Then I went back to Sublimation after 160 some odd pages of R.6 and
performed the obligatory grammar check. Word informed me that I had a
measly 5.3 grade level average reading level in the story, with a miniscule
2.3 sentences per paragraph rating.
Forget the RL. You and I both know that, when you have dialoge, the
reading level drops like a rock. Since I graduated from high school, I've
only written one thing that reflected my grade level in RL terms. It was
an essay that was close to incomprehensible due to a plethora of 3-dollar
words.
--
The reading level serves as a secondary indication of how much you are
putting into your descriptive wording outside of the dialog. Possibly more
so in quantity than in quality. The RL of Sublimation at the end of chapter
one is at 6.2, simply indicating that there is more to the story than dialog
and thought as was primarily the case at the beginning.
How much dialogue was there? Word takes the averages (senmtences per
paragraph, words per sentences, letters per word) and uses them to
quantify RL.
Just because the words are bigger doesn't mean they're better.
--
There was a decrease in the amount of dialog proportional to the increase in
prose dedicated to describing a scene's emotional content. It was almost
entirely emotional description and thought. The paragraphs became roughly
eight times the size of what I normally put out, and I have one particular
MONSTER near the end that takes up over half of the viewing window at a font
size of 10 and a screen resolution of 1024 x 800. That being a paragraph
that I went to the total extreme in with regards to symbolism and metaphors.
--
My first story (before Music-Box Angel) was a conscious attempt at writing
in a 19th century "Translated Jules Verne" style. I'd start out doing
fine with it, but because it's not how I write naturally, my words would
shrink and my terminology would become more 20th century. I had to take
an insane number of breaks to read Verne in order to keep up the style.
But, you know what? It wasn't better writing.
My most natural writing came in episodes 2, 3 and 4 or Music-Box Angel,
which is some of the best stuff I've *ever* written. RL? A pithy 4.6. I
rarely do grammar checks anymore (I've memorized most of the rules, and,
after taking an advanced grammar course in college, realized that grammar
is almost never really "incorrect."), because the RL rating would get me
down.
--
The odd thing is that this comes more naturally to me than the original
"Dialog. Thought. Say who is talking. Dialog." Gig that I've pretty much
stuck to for three years because I don't have to think of every word as a
juncture to the next bit of dialog. I am free to explore one particular
idea or concept as long as I want to, and bring it to closure with a simple
carraige return and an indention.
You know, this is damn-near crazy. I'm getting great C&C on a fic that
nobody has read. I'll try to get chapter one totally finished and out the
door in a few days to see if the real deal is just as good. Keep up the
good work. I'll try to deliver on my end ASAP.
For now, though, I ask this thread to die. Not because it has begun to
degenerate or anything like that, but because the crossposting deal was a
nightmare for me and I think Matt's comments pretty much cover the topic.
Draxonx@bellsouth.net