Erika! Congrats!

Oh erika, that's great!

Ginger, I barked, I laughed so loud and unexpectedly, and scared the cat. Your comment took me by surprise.

erika! sposa! WOOT!

and Anne, oh, as usual, dear.....

Novel-writing friend also has to learn that you don't have to cram every bit of research you did into the book.

erika, that's awesome news, preliminary or not! All fingers crossed over here.

Oh, Anne, I sympathize. God, nothing bothers me more than characters discussing things they already know just so the reader can know, too. Guh. There should be whole classes on doing exposition properly.

Still reading all the stuff I missed...

Deb: I would love to, that is, if you'll let me. It would give me something nice to look forward to after attending my "paper writing party" (ha) all day.

edit: you could send it to my profile email, or if it's posted elswhere toss me the link? (*wide/hopeful eyes*)

Erika: way to go. Getting paid is something I need to work on. I'm so into the local 'zine/publishing effort I end up donating things I might have been able to (*fingers crossed*) sell. Congrats.

God, nothing bothers me more than characters discussing things they already know just so the reader can know, too. Guh. There should be whole classes on doing exposition properly.

I have a running debate with my weekly critique group over this. I'm a firm believer that less is more, and that it's better for a reader to be a little confused than to have false-sounding dialogue or awkward exposition. I've never yet put down a compelling story because I wasn't 100% clear on the history--if anything, the story hooks me in and makes me want to go look up what really happened once I'm done with it.

Exactly, Susan. If you hand out exposition in dribs and drabs, and you play it right, you leave the reader wanting to know more, wanting to keep on reading to figure out what's going on or what's going to happen next.

When an author puts in too much exposition, I just want him or her to get on with it already.

All bets are off, though, if whoever's writing has a wonderful narrative voice.

All bets are off, though, if whoever's writing has a wonderful narrative voice.

There definitely authors whose grocery lists I would read, because I love their voices, but they tend to be few and far between.

if anything, the story hooks me in and makes me want to go look up what really happened once I'm done with it

I'm famous for this, although I adit I do it more with movies than with books, maybe because I don't read as much historical fiction as I do watch movies set in some other time period. I'll never forget looking up the story behind Lady Jane Grey and being crushed that the truth was not the least bit romantic in terms of her marriage to...whoever it was they made her marry. Damn my stupid lack of memory. Guilford? Whatever.

God, nothing bothers me more than characters discussing things they already know just so the reader can know, too. Guh. There should be whole classes on doing exposition properly.

I have a running debate with my weekly critique group over this. I'm a firm believer that less is more, and that it's better for a reader to be a little confused than to have false-sounding dialogue or awkward exposition. I've never yet put down a compelling story because I wasn't 100% clear on the history--if anything, the story hooks me in and makes me want to go look up what really happened once I'm done with it.

I actually have a page about that, an author's note, at the beginning of FFoSM, and Ruth actually quoted a line of it on the inside front cover of the dust jacket. Basically, I do my homework, weave my fictional characters in with the real ones and my fictional events into the historical research, and do it seamlessly, so that the reader doesn't know which is which. Then I rub my hands, twirl the ends of my waxed mustacios, and cackle with spiteful glee.

All bets are off, though, if whoever's writing has a wonderful narrative voice.

Thanks to the whatevers that be, for an editor who feels that way about mine. Makes my life eminently more possible.

Brynn, will send to profile address. Didn't post it because if it's going to be published, you can't prepublish without messing up rights.

Be warned, though: if you're expecting an apocalypse, as in, big noisy bang and heavy scifi fantasy, you'll be disappointed (Polter was). This is a simple little story about a travelling circus and a girl and a choice.

edit: erika, trouble with bios? Really? I love writing them.