Joseph Palmer <jpalmer@best.com> wrote:

Hmmm, This has been one of the few threads about general
writing practice, I for one hope to see more discussion.

I for one would rather see more C&C on specific stories.

While talking about writing in the abstract certainly has its place, the
amount of good it can do is limited. It's all well and good to say that
a story should have a really dynamic, compelling opening; but that
doesn't help an author who *has* written an opening and is wondering how
compelling it really is.

I think it would be a great thread to go through a few
opening pararaphs from fanfics and really look closely
at them. To pick out what works, and why, and what does
not work, and why. 

Great idea. But let's not work with an example that's three years old
and has already been gone over plenty of times. There are fanfics posted
to this list nearly every day. How about going through and analyzing
some of *them?* That is, after all, the reason that the authors post
them here.

(Sorry if this is a rant, but I thought it needed to be said.)


Gary Kleppe
http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics