on TV etc. The reason? It's not her voice anymore. It is a production after years of training. I think writing is the same. You can start out with a fresh approach (which you undoubtedly have) and over train the natural ability after being brow beaten by the so called 'masters' who are caught in a time warp. 'Fifty Shades of Grey' taught us all a lesson. Originality is sometimes the only way your voice will be heard.
Put that philosophy together with your excellent advice here, then we're all in with a chance!
Alexis x
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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Hi Jay. Yet another really helpful piece to make us all think about the craft of writing well.
My daughter is a qualified opera singer after eight long years at The Royal Scottish Academy, but she knows I preferred her voice before it was controlled, 'perfected' and made stronger. It doesn't matter how often she's sung on TV etc. The reason? It's not her voice anymore. It is a production after years of training. I think writing is the same. You can start out with a fresh approach (which you undoubtedly have) and over train the natural ability after being brow beaten by the so called 'masters' who are caught in a time warp. 'Fifty Shades of Grey' taught us all a lesson. Originality is sometimes the only way your voice will be heard.
Put that philosophy together with your excellent advice here, then we're all in with a chance!
Alexis x
Comment Written 16-May-2015
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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Ah ... Alexis! You couldn't have said more to crown my day. I have a cold and the crown keeps slipping off when I cough. I really do appreciate your kind thoughts, my dear. Thank you so much.
Comment from LIJ Red
You seem to be approaching the point of rubber vs. road or dung vs. fan. The
reader has to wish ill or good on the character enough to read on and see palms of victory or bowels. Excellent tutorial.
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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You seem to be approaching the point of rubber vs. road or dung vs. fan. The
reader has to wish ill or good on the character enough to read on and see palms of victory or bowels. Excellent tutorial.
Comment Written 16-May-2015
reply by the author on 17-May-2015
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see palms of victory or bowels. I love it, Red. Thanks for your always incisive take, given your own inimitable slant.
Comment from barbara.wilkey
What turns me off more than anything when I'm reading is too much description. A needs some but going on for paragraphs about a lady's dress or a meadow will turn me off. I will actually skip it and jump to where something is happening.
One of my son's version of Old Man and the Sea---An old man went fishing, he had a big fish on the line, the fish got away, and the old man was sad.
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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What turns me off more than anything when I'm reading is too much description. A needs some but going on for paragraphs about a lady's dress or a meadow will turn me off. I will actually skip it and jump to where something is happening.
One of my son's version of Old Man and the Sea---An old man went fishing, he had a big fish on the line, the fish got away, and the old man was sad.
Comment Written 16-May-2015
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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Thanks, Barbara, for reading this and giving me your own slant. Appreciated. Tell your son I can't think of a better summation.
Comment from Writingfundimension
'... you'll find what you are looking for. Then, like a competent casting director, you be able to say: "Thank you ... we'll be in touch.'
Great analogy, Jay. I'm wondering, though, about the outdated use of the ellipses (at least according to Grammarly) and whether it can simply read:
"Thank you. We'll be in touch."
You've inspired me to do more interviewing on what people like to read! The moderator of a class I took two years ago claimed that the majority of readers are women. Not sure if that's true of all genre.
Another excellent chapter.
:) Bev
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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'... you'll find what you are looking for. Then, like a competent casting director, you be able to say: "Thank you ... we'll be in touch.'
Great analogy, Jay. I'm wondering, though, about the outdated use of the ellipses (at least according to Grammarly) and whether it can simply read:
"Thank you. We'll be in touch."
You've inspired me to do more interviewing on what people like to read! The moderator of a class I took two years ago claimed that the majority of readers are women. Not sure if that's true of all genre.
Another excellent chapter.
:) Bev
Comment Written 16-May-2015
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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You're probably right about the ellipses. I tend to use them too much, which is a carry-over from back when they were more popular. In this instance, I made the change and I agree, it makes it cleaner. Thank you, Bev.
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I always liked the ellipses, but Grammarly gets on my case big time when I try to use them. Sometimes I go ahead anyway LoL.
You're very welcome, Jay, as always.
:) Bev
Comment from amahra
If you make careful mental notes, however, of the hundred and eighty who ignore or sneer or snarl at you, or call you a pervert, won't you be feeding a rich diet to that unconscious birthing-bed of creativity in your mind? [If you make [a] careful mental note, however, of the hundred and eighty who ignore, sneer, snarl, or call you a pervert, [will] you be feeding a rich diet to that unconscious birthing-bed of creativity in your mind?] Just my opinion.
With Of Mice and Men [,] the reader experiences,
If he were in the conversation [,]it would be his business.
He has no control over the distractions in the reader's environment. What he can do--what he must do--is make certain his offering is not one more of those distractions. [Really liked this last bit of info. Great job.]
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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If you make careful mental notes, however, of the hundred and eighty who ignore or sneer or snarl at you, or call you a pervert, won't you be feeding a rich diet to that unconscious birthing-bed of creativity in your mind? [If you make [a] careful mental note, however, of the hundred and eighty who ignore, sneer, snarl, or call you a pervert, [will] you be feeding a rich diet to that unconscious birthing-bed of creativity in your mind?] Just my opinion.
With Of Mice and Men [,] the reader experiences,
If he were in the conversation [,]it would be his business.
He has no control over the distractions in the reader's environment. What he can do--what he must do--is make certain his offering is not one more of those distractions. [Really liked this last bit of info. Great job.]
Comment Written 16-May-2015
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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Thank you for the grammatical nits. They've been taken care of, with my appreciation. The rather long sentence, I promise I'll take a close look at. It involves sentence tone and structure, so I'll add that to my folder of chapter notes.
Comment from Nosha17
I agree with most of what you say that is important to the reader, but I don't fit into the ordinary category of reader. I don't require drama, I look for a combination of setting (if it is set in eighteenth century England, you're onto a winner), sympathetically drawn characters with some romance, sharp dialogue and a juicy story line. It can be as simple as two characters having a disagreement in a relationship (there is no sex in Jane Austen, but the romance oozes from the pages). I despise horror, thrillers, violence, science fiction, soppy romances with no historical content, the list is endless of what I don't like. I am a very discerning reader, hard to please. What I am trying to point out is that you can not always define the makings of a best seller, nor generalise on what a writer can do to make his book more appealing. Reason why I like Jax Franklin's and Margaret Snowdon's stories is not because of the drama they introduce in the course of the story, but the characters and the basic story line which I find most entertaining. One is of a western genre, one is historical romance. Hope you don't mind me airing my opinions. Your commentary is well written and I am sure some people will benefit from some of your advice. I am a poet, but I am also writing my autobiography-very colourful life! Enjoyable read. Faye
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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I agree with most of what you say that is important to the reader, but I don't fit into the ordinary category of reader. I don't require drama, I look for a combination of setting (if it is set in eighteenth century England, you're onto a winner), sympathetically drawn characters with some romance, sharp dialogue and a juicy story line. It can be as simple as two characters having a disagreement in a relationship (there is no sex in Jane Austen, but the romance oozes from the pages). I despise horror, thrillers, violence, science fiction, soppy romances with no historical content, the list is endless of what I don't like. I am a very discerning reader, hard to please. What I am trying to point out is that you can not always define the makings of a best seller, nor generalise on what a writer can do to make his book more appealing. Reason why I like Jax Franklin's and Margaret Snowdon's stories is not because of the drama they introduce in the course of the story, but the characters and the basic story line which I find most entertaining. One is of a western genre, one is historical romance. Hope you don't mind me airing my opinions. Your commentary is well written and I am sure some people will benefit from some of your advice. I am a poet, but I am also writing my autobiography-very colourful life! Enjoyable read. Faye
Comment Written 16-May-2015
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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I really appreciate your input, Faye. I am a regular reader of both writers. I don't know that I was trying to fit anyone into a particular category. Rather, I know I wasn't TRYING to do that. My intent was to give some basic principals that cross all lines and genres and have to do with getting the reader involved as soon as possible with human interaction. Margaret and Jax both do that. I'm sure you'll do that, too, in your autobiography. Is it posted here?
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You're welcome. No, it is a long way off, I don't have time to write it even, I am so busy with my editing, poetry, travels etc. Today I went to a special historical house near me, and discovered that they filmed Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility there-I was of course entranced. That is a poem in motion. Glad you didn't mind my rant. Faye
Comment from Margaret Snowdon
I think this will be most helpful to those who are just starting to write, altho it's also a great lesson to help us improve since we are all striving to. I find your ideas a great help, Jay.
is said or left unsaid(.)
to take a [little] different slant on what dialogue is.
Margaret
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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I think this will be most helpful to those who are just starting to write, altho it's also a great lesson to help us improve since we are all striving to. I find your ideas a great help, Jay.
is said or left unsaid(.)
to take a [little] different slant on what dialogue is.
Margaret
Comment Written 16-May-2015
reply by the author on 16-May-2015
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Ah, Margaret, thanks for the catches. I took care of the missing period, but don't know what you meant in the second. Were you suggesting "little" be removed?
I agree it's more designed for the beginning critter or writer