Thursday, July 05, 2007

Interview

The always-charming Winnie Griggs has posted an interview with me in her Spotlight feature, here.

I read a book this week that really annoyed me. The author was clearly working way too hard to use poetic prose and had a bad case of "metaphor addiction." When the word "like" is in every paragraph, the story itself gets lost, and that is author intrusion to me. It was jarring and threw me out of the book several times. I read as an author -- it's a switch that can't be toggled to OFF once it flips on -- and find examples of what NOT to do as often as I find examples of what TO do these days. Since I am a rank beginner at this storytelling gig, I am constantly seeking to find ways to make each book better than the one before. Frankly, I hope I never lose that.

In sad news of the arts, a classical flutist was arrested in Philadelphia for playing in the streets. PHILADELPHIA, which was at the heart of our early attempts at escaping oppression, is arresting musicians for expressing their souls through their art. Seems like maybe we should consider moving the Liberty Bell.

4 comments:

Stacy L. said...

Sorry you had a disappointing read. I have recently read a book like that too and it made it really hard for me to get into the book. It was VERY frustrating.

Oh, and I like the hair. It will make you easy to spot!

Stacy

RandomRanter said...

Well, I am sorry to hear the author switch doesn't go away. (Although I had suspicions.) I'm not an author right now, but I have been doing a lot of reading and such about story crafting which is why I came out of "Live Free or Die Hard" going yes - see that line about the GPS was planted so that it wouldn't seem so forced later...

Darla said...

Great interview!

I hate not finishing a book...even if I don't like it, but I read one the other day that I just couldn't do it, and it still kind of bugs me.

I read your story in Wild thing, finished it just this morning. Loved it. I love watching the progression of them falling in love. First its indigestion and then its I'll protect her with everything I am. You did a wonderful job with this short story! I look forward to the next in the series.

Alyssa Day said...

I haven't seen LF or DH yet, can't wait!! Watched the original Die Hard the other day. Too funny!

Darla, thank you so much for the nice words about Wild Thing. I loved Kat and Bastien and wished I'd had an entire book for them. You'll see more of them in Shifter's Lady, the novella I'm writing right now about Ethan.