First Date

Touching

by

Character

Dialogue

Concept

Writing Style

Howdy,

Been a while.

I enjoyed this. It was touching without being Mawkish. I disagree with the last reviewer's comments about the broken home. At risk of saying the unthinkable (or unsayable) that kind of literary short-hand is completely acceptable.There are a lot more broken homes than there used to be - maybe that's a good thing sometimes. 

I have to say I've gone completly the other way to this with my writing and reading material like this makes me nervous. This is written with a lot of detail and a lot of attention to the psychological reality of the protagonist. From the contents of her purse to the choice of drinks in the bar, everything was carefully selected to portray character. You took your time to establish the world and delivered a short, adult piece of writing.

When I say this makes me nervous, is that I have a slightly more pessimistic view of the way books are going these days. A quick look at the Kindle best-sellers and the obvious trend is for incredible (unbelievable) plots, thin characters and fast paced action. Which this isn't. I'm aiming to write that kind of junk - because part of me loves junk. This isn't junk. 

I don't know if you're ever conflicted about what kind of thing to write. 

 

Regards

H

Conversations

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  • clairelsimpson

  • 2012-07-31 10:16:26
  • Thanks so much for reviewing another one of my pieces. I will definitely try and repay the favour. I really like your reviews (not just because you liked my work!), you have a really gift for identifying what works and doesn't work in a piece and communicating that constructively. So I value your judgement and am glad that you've interpreted my piece as it was intended - it reassures me that something is working. I think your point about what sells is really interesting to and could discuss and debate that endlessly. I have been writing on and off for a long time, and have come to the conclusion that you have to be know who you are as a person and writer and stay faithful to that when you write. Write the story noone else could write and then it will truly connect with an audience - even if it is a small audience. Sincerity shines through in writing. I also believe that many of the big bestsellers have one thing in common - believable, relatable characters: Bridget Jones' Diary, Harry Potter, Twilight, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The best stories are driven by character. I do experiment with style and genre but I always seem to revert naturally to a character-type piece. When I was 15 I wanted to be an actress or a psychologist and I think it's my fascination with what makes people tick that compells me to write.