 For Authors: July 29, 2009 Issue [#3192] |
  For Authors
This week: Edited by: Storm Machine  
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I'm honored to be your guest editor this week.
Obi-Wan: So what I told you was true . . . from a certain point of view.
Luke: A certain point of view?
Obi-Wan: Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. |
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Last fall, I listened to the readings while I was at a Con. The protagonist was an unreliable narrator, and the literary device has filled my head since at odd times. He was a homeless man who thought he was working for a government agency, that his wife was also working for this agency (the woman was actually a librarian he’d never spoken to), and that little things he did prevented or caused major events.
An unreliable narrator is one with a compromised view of the world, though the reason might be any number – age, impairment of some sort, intelligence, or a personality flaw. It’s a difficult viewpoint to pull off. It’s possible to argue that any first-person narrator is unreliable to some degree, but this is specifically targeting the ones who lead the reader astray with false information.
http://www.poewar.com/john-hewitt%E2%80%99s-writing-tips-explaining-the-unreliab...
John Hewitt’s examples give a better idea. It isn’t just that a person speaks from her own experience, flawed as it is; it’s also that she has something at work to make her world different from expected. A narrator with dementia might recall talking to her sister all day, when the woman in question was her daughter.
The beauty of the writing must also give the reader the clues needed to distinguish from the narrator’s world the parts that are false from the parts that are the ‘true’ fiction of the story. |
I couldn't find an unreliable narrator, but that doesn't mean they're not there.
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Seisa-sleepingcatbooks.com  Great article about passive and weak verbs. As a former technical writer, I had it drilled into my head to keep everything active. They still slip in occasionally, but that's what editing is for! 
That's exactly what editing is for- finding the right word.
Briar Rose  I love the way you call it "pulling punches." You're right on there. Passive verbs weaken a piece which might otherwise be really good. Good job!
Let the fight against passive verbs continue.
SantaBee  Wow this was great! It highlighted a lot of verb problems that I see from time to time. Great example. Two thumbs up for a good newsletter.
Thanks.
~MorningStorm~ This was a very interesting read. I tend to overuse passive verbs and have difficulties knowing what to use instead. Thanks for the help!
I think all of us have struggled with those at one time or other.
Shaziane I understand the passive and active verbs, but oddly every time I read two passages each, one the re-write of the other I seem to always grasp that of the passive much better. It's always stronger for me. (No question. I just think it's wierd for me as both a reader and writer.)
Nothing wrong with not following the crowd, but I'm glad you understand them.
Acme Thanks for tackling weak/passive verbs in this edition of the Newsletter The example was good, and the off site links are helpful! Thanks, too, for highlighting one of my stories
Your stories are always fun to highlight. Glad I could help.
Zeke This was a very interesting piece on verbs. Do you think the problem of excess verbs is worse when the perspective it first person?
Good question. I think point of view isn't the issue, but more author preference.
Waltz Invictus  Congratulations on your first newsletter, Storm Machine ! Well-written, and contains great advice for any writer.
Bluesman Nice article... I'm terrible at doing this. Sometimes I have to edit myself ten times to find those nasty verbs.
It's still worth it. Sometimes I edit myself repeatedly to find them, as well.
Mumsy  Rockin' newsletter! Excellent suggestions, and I love how you've illustrated the difference for the reader by providing before and after "footage" of the wreck.
Creating that wreckage amused me. Glad it did the same for you!
Adrianna To the editor.
I read your part on verbs with great interest. Whilst I agree the second version is more 'punchy' I found the first version to flow more. The first read like a story, the second read more like a journalists report. Passive verbs may not be the preference of publishers however I do believe that (as with anything) they can do you good if used in moderation.
The question is always how much is 'in moderation'? It may have a great deal to do with personal style, voice, and the specific genre. Good luck.
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