tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371628584376797540.post4616449346321948893..comments2023-12-26T23:07:08.005-08:00Comments on TOMORROWVILLE: Crucible Problems, IDavid Isaakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371628584376797540.post-45932369351362907452008-02-19T14:24:00.000-08:002008-02-19T14:24:00.000-08:00Hi, Emma--Well, your blog is one of the few I alwa...Hi, Emma--<BR/><BR/>Well, your blog is one of the few I always read, so I'll be looking for it.<BR/><BR/>Novelist Lawrence Block said he once went through a period of many months where he couldn't write because he couldn't think of a singel reason for anyone anywhere to ever do anything other than roll over in bed and go to back to sleep. I can see lots of reasons not to go back to sleep. <BR/><BR/>But staying at home by the fire with a nice glass of red...well, that sounds like an irrefutably good idea. Why <I>would</I> anyone do anything else? (Damn. Another unanswerable question.)David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371628584376797540.post-4254796374944011532008-02-19T14:16:00.000-08:002008-02-19T14:16:00.000-08:00Hi, Tim--Yeah, it's kind of unfair, though, isn't ...Hi, Tim--<BR/><BR/>Yeah, it's kind of unfair, though, isn't it? Fantasy and sci-fi writers have to imagine whole alternative realities, and then do all the regular things, too.<BR/><BR/>My suggestion is that fantasy and sci-fi books should sell for a premium to compensate.David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371628584376797540.post-79308055519403043532008-02-19T14:14:00.000-08:002008-02-19T14:14:00.000-08:00Well, nikwd...I don't know if it's exactly wrong--...Well, nikwd...I don't know if it's exactly wrong--though it sure isn't a very accurate representation of Kali worship.<BR/><BR/>In my case, it makes me hum "Melancholy Baby" under my breath (with the slightly altered lyrics "Here's another melon, Kali baby...). <BR/><BR/>But I hum it very quietly. As goddesses go, she's at the top of the kick-ass squad.David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371628584376797540.post-83328596819447045772008-02-19T14:09:00.000-08:002008-02-19T14:09:00.000-08:00Hi, Usman--Yes, or give her some overriding compul...Hi, Usman--<BR/><BR/>Yes, or give her some overriding compulsion. Children in jeopardy are always popular. Everybody (except perhaps me and WC Fields) seems to sucker for a kid in danger.<BR/><BR/>In fact, I've heard that the publishing industry used to refer to "wimjep" (women in jeopardy)and "chiljep" (children in jeopardy) as classes of suspense novels.David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371628584376797540.post-22999205291490096252008-02-19T12:40:00.000-08:002008-02-19T12:40:00.000-08:00David, this is quite fascinating, thank you. I fre...David, this is quite fascinating, thank you. I frequently get stuck trying to think of reasons for my characters to bother to set off to meet their fate, rather than staying at home by the fire with a nice glass of red. I've never thought of the problem as clearly and specifically as this, but you're absolutely right.<BR/><BR/>In <I>The Seven Basic Plots</I> (fascinating though ultimately very annoying book) Christopher Booker discusses storytelling as a process of constriction and release, and I think this is probably related. I can feel a blog post coming on...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371628584376797540.post-29857696742492555482008-02-19T02:45:00.000-08:002008-02-19T02:45:00.000-08:00Your observation on fantasy is certainly to the po...Your observation on fantasy is certainly to the point, David. It's easy to create a society with such unique constraints and problems that the business of creating believable characters with believable reactions to those constraints is overlooked.Tim Strettonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08598897603628943741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371628584376797540.post-2260818219599198542008-02-18T06:32:00.000-08:002008-02-18T06:32:00.000-08:00Is it bad that when I think of Kali, I always thin...Is it bad that when I think of Kali, I always think of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and the priest with glowing fingers that tears peoples hearts out? Kali shuktiday! Mularam sugaram!<BR/>-Sam TaylorS. Boyd Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01918705431489191193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371628584376797540.post-53314963687148297422008-02-18T00:03:00.000-08:002008-02-18T00:03:00.000-08:00Loved this post. My WIP has a major crucible probl...Loved this post. My WIP has a major crucible problem. The heroine is thinking too much. Better replace her with someone with less smarts.<BR/>The jokes in the last post were funny. Read them today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com