Re: Story woes -- The Lonely Canadian Writer

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Date Posted: 11:38:22 05/22/08 Thu GMT-5
Author: Liz
Author Host/IP: edtntnt4-port-130.dial.telus.net / 161.184.182.130
Subject: Re: Story woes
In reply to: Lori 's message, "Re: Story woes" on 22:23:52 05/21/08 Wed GMT-5

Lori: I AM saying that there is some dialogue between the characters and then I summarize the gist of part of it and then I return to actual dialogue. My editor self is suggesting that this may be a fatal flaw and that I need to improve this area. My initial idea in presenting it this way was about the main character and how he drifted into his own version of what is actually happening, rather than being fully present in the moment. But this may not be the best reader clue that I could provide.
Oh, well. Thanks for your comments.
Onward
Liz

>Hey, Liz:
>
>Good for you, that's what I've been doing today, too,
>revisiting. Easier said than done, often.
>
>Without actually seeing an example of this, I find it
>a little hard to picture (that's probably me). Are you
>saying that the characters are having some dialogue
>and then you do some summary and then back to
>dialogue? I think that's fairly common. I think I've
>seen it done sucessfully with the inddented dash
>instead of quotation mark system that Irish authors
>like Joyce, Edna O'Brien and Roddy Doyle use.
>
> - You know, this stuff.
> And then she said something else that didn't
>really matter. I didn't even hear it, really.
> - Hey, are you guys still listening?
>
>I am getting that right?
>
>Best,
>
>Lori
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>I've been editing one of my stories - written quite a
>>while ago. Tip #1 - leave it until you can approach
>>it as a reader, done.
>>In this story I have a couple of conversations that I
>>use quotes and are present time but then I have a
>>capsulating paragraph within the scene. eg. Then she
>>tells me something that I would never have thought of,
>>how suddenly she finds herself under a miscroscope
>>from everyone....
>>I bring it back to real time with a transitionary
>>sentence and continue with quote unquote dialogue.
>>Any well read writers out there who can say 'that's
>>just like the writing of...???' I feel like I'm
>>breaking some dialogue rules here but I'm not
>>convinced I can tell the story better with he said,
>>she said on everything.
>>The story is written deeply first person masculine.
>>Confessional in tone even.
>>Any and all suggestions or comments welcome.
>>Liz

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Replies:

Re: Story woes -- Roger, 12:19:33 05/22/08 Thu GMT-5
- Re: Story woes -- Lori (scratching head), 13:40:33 05/22/08 Thu GMT-5