Kim Possible :kimoji_fire:Today's writing tip, from a reader: your first sentence is crucial. You'd be surprised how many people decide whether to read on, from the first sentence alone.
Personally, I flip to somewhere near the middle to assess the writing quality and style, but most people don't do it that way, I think?
Anyway, it might be intriguing to find out what your favorite first sentences are, of any book you've read.
@bookstodon@a.gup.pe
The Sleight Doctor π
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@kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel." -- William Gibson, Neuromancer
Remains my favourite opening line of any book, because of how evocative it is of what's to come. That grey static on a cathode ray tube TV...who'd have thought of that as the backdrop for this cyberpunk city?
"What makes Iago evil? Some people ask. I never ask." -- Joan Didion, Play It as It Lays
I love a pithy opening sentence that perfectly sets the mood.
Alan Langford π¨π¦
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ζ@kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
Roger wasn't sure when it made the transition from a hypothesis to a belief, or when it went from a belief to faith. Whenever it was, he regretted it as deeply as any thought he'd ever had.
Chalk Outline Hieroglyph@kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
"The sky above the port was the color of television tuned to a dead station."
William Gibson, Neuromancer
Caiotekit Creations@kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities
Kim Possible :kimoji_fire:@alan@mindly.social @bookstodon@a.gup.pe very good beginning.
Paul_IPv6@Caiotekit@convo.casa @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
It was a german-worthy length of sentence. ;)
I do love Dickens but a lot of things about his writing made more sense when I learned he was paid by the word.
Do Not Open Until McSquankmas@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @Caiotekit@convo.casa @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe hahaha i asked an english prof, was this dude paid by the word, or what? and she said, exactly
Caiotekit Creations@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
I didnβt know that. No wonder it takes a while to really get into his books. π
I do love Dickens.
Paul_IPv6@Caiotekit@convo.casa @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
he published a lot of his works as monthly serials, which apparently were paid by the word. folks would subscribe and read them in the parlor out loud at night (probably so they didn't have to listen to Junior butchering piano/violin for yet another evening ;)).
the repetition at the beginning of chapters also makes more sense if you say "if you recall from last month's episode" in your head.
Alan Langford π¨π¦π§€π§ζ@kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe I tend to read the first page, then look for a dense passage somewhere in the middle. If the author can carry a paragraph that runs to two pages (how I wish I could!) then I'm interested. If it plods, or if there are none, then I need a bigger sample and will read some more random pages.
Paul_IPv6@mcsquank@mastodon.online @Caiotekit@convo.casa @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
ah, those moments when we see a bit of the other side of writing. :)
i was taking a full semester of just james joyce in college (ah, youth and enthusiasm...). we had gotten to ulysses and the professor was explaining how joyce would have a jar full of slips of paper with various motifs (birds, scatology, etc.) and as he started each new chapter, he'd grab a couple slips at random, then use those in the chapter. my opinion on joyce's use of motif definitely dropped a bit...
Third Foundation@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @Caiotekit@convo.casa @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
a novel (novella) in which Dickens wasn't paid by the word was A Christmas Carol.
it's the only one I'm able to read for fun.
Kim Possible :kimoji_fire:@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @mcsquank@mastodon.online @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe that's amazing. Like finding out how the sausage is made.
Paul_IPv6@kimlockhartga@beige.party @mcsquank@mastodon.online @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
it is. and like sausage, once you get past the shock, you can usually get back to just enjoying the sausage. ;)
skribe πΊπ¦
:verified_mustard:@alan@mindly.social @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe interesting technique. What do you do with authors that don't write long paragraphs? Mine are almost never longer than a page.
Paul_IPv6@rayckeith@techhub.social @Caiotekit@convo.casa @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
slight hijack of the discussion.
i do enjoy Dickens but i usually binge a few at a go because it takes me a bit of time to get my brain into the style of language/usage. similarly for chaucer or others, where spelling in english hadn't formalized yet.
do other folks have to "acclimate" to read some of these works?
Caiotekit Creations@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @rayckeith@techhub.social @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
Yeah. I do. Old English. Sometimes the meaning of the words are different from today.
Kim Possible :kimoji_fire:@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @rayckeith@techhub.social @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe same. All the classics are an adjustment for me.
Paul_IPv6@kimlockhartga@beige.party @rayckeith@techhub.social @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
changing societal mores also take me a bit to get back into. regency romances are definitely something i need to be in the mood for.
in high school, i got into a big argument with a teacher about modern audience reactions to previous periods in history. i got a low grade on a paper where i argued that Antigone's huge conflict and risking death to sprinkle dirt on her brother's body was something that a modern audience wouldn't immediately relate to, since burial/afterlife beliefs from ancient greece to the 20th century weren't tightly aligned. while i could intellectually understand Antigone's belief, i wouldn't have the same visceral emotional connection. my teacher felt that all human reactions were timeless and context didn't matter.
i also have to put on my "that was the time/period" hat on when reading Huck Finn and some stuff, like ER Burroughs i just can't read any more at all.
Alan Langford π¨π¦π§€π§ζ@skribe@aus.social @kimlockhartga@beige.party @bookstodon@a.gup.pe I will read more random samples in the book. The absence of dense prose isn't a show-stopper, but I admire those who can pull it off. Usually their shorter paragraphs are of similar calibre.
I dare say right now when I look at my own longer paragraphs there's a good chance that I'm rambling. I am not that good yet. Not by a significant margin. One day though, in my dreams...
Caiotekit Creations@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @kimlockhartga@beige.party @rayckeith@techhub.social @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
I get that. I canβt read R. F. Delderfieldβs, The Adventures of Ben Gunn because of his constant usage of the N word. And I just want to slap some of the women in these old novels for swooning over everything. I know times were different, but it can still be uncomfortable reading.
Kim Possible :kimoji_fire:@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @rayckeith@techhub.social @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe that was a salient insight. I can't believe your teacher didn't see what you were saying.
Caiotekit Creations@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @kimlockhartga@beige.party @rayckeith@techhub.social @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
I get that. I canβt read R. F. Delderfieldβs, The Adventures of Ben Gunn because of his constant usage of the N word. And I just want to slap some of the women in these old novels for swooning over everything. I know times were different, but it can still be uncomfortable reading.
Kim Possible :kimoji_fire:@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange @rayckeith@techhub.social @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe that was a salient insight. I can't believe your teacher didn't see what you were saying.
Paul_IPv6@kimlockhartga@beige.party @rayckeith@techhub.social @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
she was the AP english teacher for all the courses. we butted heads a number of times... ;)
Paul_IPv6@kimlockhartga@beige.party @rayckeith@techhub.social @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
she was the AP english teacher for all the courses. we butted heads a number of times... ;)
Paul_IPv6@kimlockhartga@beige.party @rayckeith@techhub.social @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
personally, one of the reasons i read a wide range of books is exactly because i have to try to understand the context, moral grid, societal expectations. it's most noticable in SF but i love soaking in a period of world history via a compelling story.
Paul_IPv6@kimlockhartga@beige.party @rayckeith@techhub.social @Caiotekit@convo.casa @bookstodon@a.gup.pe
personally, one of the reasons i read a wide range of books is exactly because i have to try to understand the context, moral grid, societal expectations. it's most noticable in SF but i love soaking in a period of world history via a compelling story.