tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post8695548582197417932..comments2024-01-09T17:48:45.910-06:00Comments on Travis Erwin: Writerly Stuff and a Brief RantTravis Erwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09420879160702098979noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-49212023722016091542008-01-07T10:55:00.000-06:002008-01-07T10:55:00.000-06:00Very interesting insight. You're right too.Very interesting insight. You're right too.Bubblewenchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13138352865911195593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-46596464024541564262008-01-03T12:11:00.000-06:002008-01-03T12:11:00.000-06:00I think the advice is very good and I tend to do m...I think the advice is very good and I tend to do most of this myself. I like to descirbe a character up front and then only touch briefly on it later.<BR/><BR/>I think, though, that different genres require different amounts of description. The more exotic the setting or genre, the more character description you need. In my opinion.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-90917274466738719832008-01-03T11:54:00.000-06:002008-01-03T11:54:00.000-06:00I don't like car salesmen. They either hit on me ...I don't like car salesmen. They either hit on me or treat me like I'm six. I do like the guy who sold me my Sentra though. Even if I stopped in that dealer's auto shop years later, he'd remember my name and he'd remember my poor mother who I had dragged car shopping with me.<BR/><BR/>I love your guidelines on description. I agree with every last one of them. I don't care much if a character is physically described or not, but it does really bother me when the description comes too late.Stacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04651755306664865579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-63784133119842733832008-01-03T11:13:00.000-06:002008-01-03T11:13:00.000-06:00Just excellent examples, Travis, and excellent poi...Just excellent examples, Travis, and excellent points.Bernitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05264585685253812090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-55668900633416425812008-01-03T10:13:00.000-06:002008-01-03T10:13:00.000-06:00I had to read that twice to find the rant.Travis, ...I had to read that twice to find the rant.<BR/><BR/>Travis, I need to teach you how to REALLY RANT! LOL!<BR/><BR/>I hope you find a car/car salesman who will respect you. :)Roxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109820610940479415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-33905267237644489692008-01-03T07:50:00.000-06:002008-01-03T07:50:00.000-06:00Stephen King in his book "On Writing" had some goo...Stephen King in his book "On Writing" had some good stuff on physical descriptions. He said avoid the police blotter approach of height weight and hair color and go for something that hints at character. <BR/>"He walked with his head lowered like a bull etc etc etc." <BR/>Or something along those linesalex ketohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08003786334665677107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-4910325752249915072008-01-02T23:45:00.000-06:002008-01-02T23:45:00.000-06:00Just did the car buying thing. My advice to you is...Just did the car buying thing. My advice to you is to research online and then go into the dealership and tell THEM exactly what you are willing to pay, no ifs, ands, or buts. If you have a trade-- same thing.<BR/><BR/>Car dealerships are like stepping back in time fifty years. Car sales is a male dominated field. They don't take woman particularly seriously as consumers, at least in my experience anyway (is this a Texas thing-- I don't know). That and I noticed this time around that a good number of them smoke-- go figure.<BR/><BR/>-- KarenPenelopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15765737667782111636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-9966379348473075192008-01-02T20:56:00.000-06:002008-01-02T20:56:00.000-06:00When you start being a bag-o-wind, we'll let you k...When you start being a bag-o-wind, we'll let you know. Great tips - reminders, all, but it's good to hear them.<BR/><BR/>I'm skimpy on physical descriptions, too. Maybe it's from paying more attention to personalities - - -<BR/><BR/>Speaking of personalities, I don't particularly like actors and actresses being mentioned as near-twins to the looks of the female protag, or any other character for that part.<BR/><BR/>Happy 2008Nan Higginsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15751786321997626726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-52231502347763996272008-01-02T20:29:00.000-06:002008-01-02T20:29:00.000-06:00I tend to like a bit of description with the chara...I tend to like a bit of description with the characters... though only a bit and I agree with you, it has to be early. Also, when I see a character in a mirror, window reflection, lake or pool of water, or in a photo on Grandma's mantle, I will most likely stop reading.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and I like 'smarmy' too, good word for a car salesman... the only thing I like about buying a car is getting one over on them... it rarely happens, but it's lovely when it does... still, you know you only bought the damn thing for a little more than it's worth, rather than three times what you should have paid... ughhh...Merry Monteleonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09435956005780500310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-43147712667939654822008-01-02T18:49:00.000-06:002008-01-02T18:49:00.000-06:00I think car salesmen get everything they deserve!!...I think car salesmen get everything they deserve!! I'm sure there are some good ones out there..just like lawyers.<BR/><BR/>Love the advice on character development...I do like to know what a character looks like, personality..but do it briefly and no repetition please!! I'm with you...I form my own visuals and it's the #1 reason I hate to see a good book turned into a film...my visual never matches the actors that are chosen.Sherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08271529958269038071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-2562494431528043702008-01-02T18:32:00.000-06:002008-01-02T18:32:00.000-06:00LOL! Actually, I like the "freshly picked scab" i...LOL! Actually, I like the "freshly picked scab" image. I could see using that for a woman the reader is meant to hate. :D<BR/><BR/>Someone else whose blog I read is having similar buying problems, except he's looking for a new graphics card. I think you both make similar points, though, about how the people trying to sell you something should be trying to <I>sell</I> you the thing, and not confusing you or pissing you off. Check it out: http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=1477 Shamus is pretty funny, so even if you're not into graphics cards, you'll probably enjoy it. (I'll bet you have a toaster, so that'll work out.)<BR/><BR/>Re: the descriptions, yes, definitely agree -- early and minimal. Too many writers think they <I>have</I> to reel off hair color, eye color, height, build, and if it's a woman then the size of her boobs. [eyeroll] I can do without any of those things, if the writer chooses a few significant or telling details.<BR/><BR/>Another tip, especially for romance writers: Don't have your main character bemoaning some horribly ugly feature, which the reader sees is actually quite attractive. For example, more than once I've seen a heroine in a historical romance bewailing the fact that she has this grotesquely huge bosom, when willowy slenderness is "fashionable." And of course, the reader knows right away that the hero is going to be a breast man and have his eyes pop out of his head when he first sees her in a low-cut ballgown.<BR/><BR/>But seriously, it's like having a guy in a book moaning about how awful it is that his muscles bulge too much, or a character of either gender bewailing the fact that they're burdened with all these piles and piles of vulgar money, etc. It sounds like it's trying to be sly and clever, but it just makes me eyeroll.<BR/><BR/>AngieAngiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11920578701763415331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-75555365189359743192008-01-02T18:28:00.000-06:002008-01-02T18:28:00.000-06:00Thanks for sharing... I haven't ventured into fict...Thanks for sharing... I haven't ventured into fiction yet, but your post make me want to at least try to describe a character. I love the humor that you use in your writing. I always laugh out loud!<BR/><BR/>Have a Happy New Year!!!!Adriannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10939555463939641790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-41157400446939098772008-01-02T17:36:00.000-06:002008-01-02T17:36:00.000-06:00Isn't it funny how things we are thinking end up o...Isn't it funny how things we are thinking end up on someone else's blog? I turned in my column (for tomorrow's post at www.criminalbrief.com)this morning and now when I am reading your blog, I find we both used the same rather uncommonly used word. Good luck with the car chase. I'm hunting a new computer AND printer. Everything's dying at once. SIGH.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-25444409956091811682008-01-02T17:05:00.000-06:002008-01-02T17:05:00.000-06:00Freshly picked scab huh? ONly a fellow picker woul...Freshly picked scab huh? ONly a fellow picker would know how red that really is! <BR/><BR/>Good tips! I have to agree on the early character description. It always drives me crazy when I don't get any hint of a character til well into the book. <BR/><BR/>And good luck on the whole new car thing! That is a real pain in the booty!Ello - Ellen Ohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18311917335471167591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-12079163950148788382008-01-02T16:20:00.000-06:002008-01-02T16:20:00.000-06:00I would love to write something worth reading. I'v...I would love to write something worth reading. I've tried on various occasions to start several different "novels", only to get a few paragraphs or few pages done.<BR/><BR/>Good luck with buying the new car!!JMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05144019552337738621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-6725770476157036392008-01-02T16:02:00.000-06:002008-01-02T16:02:00.000-06:00As far as I can tell your advice is right on. Esp...As far as I can tell your advice is right on. Especially the early descriptions part.<BR/><BR/>We just bought a car. We tried a local dealer but they were such total asses that we went back to the one we usually buy from (about an hour away). Even at the place I like, I still don't like car salesman.<BR/>Too Smarmy. (love that word!) <BR/>Yep, the smarm-factor is off the charts.Mom In Scrubshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14763331231675950021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-74153137831355514672008-01-02T15:44:00.000-06:002008-01-02T15:44:00.000-06:00Travis I think this is great advice! I'm a relati...Travis I think this is great advice! I'm a relative newbie to writing, though.<BR/><BR/>I agree with you on descriptions. I think *some* description is good, but not down to every last detail.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the tips! And do what I did with the car. Buy it online. Go to the dealership only to pick it up. I test drove a friend's and knew I liked it. Worked like a charm.Monnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13998729112903749621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174721864572618040.post-57045786656519495382008-01-02T14:57:00.000-06:002008-01-02T14:57:00.000-06:00Very good advice! Thank you!!Good luck with the w...Very good advice! Thank you!!<BR/><BR/>Good luck with the whole car buying thing. I don't envy you!<BR/><BR/>Oh. And HAPPY 2008!!Jensterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15639970448069931471noreply@blogger.com