9962 réponses à ce sujet

[hot_heart]

MrStoob wrote...
I found the usage of double hyphen in the ME subtitles just, well, wrong. Use a comma or use a semi colon as appropriate. Please!

Haha, yeah. Though I try not to turn into a Lynn Truss; that's a little overboard.

[MrStoob]

hot_heart wrote...

MrStoob wrote...
I found the usage of double hyphen in the ME subtitles just, well, wrong. Use a comma or use a semi colon as appropriate. Please!

Haha, yeah. Though I try not to turn into a Lynn Truss; that's a little overboard.

Haha.  I just mentioned that in our little discussion ^^

[Lilivati]

I've got a question I was hoping to pick the thread's brains about. I feel like I am way too dialogue-heavy in my writing style. However, whenever I try to write in a more paragraph-heavy or introspective fashion I feel like I'm just creating infodumps. Any recommendations on how to strike a happy medium? Every time I try, I seem to sink back into writing more dialogue. >_>

[MrStoob]

Lilivati wrote...

I've got a question I was hoping to pick the thread's brains about. I feel like I am way too dialogue-heavy in my writing style. However, whenever I try to write in a more paragraph-heavy or introspective fashion I feel like I'm just creating infodumps. Any recommendations on how to strike a happy medium? Every time I try, I seem to sink back into writing more dialogue. >_>

I presume you are not referring to desciptive narrative?

As a dialogue-centric writer, I can empathise greatly.  I suppose it's weaving the thoughts of the characters into the narrative.  Like, how did they feel about that thing that just happened?  Why did they say that?  How did they inwardly digest what the other just said?  And so on.  People don't generally lay their cards on the table and wear their heart on their sleave, so I find that those inward thoughts usually remain so, particularly with casual friendships.  Unless you are writing Dawson's Creek, which is a classic example of how people don't interact with each other.  

I suppose as an exercise for yourself, you could write a piece that features only one character.  That way, you have no choice but to narrate their inner thoughts.  It doesn't necessarily have to be them stuck on their own, but somewhere where they don't know anyone so conversations would be brief and for a specific purpose.  Just a thought anyway.

2 cents, thrown in.

Modifié par MrStoob, 19 novembre 2012 - 12:21 .

[hot_heart]

Well, firstly, I don't think it's a problem unless people are telling you it is. I've noticed a lot of fanfic writers (and, therefore, readers in general) like a lot of dialogue anyway. After all, most of the ME series' story is carried by the dialogue.

I'd have to look over your work to get an idea - and at a glance, I don't really see an issue - so, right now, I can only really offer general advice.

Personally, I always look at what needs to be said/presented and cut it down to the bare essentials. Then I look at how a character might be thinking and how they might express themselves. Some of it may be internal, known only to them (and then you choose whether to reveal that or not, depending on the perspective) and sometimes people just don't say everything they mean or miss out bits unintentionally.

That probably all sounds a bit trite though.

MrStoob wrote...
I suppose as an exercise for yourself, you could write a piece that features only one character.  That way, you have no choice but to narrate their inner thoughts.

And that creates the opposite problem where you struggle to fit in external description in an organic manner. Believe me, I know.

Modifié par hot_heart, 19 novembre 2012 - 12:33 .

[Ignis Mors]

I've done a lot of writing in my main fanfic, Meus Mundus, but it feels like what I've been doing is just stiff and unnatural. I was wondering what you all would suggest doing to help fix that. 

[Redbelle]

Ignis Mors wrote...

I've done a lot of writing in my main fanfic, Meus Mundus, but it feels like what I've been doing is just stiff and unnatural. I was wondering what you all would suggest doing to help fix that. 

First pick a scene.

Then put your manuscript in a drawer for two days.

In those two days write the scene again. Not word for word. Just let it flow and see what comes out.

Then after two days compare the two scene's and look at what works, what doens't work.

Chances are after a couple of days you'll be far enough removed from the original work to look at it from a readers persepctive instead of a writers perspective. Then you'll see if things were as bad as you first thought.

[hot_heart]

Redbelle wrote...
Then put your manuscript in a drawer for two days.

Let it 'mature in wood' as a writer once told me.

[Lilivati]

MrStoob wrote...
I suppose it's weaving the thoughts of the characters into the narrative.  Like, how did they feel about that thing that just happened?  Why did they say that?  How did they inwardly digest what the other just said?  And so on.  People don't generally lay their cards on the table and wear their heart on their sleave, so I find that those inward thoughts usually remain so, particularly with casual friendships.

 

Thank you.  This gives me something to work on a bit- my internal dialogue certainly could be improved.  The part I have coming up next will actually be great for that, I think.

hot_heart wrote...

Well, firstly, I don't think it's a problem unless people are telling you it is. I've noticed a lot of fanfic writers (and, therefore, readers in general) like a lot of dialogue anyway. After all, most of the ME series' story is carried by the dialogue.

I'd have to look over your work to get an idea - and at a glance, I don't really see an issue - so, right now, I can only really offer general advice.

Personally, I always look at what needs to be said/presented and cut it down to the bare essentials. Then I look at how a character might be thinking and how they might express themselves. Some of it may be internal, known only to them (and then you choose whether to reveal that or not, depending on the perspective) and sometimes people just don't say everything they mean or miss out bits unintentionally.

That probably all sounds a bit trite though. [smilie]http://social.bioware.com/images/forum/emoticons/tongue.png[/smilie]

It's true that nobody's told me it's a problem so maybe I'm overthinking it.  We're all our harshest critics etc etc.  I think you hit on the head with pointing out ME is carried by dialogue.  Maybe I tend towards that especially in this fic because that's how the source material is written.  

I think I may take some of yoru suggestions in reverse, i.e. start by looking at how a character is thinking and what they're doing before I write any of the dialogue.  That might help trim down the wordiness a bit.

Thanks! 

[hot_heart]

You're welcome!

Lilivati wrote...
I think you hit on the head with pointing out ME is carried by dialogue.  Maybe I tend towards that especially in this fic because that's how the source material is written.

Yeah, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I recall reading some of fainmaca's stuff and being a bit bothered by how much of it was a question-and-answer dynamic, and seeing 'explained' after so many bits of dialogue in a short space of time, but he was deliberately adhering to the style of the games so I couldn't really fault him there.

[MrStoob]

Indeed, I did intend to also say that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That said, I'd also say that if you're not 'satisfied' with what you're writing then there's nothing wrong with shaking it up a bit. I'm very light on descriptive narrative because I'm writing for an 'in the know' audience. Everyone knows what Liara looks like, the lay out of the Normandy, what Omega is like, who the Eclipse are, etc. so tend to leave that kind of stuff out. Hell, the only thing I've said about Verity Shepard is that she is blonde with short tufty hair lol. God help me if I ever expand into original material.

[Ignis Mors]

Thanks, I'll try that.

[MrStoob]

hot_heart wrote...

Redbelle wrote...
Then put your manuscript in a drawer for two days.

Let it 'mature in wood' as a writer once told me.

Like a fine Islay Scotch... ^^

[Ursakar]

My story just received it's 500th fav, WOOT! I guess now I just have to push myself harder and make sure I update before the end of this month.

[hot_heart]

Updating? What is this concept of which you speak?

(Congrats! That is a dizzying number)

Modifié par hot_heart, 19 novembre 2012 - 09:31 .

[Ursakar]

@hot_heart: Thanks!

Updating is a kind of sorcery I occasionally practice.

[Obsidian Gryphon]

Passing by to give this a bump.

[Lilivati]

Congrats Ursakar! That's amazing!

[MrStoob]

Well after all the PTSD stuff, I've managed to get it back to good old fluff. Yay! Silliness ahoy!

Just felt like sharing ^^

[Mr.BlazenGlazen]

Hey guys. Despite my life getting in the way of things I have updated Perspective with a new chapter.

Chapter 16: Beyond the flames

This one is quite literally the calm before the storm. Get ready for some....interesting things to happen in the next few chapters.

[MrStoob]

Query/opinion time:

As asari aren't technically women, would it be fair to say that even Estevan could see them as attractive and potential partners?

Edit: oh, and how did ME3 spell Estevan?  I know James says it with a 'b', but that's how the Spanish would pronounce it.  I found both spellings in my google searches but doubt the 'b' version as valid.

Has that kind of stuff been transcribed somewhere?  I don't play with the subtitles on as I find them offputting, only see them when looking a YT vids.

Modifié par MrStoob, 20 novembre 2012 - 11:01 .

[hot_heart]

As far as I recall, it was written as 'Esteban'

[MrStoob]

Am I getting myself mixed up that 'b' is pronounced as 'v' as opposed to the other way around? Possibly lol.

[hot_heart]

Dunno, wiki says 'Esteban' as well, if that helps.

As an aside, only just discovered this. It's lilli and Drussius all over again.

[MrStoob]

hot_heart wrote...

Dunno, wiki says 'Esteban' as well, if that helps.

As an aside, only just discovered this. It's lilli and Drussius all over again.

The thermal clip thing?  Yea, I picked up on that one.  I put a jokey scene into the ME2: Illium part of my fic with Conrad demanding his money back for 'faulty' weaponry.  ^^

Not sure what you mean with the lill / Druss thing though?   Dare I ask...?

Edit: actually there's a damn good point in the vid's comments.  Where the hell did the Gernsback crew get thermal clip weapons from?

Modifié par MrStoob, 20 novembre 2012 - 11:43 .