McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

What's your style?

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meg_evonne:
I'll show my lack of professionalism here.  After 35 years of writing for myself only, I read one of JB's books and something inside me simply screamed that I wanted to write like that.  I'm not talking genre like urban fantasy here.  I fell in love with his brisk, concise, compact description.  I fell in love with the graphic expression and use of senses that blasted off the pages.  I fell I love with his mix of distinct realistic characters--with powerful females (he likes strong women and it shows), his intense creative action, the frailty of Harry mixed with his power, his character rants on everything from the smell of hospitals to the types of fear.  It's quirky and fresh with lots of snark.  The plots and writing show intelligence.  The speed of his delivery, while still managing to place verticality along with horizontal motion in just the perfect mix.

Since I was writing by myself and for no one, I tended to the longer descriptive work.  My personal preference over my life time to gravitate to English authors.  My love of English spy novels, English romances, English classics, English mysteries, English author sci fi shaped my preferences before I knew there were preferences for those things.  I've been told that my historical work is on a par with Phillipa Gregory, as I've not read them I can't attest to that.  But I like to get steeped into a scene.

Along comes Butcher with his short, fast paced, graphic, film noir, kick ass pages in a style that I don't see anywhere else.  Yeah, I've now read a variety of urban fantasy authors and tried to find others like him....  I don't find them.  Not in the intense clarity of his style.  I've not explored graphic novels, but I see his style as unique and individual and unlike anything else that pops up on the best seller lists.  (I'm not a fan of the Alera books, not that I think they are horrible--they just aren't unique to me like his style in the Dresden File books.)

I'd like to think we are seeing a new trend, started by Butcher that is a unique and new style of graphically written novels.  Since mainstream readers don't read graphics--this is incredibly fresh and appealing to them.  I hope that someday he receives the recognition that he deserves.  Not easy when your preferred genre is sci fi/fantasy.

So on my journey of writing style I know that I can't, nor do I want to copy Jim Butcher.  To do so would be foolish and impossible. Yet that which he does that I admire, I can explore, develop, expound, and learn. 

the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:

--- Quote from: meg_evonne on June 24, 2009, 01:18:41 AM ---Along comes Butcher with his short, fast paced, graphic, film noir, kick ass pages in a style that I don't see anywhere else.  Yeah, I've now read a variety of urban fantasy authors and tried to find others like him....  I don't find them.  Not in the intense clarity of his style. 

--- End quote ---

Who have you tried ? I think the Mike Carey/Charlie Huston end of urban fantasy does this far more than the more paranormal romance end - Huston more concisely than Carey, who tends to more of the Raymond Chandler direction of odd but excellent metaphors which Harry's voice does from time to time.  And, well, it may be newish to urban fantasy, but it would be hard to argue it doesn't fit in the tradition descending ultimately from Dashiel Hammett, or in the 'first-person smartass" line of descent exemplified by Archie Goodwin in the nero Wolfe novels.

meg_evonne:
Right, exactly what I'm saying but updated to this new graphic age.  It's been ages since i read Chandler, Hammett, Wolf, (and maybe it was my age at the time that didn't make me a serious fan of their work.) but it is that style that pulled me to it.  (I also plead Bookstore manager snobbishness at the time.  LOL)  As to Carey and Huston, I've a coupon for Border's and will give them a chance.  I have tried the various short story authors, but again didn't find that pointedness that i enjoy in Butcher.  Will let you know what i think when I read them.

NothingWicked:
Depressingly, my voice tends to be matter of fact. There are many styles and stylistic elements I admire, but when I'm writing, it just comes out flat. I re-write over and over and put server conscious effort into every word and phrase and it still sometimes manages to come out sound like some musty librarian giving a utilitarian description of a novel's scene. I'm much better with non-fiction writing and editing. I keep hoping that my style will mature, but I may just be trying too hard.

meg_evonne:
To NothingWicked, it's hard to figure out what problems you might be experiencing?  Others will probably give you even better ideas.  You posted a short bit on the new game thread "Hooked, not Hooked" but maybe you need to post something longer so we can all take a look at it?  What your posted didn't really grab me but i don't have enough to try to figure it out.  Like I said others might have better ideas too!  Don't dispare--surely you won't be writing non-fic all your life!  I couldn't write non-fic if someone had a gun to my head, so you're one up on me!!!!  LOL

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