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maderrThe writing comm started up by friends, and which I sort of stalk, makes me want to chatter.
I am not an English Major, or anything even remotely related to writing. I have two BA's - in East Asian Studies and History, both with an emphasis on Japan (especially the Meiji period *.*). I took one creative writing - fiction class in college, and that at the urging of a good friend with whom I tried it. That class, and my last year of college, were what really made me want to be a writer -- and realize that maybe, just maybe, I could write.
So, I have no formal training. I am not, at the end of the day, qualified to bitch and moan and talk about pov, plot, structure, character development, etc. What I know, I have taught myself, learning by reading and writing and trying (and, of course, whining here and to my far too indulgent sisters and friends).
Still, I have always been a voracious reader. Books have always been part of what makes up the center of my world. I have and still do sacrifice food money to buy books. My mother has told me before that when I was too little to read, I'd pick up books and pretend I was reading. When I played alone, I told myself stories and occasionally acted them out (though usually I played with my siblings, man we had some good play pretend games). In school, we were drilled drilled drilled on writing. Especially in NC, and my siblings will attest to this -- NC takes it's damn writing/composition/whatever tests way too seriously. Maybe tsaiko knows differently, I don't know, but at least in my neck of the woods, we were beaten to death with the damn things.
Um, anyway. A lot was drilled into me, and I understood it better, I think, for all the reading I did -- and the wide variety. I read mostly bodice ripppers in those days, but I also read fantasy, horror, classics, man all kinds of stuff. One of the things I recall very clearly was never to use 'you'. This applied in both nonfiction and fiction writing. No essay, no story, nothing should ever employ 'you'. Sammie could better enunciate the precise and proper reasons for this, I only know it's jarring. The very first thing my creative writing teacher said was Never Use Second Person. It's awkward, hard to get into, and at least in my unqualified opinion annoying as hell. I don't want to know what I'm doing, it's more like reading a running list of instructions than a story.
First person is a bad idea most of the time, because most people just aren't up to it. Descriptions and everything get screwed up, not to mention the inconsistencies that often pop up with the 'voice' and some scenes just do not do well in first person. But, some people can manage it, and so it's a viable choice. I read somewhere once that n00bs find it more comfortable to write in, but more often than not n00b work written that way comes off a lot closer to mary sue voice than anything else. And I swear to god if I see one more person use the "I looked in the mirror and saw *insert dumbass description that no one would actually think*" I will drag him into the streets and beat the stupid out of him.
Third person omni is another insanely tricky one. Off the top of my head, I can only think of one series - The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - that actually does it well. I know there's another one, Sammie always mentions it, but currently I'm blanking. It's sort of fun, in it's own way, but hard to write I'm sure, if only so readers don't get horribly confused when the POV suddenly switches from one paragraph to the next. Like I said, if you want an awesome example, read Pink Carnation.
Obviously my bias is Third person limited. I think it's the most fun. I have used first person for parts of stories before -- Never Afraid Are We probably being the one people might think of -- but I would not say I'm good at it. So I seldom use it. My favorite, and the one I have found I like best is 3rd Limited. Most of the time it's the best choice, and allows for the best of all worlds.
I don't know. I hate second person. I think it'st a poor choice for POV, but I've seen it in "professional" works so I guess it's a growing trend. Personally, I laugh in contempt and swear off that story, if not that author, forevermore.
But, if I've learned anything tonight, it's only what I already knew -- I'm obnoxious, bitchy, too opionated, and eventually people would rather ignore me than deal with me. It's my own damn fault, and I'm not sorry for who I am, but sometimes it is frustrating. Oh, well.
My two cents. Second Person bad.
I am not an English Major, or anything even remotely related to writing. I have two BA's - in East Asian Studies and History, both with an emphasis on Japan (especially the Meiji period *.*). I took one creative writing - fiction class in college, and that at the urging of a good friend with whom I tried it. That class, and my last year of college, were what really made me want to be a writer -- and realize that maybe, just maybe, I could write.
So, I have no formal training. I am not, at the end of the day, qualified to bitch and moan and talk about pov, plot, structure, character development, etc. What I know, I have taught myself, learning by reading and writing and trying (and, of course, whining here and to my far too indulgent sisters and friends).
Still, I have always been a voracious reader. Books have always been part of what makes up the center of my world. I have and still do sacrifice food money to buy books. My mother has told me before that when I was too little to read, I'd pick up books and pretend I was reading. When I played alone, I told myself stories and occasionally acted them out (though usually I played with my siblings, man we had some good play pretend games). In school, we were drilled drilled drilled on writing. Especially in NC, and my siblings will attest to this -- NC takes it's damn writing/composition/whatever tests way too seriously. Maybe tsaiko knows differently, I don't know, but at least in my neck of the woods, we were beaten to death with the damn things.
Um, anyway. A lot was drilled into me, and I understood it better, I think, for all the reading I did -- and the wide variety. I read mostly bodice ripppers in those days, but I also read fantasy, horror, classics, man all kinds of stuff. One of the things I recall very clearly was never to use 'you'. This applied in both nonfiction and fiction writing. No essay, no story, nothing should ever employ 'you'. Sammie could better enunciate the precise and proper reasons for this, I only know it's jarring. The very first thing my creative writing teacher said was Never Use Second Person. It's awkward, hard to get into, and at least in my unqualified opinion annoying as hell. I don't want to know what I'm doing, it's more like reading a running list of instructions than a story.
First person is a bad idea most of the time, because most people just aren't up to it. Descriptions and everything get screwed up, not to mention the inconsistencies that often pop up with the 'voice' and some scenes just do not do well in first person. But, some people can manage it, and so it's a viable choice. I read somewhere once that n00bs find it more comfortable to write in, but more often than not n00b work written that way comes off a lot closer to mary sue voice than anything else. And I swear to god if I see one more person use the "I looked in the mirror and saw *insert dumbass description that no one would actually think*" I will drag him into the streets and beat the stupid out of him.
Third person omni is another insanely tricky one. Off the top of my head, I can only think of one series - The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - that actually does it well. I know there's another one, Sammie always mentions it, but currently I'm blanking. It's sort of fun, in it's own way, but hard to write I'm sure, if only so readers don't get horribly confused when the POV suddenly switches from one paragraph to the next. Like I said, if you want an awesome example, read Pink Carnation.
Obviously my bias is Third person limited. I think it's the most fun. I have used first person for parts of stories before -- Never Afraid Are We probably being the one people might think of -- but I would not say I'm good at it. So I seldom use it. My favorite, and the one I have found I like best is 3rd Limited. Most of the time it's the best choice, and allows for the best of all worlds.
I don't know. I hate second person. I think it'st a poor choice for POV, but I've seen it in "professional" works so I guess it's a growing trend. Personally, I laugh in contempt and swear off that story, if not that author, forevermore.
But, if I've learned anything tonight, it's only what I already knew -- I'm obnoxious, bitchy, too opionated, and eventually people would rather ignore me than deal with me. It's my own damn fault, and I'm not sorry for who I am, but sometimes it is frustrating. Oh, well.
My two cents. Second Person bad.
