Libby Drew

Thanks, corvus. I knew that story was going to hurt when I started it, but I couldn't envision it ending any other way. I agree about the literary ending, especially in longer works. It does hold a special appeal, and while some other types of endings may be more "dramatic", as a reader (not a writer, necessarily) I find literary endings more satisfying. This, I think, circles back to why we write. Is it always purely to entertain others? Is giving the reader the most satisfying ending most important? Because I do believe a story can have more than one workable ending -- and which one the author chooses is sometimes a reflection of what the he/she thinks the reader wants. I've certainly done that. And no worries, dear. People here are reading your stories.

"A novel is like a symphony in that its closing movement echoes and resounds with all that has gone before.

Thanks, Steve. I really appreciate your feedback. In my opinion, one of the best outcomes any writer can hope for is to leave their readers thinking. I'm flattered the story stuck with you, even for the reason you mentioned, which I'll get to in a moment. I'm not visually impaired (apart from being a bit nearsighted). Thanks for letting me know the setting and narrative worked. Writing from Thomas's POV was far more challenging than I thought it would be. It was difficult remembering that, in essence, I was blind too. I can't tell you how many comments I got from my beta readers along these lines: "Thomas wouldn't be able see the dent in the box. Rewrite." or "How is Thomas going to know Oscar's cardigan is unbuttoned? Rewrite." :wacko: It definitely kept me on my toes. How coincidental that your concerns centered around how and when the story ended. While on holiday, I've been drafting a post for my blog, which I may cross post to the forums here, on story endings

Thank you so much, Altimexis! You're one of the first individuals I met here at GA, and your opinion holds a special place in my heart. I'm so happy you enjoyed the story. Thanks again.

Thanks, covus! And hurray for concrit! I'm no fragile snowflake, so I hope you and others will never hesitate to offer their honest feedback of any of my stories. As for Seth's "aura", it was definitely a plot point that could have used some fleshing out. I acually would have loved some more time to work on this fic, but life intervened. I should stop complaining and be happy for the few free days I got to work on it. The phenomenon of Seth's aura was unusual enough that, in retrospect, should have either been used more fully, or dropped all together. Personally, I would love to keep it and explore it in more detail. Thanks again for reading and commenting. I can't wait to read the Anthology for myself.

Thanks, corvus! I'm having a great time. Even for those of us -- like me (mostly) -- who consider their writing no more than a pleasurable pasttime, this move to "e-media" will have some affect. Eventually, I think it's inevitable. I'd like to think there's good and bad there. On the good, we'll see the genre of fiction we love get more exposure. And to that end, more respect. On the bad, I've already seen some of the internet authors I've followed for years succumb to the lure of online publishing -- the kind that requires their readers to pay in order to read their fiction. Granted, it's not a huge dollar amount, nothing like buying a print book, but I suppose after so many years of enjoying quality fiction online for free (so much of which is better than anything I could pick up and Barnes and Noble, for example) it's a little sad. Though, of course, I'm happy they've found the success they've been seeking. As for feeling threatened, I'm sure there's some truth to that. After all, whenever any established industry feels its market being eroded, it's not going to be happy. I don't think there's any stopping it, though. I suppose they'll adapt or sink.

Thank you for this post! I always tell my betas that by the time they're through, the story is really more theirs than mine. When I consider all the brainstorming, plotting, and copy-editing they do for me, there's quite a bit of truth to that. It's a group effort, that's for sure. I'm glad you posted about this. After reading it, I checked my anthology story and the short thank-you note to my betas isn't there. Not a big deal -- I'm sure with the push to get everything online it just got temporarily overlooked. I'll work on getting it fixed when I get home. Again, thanks for the reminder that our editors are an integral part of the writing process.

I've heard the same. What's amusing, I think, is that so much genre fiction (romance, in particular) thrives on many of these. Not preachiness perhaps, but cliches certainly. I've found much of being a writer these days is doing what works for you. It's all about developing your style and remembering that the rules don't always apply.

I've done this to break up cases of writer's block and to get the creative juices flowing. But I'll admit, it takes all my will power not to go back and edit, edit, edit when it's all said and done. I've found the more quickly I write, the more time I spend re-writing. Not exactly "flash fiction". I'll be sure to read Rose's flash fiction, now that I know it's there.

This is so true, Michael. I've noticed this trend in the slash section of fandom, where the majority (the large majority) of readers of slash (gay) fiction are heterosexual women. Other countries have noticed this and have responded. Japan, in particular. I'd also like to mention a favourite television program of mine -- Torchwood. Every single character (of the main five) is bisexual, to which the producers love to demonstrate. It has a huge following. Though that might have something to do with John Barrowman. This subject matter is not the "taboo" it used to be. Quite the opposite, in fact. A definite step in the right direction.

This is only the second time I've turned on my computer since I went on vacation, so my promise to stay unplugged is still mostly intact. But I met up with an old friend on the beach, a writer, and we got to discussing a recent article in Publisher's Weekly: Publishing Trends in 2008. I've listed them below for your perusal, but the crux of our conversation was how publishers are beginning to court the so-called "niche markets" readers, and what that means for gay fiction writers. He seemed to believe the time had come for the mainstreaming of gay fiction. The argument of what constitutes mainstream fiction aside, it's encouraging news, don

I love third person simply because it takes the writer (the "I") out of the writing which places the emphasis on what is being said rather than who is saying it. It creates a sense of more objectivity and distance

It made perfect sense. Yep, those are wonderful tools. I like to use dialog to get information to the reader, that's my favorite of those you've mentioned. My problem -- as least my beta readers tell me -- is that I can be so focused on avoiding too much exposition, that I don't give enough. And that can be just as bad. Some mystery is good, but you don't want readers guessing at so much that they (a) get confused or ( make the wrong assumption about something/someone. It's a balance, and I always struggle with it.

There's a craft to it, don't you think? I know some people who can mete out the back story so skillfully, you never notice it. Like you, I will sometimes skip over lengthy exposition, even though I suspect I might be missing something.

Congratulations, Krista!

A funny coincidence. In a review I left for corvus a few days ago, I told him I thought he did a wonderful job avoiding an information dump on his new story Mike and Winston. Then this morning, I wake up to the following discussion post on one of my writing groups. I thought it might be a worthy discussion here. I'm curious about everybody else's writing style. Do you like to read or write lengthy descriptions, and what makes them entertaining rather than info overload for you? How do you decide how much information is too much?

Congratulations!

That is most excellet news. Thank you for letting me know.

I've been there. And there's nothing that says I won't be there again in the future. What works for you, keeps you writing, is what matters most. I've been coveting EW, actually (the summary really pushes my buttons), and I look forward to reading it when it's complete. Best of luck.

It can take forever. Part of the reward for sticking by a longer story, even when something else stirs my interest in the interim, is knowing that I'll be able to post it regularly and (effectively) stress free once it's complete. Writing short stories here and there pulls me out of a rut and provides some immediate satisfaction, since they can be posted independantly whenever I choose.

Having been burned more than once by stories that were never finished, I tend to only read completed stories or stories that I know are complete, even if they're serialized. There's no pain like becoming emotionally invested in a story that's never finished. In that vein, I only post completed stories, though I do tend to post the longer ones one chapter at a time, usually every few days. It's a system that works for me, since how much time I can spend writing is unpredictable, and there's no telling how long it could take me to finish a chapter. Maybe one day. Maybe two months. I've posted a work-in-progress in the past. :wacko: There's no quicker way to turn me off from writing a story than to feel pressured to produce an installment when my heart isn't in it. This is my hobby. I prefer it to be enjoyable. A release. Not stress-producing. I've got enough of that, thank you very much. Some authors have a better handle on this than others, but I've certainly been witness to it. Starting with and sticking to a basic plot outline helps.

Thanks very much, Rigel! I've always been pants at ending scenes/ending lines, and it's one of those things I spend hours on. I know, pathetic. I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks again. Thanks, Duncan. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, Tiff. Yeah, I'm always curious to see how Piper goes over with the readers. As you say, the love story does take a back seat to the main plot. Mystery is my favorite genre to read, so there's usually some sort of element of it in what I write. I'm working on another novel-length fic now that has its own little mystery -- but it's not a murder mystery like Piper. When I get a bit farther along, I'll probably start posting it here, but I don't want to jump the gun. I loved getting your reviews, your feedback is heartfelt and thought-provoking. Thanks for the kind words.

One way to boost feedback levels is to offer recognition for those that do it often. The problem, of course, if creating and monitoring such a system. I've participated in a fic fest where, at the end, rewards were given for "best reviewers." There were downsides. Some readers slapped a "Great Job!" on every single thing they read, just to be considered for the award. It wasn't a perfect system, but I think it did motivate a lot of people to review who normally wouldn't. So one thing to consider might be levels of recognition for readers that review regularly. But I have no idea how to make that work best here.

Not at all. But I've learned my lesson over time that not all writers who say they want concrit really do. To be honest, before I offer concrit, I need enough of a relationship with the author to know it will be taken in the spirit that it's meant. Criticism smarts, and not everybody wants the pain -- though some will claim otherwise. When I finish a story, I post it to my blog on a very tight filter -- visible to only about a dozen authors I trust to be honest and forthright with their feedback. It's always a bit painful, especially when group consensus necessitates some major rewriting. But, wow, invaluable.

You made me spit coffee all over my keyboard.