McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Author's Science Fiction BookClub?
jeno:
--- Quote from: LizW65 on June 18, 2010, 04:22:59 AM ---Interesting idea. If it's to be from a writers' perspective, it might be worthwhile to pick at least one totally terrible work and analyze how it could be improved upon.
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Ah, have to be careful with that - I don't see anything wrong with looking at books critically, but it can't cross the line into bashing. And picking a work solely to tear it apart seems like a no-go area, to me at least.
(unless this group cuts ties and moves off of the JB forum and into AIM, or something)
Starbeam:
--- Quote from: jeno on June 18, 2010, 05:08:36 AM ---Ah, have to be careful with that - I don't see anything wrong with looking at books critically, but it can't cross the line into bashing. And picking a work solely to tear it apart seems like a no-go area, to me at least.
(unless this group cuts ties and moves off of the JB forum and into AIM, or something)
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I think it could work. Like taking a book that's not very well written, but has sold well, an discussing what does and doesn't work in it, and what kind of things could make it done better. And I think most of us are mature enough not to go into the territory of author bashing. The two that come to mind for me are the Eragon and Twilight books, both that could have a lot of discussion about story and technique, and what to do and not do, and how to set yourself apart with originality and how it can fall flat because of the writing. If that sentence made much sense to anyone else.
Aakaakaak:
I don't think bashing would be a good idea. Pointing out story flaws, grammar flaws, etc. could be a good thing as long as you don't go too far. The Harry Potter series, on the whole, was a decent series, but I had issues with the bad grammar of a couple of the middle books and the 300 pages that could have gone missing from book seven. As long as we maintain respect for the author it could help people recognize flaws in their own work.
meg_evonne:
--- Quote from: LizW65 on June 18, 2010, 04:22:59 AM ---Interesting idea. If it's to be from a writers' perspective, it might be worthwhile to pick at least one totally terrible work and analyze how it could be improved upon.
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Connie Willis would agree! She said that you should seek out the worst movie and figure out where they went wrong!
--- Quote from: Starbeam on June 18, 2010, 11:43:48 AM ---I think it could work. Like taking a book that's not very well written, but has sold well, an discussing what does and doesn't work in it, and what kind of things could make it done better. And I think most of us are mature enough not to go into the territory of author bashing. The two that come to mind for me are the Eragon and Twilight books, both that could have a lot of discussion about story and technique, and what to do and not do, and how to set yourself apart with originality and how it can fall flat because of the writing. If that sentence made much sense to anyone else.
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Yes, but I also think it needs to be good enough to keep me awake and thinking! Also we are all busy writing, maybe something that is shorter would be good, still a novel but not an epic or something so our reading time would be limited.
--- Quote from: aakaakaak on June 18, 2010, 03:15:34 PM ---I don't think bashing would be a good idea. Pointing out story flaws, grammar flaws, etc. could be a good thing as long as you don't go too far. The Harry Potter series, on the whole, was a decent series, but I had issues with the bad grammar of a couple of the middle books and the 300 pages that could have gone missing from book seven. As long as we maintain respect for the author it could help people recognize flaws in their own work.
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Agree.
How about a compromise... I personally haven't read any of Charleine Harris. Certainly well read, appreciated, sells like hotcakes. What if we started with her first book? Thoughts? Also, I don't think Ms Harris is a poster, right? Still our comments would need to be up to writer beta standards with comments meant to crit, not ridicule. I think we are all on that same page?
Apocrypha:
Is Ms. Harris the one who wrote the Sookie Sackhouse books that make up that True Blood series?
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