Search options (Page 28 of 47)

This one writer has a place called the [E a r t h w o u n d] that's a fascinating collision of energies that kinda creeps up on the reader. Basically you have this bad place. And the story doesn't get into exact details about how it got there. But the characters respect it, which makes it terrifying.

I hear in Soviet Russia, Facebook delete you!

(All joking aside, does one ever delete a fb account? Or does it just go inactive and stay indefinitely so shady companies can harvest the data?)

I didn't gather that's what  they meant... but I don't think I need to this early in the story - not without it dominating the chapter to the point of distraction. "The Edge" is enough for now that I get a feeling it's not a place anyone wants to be.

Divine Treachery

To add to what Vern said, yes review lots... but realize that 90% of your current reviews are on members who haven't issued reviews in several months. You're only going to collect ROI on 10% of your efforts at that rate.

I thought the son did an ok treatment of Butlerian Jihad... but I still think Chapterhouse was heads and above the best of any in the series.

I have Hunters here unread tho. I read page 1, put it down and never came back. Erk

If it doesn't suit the story and it also doesn't suit the character, it must be banished

Take their families. If you're serious about forcing concessions from them, that is. All you need is a niece or a nephew to gain the cooperation of a 7th brother who doesn't overly like Lupus. Okay... that's a bit too hardcore for Apollo but he's in the tank of sharks

I may have missed it, but what is the motivation for Dr Francis to evoke so much chaos?

Can't really out-cray the cray.

They're so much better at it, and they're usually holding back

heh

Yep... Sorry, I meant "a few words trickled into the action". Too many, and all that yummy tension will leak out. I'd say max 1 sentence of backdrop per sentence of tension. Spend a paragraph explaining backdrop and readers will leak away. It's safe to do once you've engaged them (maybe in a chapter 3 or a 4).

You have the tension in/about the right place as is... I'm just saying you skipped that nice moment of dread where the character has been summoned to the principal's office.

I believe I'm hinting that yes, the Amazon Forum wields unfair power. I've heard figures thrown out that Amazon controls anywhere from 50 to 80% of the eBook market. Given those kinds of numbers, I'm more than willing to eavesdrop on their forums and learn what they hate in droves with the goal of sanitizing my writing to their specifications.

Is this approach unnecessary pandering to the reader? Is it allowing Gen AutoCrit to win? Probably. On the other hand, I'm only losing a few words I didn't care about. Having gone through all my work and removed the word "pad", I find my stories unharmed. I feel like I made a picture, and the market is squabbling about what frame to put it in. If they'll only buy it with a golden frame, fine, here's a golden frame for you.

I don't foresee myself hunting down every use of "roar". Not sure why. Well... tedium is one factor. I know for sure I haven't applied it to cheetahs, so I think I can sneak under the radar on that. I think such a quest would result in oversterilization. There's only so much reader-service I can deliver.

Hmm... Charles Dickens spoke of the waters of Niagara as a roar. Not sure he meant feline noises, and equally unsure I can prove he was any good at his craft.

Just to keep the wheels spinning, what of the verb "padded" and in "Bob padded to the kitchen sink". Amazon forums will tell you it's a no-no, and "padded" only applies to creature with paws. Would you allow padded to be applied to humans?