
In this short post, let me simply make an observation and let you chew on it a while. I'm currently re-reading a novel by one of my favorite authors, the late Ross Thomas. This one is Briarpatch. It won the Edgar Award of the Mystery Writers of America, an honor that I think was richly deserved. I just read the introduction to a chapter in which Thomas uses omniscient voice to give a page and a half of explanation--the history of the city to which his protagonist is summoned when his sister is blown up by a car bomb. Then Thomas picks up in third person and moves on. He does it smoothly. He held my attention with all the "telling." In other words, he broke a couple of rules and did it with such good writing that the story proceeded smoothly. I don't plan to set out to deliberately break "rules," but if I could write as well as Ross Thomas, I'll bet I could get away with it.
Okay, back to work--and maybe a little writing later today.
1 comment:
Perhaps we can accomplish writing and working full time, but something suffers. In my case it's probably my writing.
I like your blog. I almost commented on your use of "spice things up" in your post on cliches, but ... it appears you're hopeless.
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