tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878752953637981313.post5638685516177055015..comments2023-10-15T03:16:44.927-06:00Comments on Suspense Novelist: The Delight is in the DetailsPeg Brantleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04906858123466177508noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878752953637981313.post-32525833481695378882009-12-16T07:52:03.275-07:002009-12-16T07:52:03.275-07:00Those can be real "skimmers" for me as w...Those can be real "skimmers" for me as well, Lee. I think the trick is to keep 'em few and keep 'em short. VERY few and VERY short.<br /><br />One of the reasons I can't read a Tom Clancy novel. Too much detail! Ugh.Peg Brantleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04906858123466177508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878752953637981313.post-20487360768076509752009-12-15T22:53:09.348-07:002009-12-15T22:53:09.348-07:00As a reader, I have to say that sometimes I like d...As a reader, I have to say that sometimes I like details, and sometimes I tend to skim over passages to get "back to the story." I think at times the author may get carried away with some topic they find interesting, but the plot itself was more what I wanted to move on with. <br /><br />As a new author, I'm trying to learn that balance. At the moment I'm taking a sabbatical from my own edits in order to read a couple writing books and more books with elements from my current WIP. I don't generally read a lot from those genres and I thought it might help give me a better feel for pacing and the appropriate amount of technical details to include.Margaret Metzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12070144752258476825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878752953637981313.post-16323814608271132822009-12-15T19:46:25.947-07:002009-12-15T19:46:25.947-07:00Jill, I love factoids. They lend credibility to ev...Jill, I love factoids. They lend credibility to everything else . . . as long as the factoids are right.<br /><br />I have found I tend to bore easily. Am I a product of my generation, or am I getting too old to waste time with the whatever I consider to be mundane? <br /><br />Information dumps are story killers, either way.<br /><br />Sheila, I finished BREATHLESS this afternoon and have to say I LOVE the way Koontz explores the possibilities. The way he makes us think beyond the world as we know it. I'm guessing BREATHLESS won't be critically acclaimed, but bits of Koontz's faith shines through. Always intriguing to see.Peg Brantleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04906858123466177508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878752953637981313.post-24531458833094259982009-12-14T20:54:09.260-07:002009-12-14T20:54:09.260-07:00As a writer I'd like to believe I've found...As a writer I'd like to believe I've found the balance, and as a reader, I really value it. Breathless sounds good. Thanks.Sheila Deethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13465615546936319164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878752953637981313.post-13549900506429938072009-12-14T20:44:53.083-07:002009-12-14T20:44:53.083-07:00I like the way you've termed it a "realit...I like the way you've termed it a "reality stamp". Yes, as a reader, I have gleaned little bits of trivia about this and those tidbits about topics outside my usual purview makes it an enjoyable read.<br /><br />As a writer, I am still working on the balance ebtween information dump and reality stamp.<br /><br />I think the reality stamp is in some of the seemingly innocuous details. In "Bad Date" by Liz Brady, the corpse is found outside in a yard (don't worry - I am not spoiling the story here) and the author describes the body without getting into gory detail, but she does mention an insect on the corpse's face. That particular detail was almoost chlling, I remember thinking that once could only write this if one had actually seen it.<br /><br />All in all, the little factoids of reality keep me hooked and draw me further into the story.<br /><br />Cheers, Jill<br />www.jilledmondson.comJillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05152599507268946811noreply@blogger.com