The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Any news on Peace Talks
segaily:
--- Quote from: spiritofair on December 03, 2019, 07:29:24 PM ---
I love his books, but I've never bought this "lack of writing space" excuse.
--- End quote ---
Having worked from home the lack of space makes sense to me when combined with the house building as covering a fair amount of lost time. When I first started working from home I would set up anywhere and it took me a while to realize I was getting almost nothing done. Then I cleaned out a space for a small office and things got a lot better. If Jim did the same thing we wasted a chunk of time not really thinking about the fact he was getting almost nothing done on the dinning room table. Then he may have been thinking the new house will be ready soon not worth worry about I will carry on this way. Then the house kept having delays.
This does not explain all of the delay but I think the lack of writing space was certainly real and cost him a good chunk of time.
Arjan:
Or if his books were selling as good as J.K. Rowlings Harry potter books he could have applied her solution and spend 1000 pounds a night in the Edinburgh Balmoral hotel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjLan582Lgk
segaily:
--- Quote from: Arjan on December 04, 2019, 06:33:48 AM ---Or if his books were selling as good as J.K. Rowlings Harry potter books he could have applied her solution and spend 1000 pounds a night in the Edinburgh Balmoral hotel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjLan582Lgk
--- End quote ---
I bet Jim wishes his books sold that well as well. Having read everything from both of them I think Jim is better though his stuff is not as kid friendly. :)
Maz:
Let's just kill this line of thinking. The book's done, the delays are Jim's business and we can simply choose to continue to follow him or not. I strongly suspect the Penguin employee was unaware of what was going on and quoted a placeholder date. It's a waste to delay a book that far and I suspect we'll hear something sooner rather than later - unless there's some huge fundamental flaw that somehow got past the beta readers. Even at today's low interest rates, there's still the time value of money and executives are generally compensated based upon the firm's profit and delaying the release of a solid seller is delaying their compensation.
Kindler:
--- Quote from: segaily on December 04, 2019, 07:12:04 PM ---I bet Jim wishes his books sold that well as well. Having read everything from both of them I think Jim is better though his stuff is not as kid friendly. :)
--- End quote ---
No contest. Jim's a better writer. Now, at least. Though I think he was a better writer in his first book than Rowling was for hers.
Point is that Jim learned pretty fast. His characters feel like people who might really exist. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and most of the rest of the cast read like an adult's interpretation of the way teenagers behave and speak. The interpersonal conflicts (the many arguments between the main power trio, the feuds with some of the other Houses' students, etc.) stank of manufactured drama, and frequently made me roll my eyes. Add on that Potterverse magic runs mostly on whimsy (with a bunch of "Laws" tacked on in the last book that are contradicted by earlier books; for example, Mrs. Weasley is seen pouring sauce out of her wand, yet food cannot be created by magic. I mean, Snape teaches Malfoy how to conjure a freaking live snake out of nowhere in less than a minute (and it IS a real snake, because Harry was able to talk to it). Snakes are edible! Hermione knows how to conjure BIRDS for crap's sake, but she can't create a chicken?! So the "law" only means that "you cannot create fully-cooked, prepared meals" not "you cannot create food." That "law" only exists because Rowling wanted the trio to be hungry). The contrast between Rowling's approach and Jim's is pretty stark.
Magic in the DV has been consistent from book one. The rules were obviously thought out beforehand, and I can't pinpoint anywhere they're broken. In fact, half the fun of a lot of scenes comes from Harry finding a new application of the rules, or a loophole, or something unexpected. Unlike Harry, who mostly yells "Expelliarmus" and "Stupefy" while brandishing his wand.
I like Harry Potter. I reread that series every year or two. But it doesn't hold a candle to Dresden in setting, plot, or characterization.
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