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