I finished...

[agilebrit]

jimbutcher's latest Harry Dresden novel, "White Night," yesterday.

Holy SHIT, y'all.

Someday, I aspire to write as well as that man does.

Comments

[bookishwench.livejournal.com]

He is really, really good. Yo.

You are on his friendslist, right?

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. He hasn't updated in a bit, though. Last thing I remember, he was doing writing tips, which were FABULOUS.

[mermaidrain.livejournal.com]

I'm SO glad you didn't post any spoilers because I'm still reading it! ;) He really is an AMAZING writer though. ;)

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

All I can say is: SIXTY SIX PAGES OF CLIMAX.

I can't even write sixty-six pages of story...

[mermaidrain.livejournal.com]

I know, right?! Almost all of his books are like that and they blow my mind. That's why I'm taking my time to read this one because I know once I get knee deep in it I won't be able to stop (and I've got other demands on my time at this very moment). But he does get better with time too. Go back and read "Storm Front" now and you'd see a RADICAL difference. We all go through a learning process. ;)

And did you read what he posted in his LJ a while back about "big swampy middles"? That bit really got me because I think that's where I struggle most.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Yup, I saw that, and knew immediately what he meant. Unfortunately, I tend to have "big swampy beginnings" where the first five pages is setup for the rest of the action, and I'm afraid I lose my audience (at least, the editor-audience) by doing that. And how I fix that, I don't know.

[mermaidrain.livejournal.com]

Start with the action. Explanation can always come later. Jim's books do that. Harry is almost always in some sort of trouble at the beginning of a story. It throws you right into the middle of things.

Listen to me, as if I'm an expert. Writing has no real formula after all.

Explanation is always a hard thing to pull off though. I think that was one of the things that first blew my mind about the first book in the Harry Potter series. The most brilliant way to introduce a "new world" is to throw a main character into it who knows nothing about it and you learn along with him. It doesn't have to be all at once, it's developed throughout the book.

I struggle with explanation sometimes too. It's an interesting connundrum: when to explain so your audience isn't lost, when not to explain so they're overwhelmed or bored. It's a fine line to walk.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

The Exposition Fairy is my sworn enemy. And I usually do start with some sort of action or argument, to grab the reader. It's after that little thing that I get bogged down.

And I'm not sure it actually helps to run it by my non-sci-fi savvy Hubby and (published) Mom. They're not exactly familiar with some of the tropes that people like us take for granted, and sometimes they're all "Buh?" And then I have to explain that it's part of the genre, kind of like red herrings in mysteries.

Yup. Tightrope.

[mermaidrain.livejournal.com]

I once read an article about exposition and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (writer of Sherlock Holmes). They basically said that Watson was the one writing the stories and they were VERY heavy (THICK with it, truth be told) with exposition. They said the VERY clever and brilliant Doyle knew that the trick was movement. Any time Watson needed to give a ton of exposition he would always be in a train or a carriage or something. And he would from time to time refer to his surroundings. It continues the action through the exposition, even if it isn't actual "action" within the framework of the story. It keeps things "moving" so to speak.

A prof in college in one of my writing workshops had us read this short story by Baharatee Mukerji (sp?) about a particularly awful Thanksgiving dinner with her very screwed up family. There was very little dialogue in the thing and very little action. It was almost all internal thoughts of the main character (and thus her exposition). He pointed out that the way this author got away with it was to "remember the bird in the window." Several times throughout the piece while she's reflecting or telling background story info on the family members, she keeps looking out the window at this bird and watching what it does. Again, the action isn't necessary to the story, but it helps to move the story along. And I think she was comparing that bird somehow to her family too so it wasn't totally extraneous.

With both of those things, the idea is virtually the same. You use some sort of external action interspersed through your exposition (I use the rule of at least every other paragraph, sometimes two paragraphs of exposition, but you've always gotta come back to the bird). And intersperse your exposition throughout your entire story, don't go into it all at once. Those are the best rules I've ever come across. ;)

[highlander_ii]

*does the dance of 'I'm way too obsessive and have read all the books at least twice'* :)

((and my pd time ran out, so I don't have my dresden-related icon anymore))

*love* Jim... want him to write Dresden faster... tho, from what I've read, you can already pre-order "Small Favor" on amazon ;)

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Well, between the Codex and Dresden, he's knocking out two books a year. Plus short stories. He's got a couple of "early Harry" stories up on his website, and they're fabulous.

[highlander_ii]

Oh, I know... I just haven't gotten into Alera yet... I plan to read it, just haven't yet.

I have read the short stories and the stuff up on the site. ;) I'm always paying attn to Butcher goodness ;)... and pimping the Dresden books every chance I get *g*

I just want more Harry! :)

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Well, once you've gotten into the Codex, you'll be wanting more Tavi! ;)

But, yeah. I want more Harry too. *ponders* I have eleven episodes of DF that I haven't seen yet, and ten of them are on this very puter... I just wish I didn't have to get up early and mow the lawn before it hits a hundred degrees.

[highlander_ii]

After hearing that he combined 'lost Roman legion' with 'Pokemon' to GET the story - yeah, I'm gonna read it. It's just a little 'heavier' prose-wise and slower to read (or at least get started). I have 'em all - just been REAL heavy into Dresden.

*gasp*

[mermaidrain.livejournal.com]

what are these "early Harry" stories you speak of?! HOW did I not know about them?!

Re: *gasp*

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

A job Harry had before he went out on his own.

How he came up with the business card.

Enjoy! I just found them today myownself.