Then and now.

[demiurgent]

Thirteen years ago, I could cheerfully write any Superguy story I wanted, asserting the most banal bullshit and getting things wrong gleefully with a toss of my head and saying (in my best Ed Wood, Jr. voice) no one's going to pay attention to the little details.

Today, I work on a super hero story and have to stop and think oh shit. I have a throwaway sentence about close up magic. Now I have to buy and read seven books -- including books by Bill Severn and Penn & Teller.

I'm not sure I've gained anything.

Comments

[chanlemur.livejournal.com]

On the upside, just think of all the interesting things you'll learn if you make the mistake of including a throwaway sentence about an engrossing topic with a fifty-year scholarly history attached to it.

'Course, you might never make it back to your manuscript, but hey.

[scarfman]

There's an advantage to writing in a genre which has a fifteen-hundred-year history of redactor errors.

[z-gryphon.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I've gained anything.

I'm pretty sure you haven't.

I've been going through much the same sort of thing lately - in fact, I've been finding it more or less paralyzing. It's most bothersome.

[ericmonster.livejournal.com]

Here's an idea: Unreliable Narrator.

Just give your narrator permission to get the throwaway sentences wrong. Unless your narrator is a master of close-up magic who refuses to simplify the topic for his clueless audience, in which case, get readin'.

[tem2.livejournal.com]

That's what's nice about throwaway sentences. They can be thrown away! Problem solved.

[wednesday]

Dude, of course you gained something.

YOU GAINED SEVEN BOOKS.

[chadu.livejournal.com]

I war with this impulse myself.

My suggestion:
* You get one book for a throwaway sentence like that. Tops. (Better off with a bit of Google-Fu or Wikipedia-Fu.)
* You get one to three books for a minor plot or characterization point.
* You get five books for a moderate plot or character point.
* You MUST read five-plus books if it's a major plot or character point.

cu


CU

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

I once spent an entire day researching North American climate, flora, and wildlife as typically seen in a month's span at a particular geographic region of the country.

For the scenery in a single event of the story.

For an unnamed city in a very vaguely specified location.

For fanfic.

I also have about three books on blacksmithing and pottery-making sitting on my shelf due to a character in another story (who was, I might note, a demigod, and thus could have rightfully glossed right over the practicalities of these arts). I have not yet reached your level of commitment, but by golly, I'm heading that way.

[cadhla.livejournal.com]

Heya!

So, like, I've been told that you're looking for me, and have hence been looking for you. If you see this today, before end of con, I'm the blonde in the 'I am a pretty pink princess, motherfucker' shirt.

Ta!

superguy

[(Anonymous)]

did you used to write the superguy series? Do you know about Andy Awesome??? I recently found it on the net and I'd love some info... Thanks

Re: superguy

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

What is it you want to know about Andy Awesome?

Re: superguy

[(Anonymous)]

I read that Andy Awesome was based on Andrew Goodwin...is that the same Andrew that is Burt Ward's manager? I also read on the net that most of the characters didn't know that they were characters...I was wondering if this was the case with Andy/Andrew.

Re: superguy

[(Anonymous)]

do you have any info about Superguy/Andy Awesome? i have been looking for some information and I thought I finally found someone who knew about it....Please le tme know if you can help. thanks

Re: superguy

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

Yeeeeeees?

Like I said. What do you want to know? Since I don't have an e-mail address or contact method, I'd like to help if I could, but I can't do that without better knowledge.

Re: superguy

[(Anonymous)]

well, I just discovered Superguy by accident while on the net... I read that some of the characters were based on real people (and some of the people were unaware that they had become a superhero). i wanted to know if Andy Awesome was based on Andrew Goodwin (manager for Burt Ward)? If it was, then any other info would be great. thanks

Re: superguy

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhh!

To my knowledge, no. A very not-based-on-Burt-Ward Burt Ward appeared in Superguy, and Andrew Goodwin did as well, but this was an "Andrew Goodwin" that the author of that series in question, Dominic White, went to the University of Hartford with in the late eighties and early nineties. It seems unlikely that Andrew Goodwin went on to manage Burt Ward.

Not impossible, mind. But unlikely.

Re: superguy

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks so much. I was unsure of where to get any answers. I appreciate your help.