Mike's Writing Style Pole

[Mike Pennington]

I have another hobby beside messing with boats, I like to write. One of the projects I am working on is getting real close to being a complete draft. One critic gave me a nice review, with only one thing I needed to work on, she said their was to much sailing. I was flabbergasted, almost hurt, my ego trodden in the mud.

Never mind that she said grammar, spelling and all that was good , and that I pretty much had it covered. I just think she is the nicest, sweetest editor I ever met! :oops:

But I stand humbled, I couldn

[ken connors]

youre preaching to the choir. of course wed all soak up the sailing stuff, but we're a distinct minority. id listen to the editor if you want to appeal to the masses. (what chapter am i mentioned in :?: )

[capt jake]

So what do you think, would you like to read a novel with sailing a spiffy schooner intertwined with a mystery adventure?

Oh my... Capt Jake capsizes in the garage??? :shock: LOL LOL

Now we have a thread that will ever die.

[Mike Pennington]

Was it Mark Twain who said he had come up with a way to immortalize villains or scoundrels who caused him to lift his eye brow in irritation? I have to admit coming up with names for bad guys can be interesting. Characterization can be a fun path to slander ---- opps! I mean paint a colorful figure.

:roll:

[tomstock]

It's YOUR story, not the editor's. Selling out to the mainstream is like painting all of your walls white in your house. Lots of people do it because It's safe and guaranteed not to be questioned by anyone.... but they will also never be noticed for more than what they are (just a boring white wall). What fun is that? Great things happen when one dares to be different.

-tom

[Paul J]

To much sailing huh. Well just my opinion would be to review what sailing you have in the story and determine how integral to the plot line it is. If it is important then keep it in. But if it is just a back drop then maybe some of it could be trimmed down. Some people don't understand boating in general and get very bored with it very quickly.

But there is a fine line here of keeping enough content so anyone who knows boating knows you know what you are talking about and those who don't know get a little education but not enough to lose their attention. In the end it is up to you to decide what is too much and what is too little.

Good luck and have fun.

[Mark Gudschinsky]

Well I believe all of the previous comments are well said and make good points. It does seem to me though that we would be able to be offer a clearer insight with a bit more information. I for one think you should send us all a free copy of your draft so that we might a make more learned review of the work.

[Craig]

I would say follow the first rule of writing or speaking. Tailor it for the audience. It is rare the speach or book with universal appeal.

[Frank Hagan]

This reminds of one of my favorite authors (well, for his earlier works), Tom Clancy.

He created a new genre with the techno-spy book. Lots and lots of geeky details about submarines in the "Hunt for Red October". Long descriptions of celestial navigation too. And he had a lot of the same criticisms from editors. After publication, he actually had a congressman ask him where he found out about the fictional screw drive the Russians were testing in his book ....

Another author is detailed descriptions is Michner ... I think one of his books had 6 pages on a single sunset. That's a lot of detail about a sunset, don't you think?

I think if its well done, people will be interested in it. If the sailing stuff advances the story, and lets the reader in on the mistake later as its being made, then it can be a way to help create tension and suspense.

On the other hand, there are a lot more books out there which didn't "sell out" but are never sold than there are Best Sellers!

[Mike Pennington]

Good advice guys,

Ken, The first time I need a name for a good guy in my next storey your name is immortializred.

Jake :wink:

I been working on this one for two years. My thought was that it was hard to find a good fiction book with sailing in it. Well one I haven't read. I like what Tom said, and it is an attitude I try to live by. I think I have wrote some thing different than whats on the market today. 8)

Paul, you got a real good point, I may get rid of a few paragraphs with what you said kept in mind. I have been very careful about keeping my facts straight because I dodn't want someone to come along and say that fool doesn't know what he is writing about. At the same time I wanted the book to be able to teach a small amount of sailing lore to the public and not sound like a text book.

My scanner is broke so I can't post a pick of the old gaff schooner I based the book on. I used to have a pic converted to jpg in Frank's shoe box I think it's gone now.

I got to go with what Craig says because I want to sell this book and maybe a sequel. Writing is a balancing act for sure, so at the risk of selling out, I am going to do a little trimming. I got to keep my readers attention.

Mark, I got no problem with you or Doreen reading my book, but only if you use a marker to point out any errors I missed. Some times I use the wrong word or leave one out, but that can be a lot of work. Otherwise you'll have to wait to see if Mike's dream comes true and by one of the copies that I donate to Frank's Book Store. :oops:

As Paul once pointed out a couple of years ago, I can't spell. Thank God for Word Perfect.

Gee for a second there I almost thought you had read my book, Frank. :wink:

I'll be off the internet for awhile after this Monday, I got to go in for some more surgery. This one will help me stay around to bug you guys a bit longer. One of those quality of life issues, and I can stop playing Russian roulette. Thank God it's only my gut giving out and not my A___! If I am real lucky I won't get the bag. Yeah! I'm a bit worried, my mouth is running thats a sure sign.

Looking back to when I began this post, I must have been getting soft, revealing my novel, I guess I got a lot of things on my mind. A week from now when I make a post and you wonder what the heck I am talking about, just know that I probably took one Mepergan to many :roll:

You folks have a nice week, and thanks for the encouragement with my writing.

Great things happen when one dares to be different.

Man, I really like that one!

[Mike Kelley]

I know I dont post very often, but I read everyones post,living vicariously through others . I will be praying for you, cap't Ahab!

Mike

[Craig]

Good luck my friend. God be with you.

[capt jake]

Yes, good luck and a speedy recovery!

Can't wait to read this book!

[Dave Ruedel]

Best of luck with you surgery, Mike. Certainly keep you in our prayers.

As to your book, look at the great discriptions Alister MacClaine had in all of his - in "Convoy to Murmansk" and "Bear Island" you could actually shiver from the cold reading on a summer day. How about Melville? Two pages on chowders, whole chapters on tools!! Or Tolkien, pages of minutea, broken story lines, way too long, etc, etc. Write it the way you want, and let the readers decide.