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Writing Styles: First vs. Third Person Narration

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Offline Nutmeg

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Re: Writing Styles: First vs. Third Person Narration
« Reply #15 on: March 08, 2024, 01:36:09 PM »
I think you are missing the point of the advice. It isn't to get rid of all detail it is to learn economy of language and figure out what details you need or can have and not bog down a story.

Which I think is quite crucial in this genre which is essentially "action scene with erotic elements" Through years of cyber I have seen people who are boring because they have no detail and people who are boring because they have too much detail or focusing on the wrong areas to detail.

A lot of people seem to put way too much detail into their writing so the idea is to get down to what you need with details and then you have room to add personal preferences. One of my favorite writers sure does like bringing up clothing choices for characters in his writing. It is a detail he likes and it isn't one of a million other random thing so sure. Maybe he really is into fashion.

So to use your metaphor certainly color it in, but also don't color it like a five year old using every crayon in the box just because they can and no sense of what they are coloring.


Just had to add this on the Lonsdale advice.
It is true, I think, when you are writing exposition you really do need to cut out unnecessary clutter. Think "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

HOWEVER
When writing a fight. You want to add details. If you cut out unnecessary details you end up with a list:
A punches B
B punches A
B pulls A's hair.

I tend to start out with the list (the Choreography as I think of it) and then you add details which make it mote vivid (I call this bit Colouring it in). I think Joe’s advice is excellent apart from this particular genre.
Now reading: The Condor Years by John Dinges and also reading Christopher Priest's Deathstroke run

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Offline rin753

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Re: Writing Styles: First vs. Third Person Narration
« Reply #16 on: March 08, 2024, 05:52:45 PM »
[. I would love to devote an entire post on writing fight scenes.

Oh please do!!!! The main reason that I don't write more stories, (even though they seem to be pretty popular), is that I hate writing fight scenes.  The setups come so easily for me and then the action (the real reason everyone is reading, anyway) is like pulling teeth. 

I will labor and sweat and craft a paragraph of action until I think it is perfect and then realize the whole thing  described about 8 seconds of action.  I have to do that again?  And again? And again?  Yikes!    I think I'll go walk the dog.

Rich

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Offline FyreCracka

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Re: Writing Styles: First vs. Third Person Narration
« Reply #17 on: March 08, 2024, 08:00:06 PM »
[. I would love to devote an entire post on writing fight scenes.

Oh please do!!!! The main reason that I don't write more stories, (even though they seem to be pretty popular), is that I hate writing fight scenes.  The setups come so easily for me and then the action (the real reason everyone is reading, anyway) is like pulling teeth. 

I will labor and sweat and craft a paragraph of action until I think it is perfect and then realize the whole thing  described about 8 seconds of action.  I have to do that again?  And again? And again?  Yikes!    I think I'll go walk the dog.

Rich

  I think the fight scenes are by far the hardest part. I'd like to think that I've gotten better at them now, but I usually still have my husband craft the "outline" around the "spots" I want to see in them. I can probably add a little bit more to a discussion on that topic than the more "technical" writing topics... I mostly read these since this is where I need the work. :)
Fyre: a 5' 5 1/2", 130lbs, 39 years old, blonde hair and brown eyed brawler.

If you're interested in being in a story feel free to contact us.

We are now on Trillian: Fyrecracka

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Offline MikeHales67

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Re: Writing Styles: First vs. Third Person Narration
« Reply #18 on: March 09, 2024, 11:23:35 AM »
Can I just say your method works really, really well.
Consciously Imcompetant.