Comments for Jordan McCollum http://jordanmccollum.com mysteries to fall in love with, romance to keep you in suspense Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:23 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Language and narration by Jordan http://jordanmccollum.com/2010/08/language-narration/#comment-4259 Jordan Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:23 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=2959#comment-4259 I think, too, it might actually be <em>more</em> loyal to the character's voice to make sure that their thoughts are as eloquently expressed in English as they would have been in their native language—and that's pretty much always going to require some rephrasing. I think, too, it might actually be more loyal to the character’s voice to make sure that their thoughts are as eloquently expressed in English as they would have been in their native language—and that’s pretty much always going to require some rephrasing.

]]> Comment on Language and narration by Jordan http://jordanmccollum.com/2010/08/language-narration/#comment-4258 Jordan Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:59:07 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=2959#comment-4258 I'm actually kind of leaning the other way. I think it's entirely possible to stay true to a character's voice without actually phrasing things the exact way their thoughts might translate. A "character's voice" is already an arbitrary construct. I mean, most people actually think in pictures, not words. And if my character is a native-born Russian, she probably thinks in Russian. Russian pictures != marketable English-language novel. So, translating thoughts into words and Russian words into English ones is, I think, a bigger change than rephrasing said thoughts in English. Another example: if the character's native language (or just normal speech) uses bland verbs with lots of adverbs, does that mean I have to write that way? No. It <em>is</em> a fine balance. I've blogged about this before, too: http://jordanmccollum.com/2010/03/writing-voice/ and http://jordanmccollum.com/2010/03/voice-writing/ I’m actually kind of leaning the other way. I think it’s entirely possible to stay true to a character’s voice without actually phrasing things the exact way their thoughts might translate.

A “character’s voice” is already an arbitrary construct. I mean, most people actually think in pictures, not words. And if my character is a native-born Russian, she probably thinks in Russian. Russian pictures != marketable English-language novel.

So, translating thoughts into words and Russian words into English ones is, I think, a bigger change than rephrasing said thoughts in English.

Another example: if the character’s native language (or just normal speech) uses bland verbs with lots of adverbs, does that mean I have to write that way? No.

It is a fine balance. I’ve blogged about this before, too: http://jordanmccollum.com/2010/03/writing-voice/ and http://jordanmccollum.com/2010/03/voice-writing/

]]> Comment on The art of paragraphing by Jordan http://jordanmccollum.com/2010/09/art-paragraphing/#comment-4257 Jordan Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:48:30 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=2977#comment-4257 Agreed! Along with cause-and-effect, stimulus-response units should be kept in that order, too! Agreed! Along with cause-and-effect, stimulus-response units should be kept in that order, too!

]]> Comment on The art of paragraphing by Iapetus999 http://jordanmccollum.com/2010/09/art-paragraphing/#comment-4255 Iapetus999 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:52:31 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=2977#comment-4255 OMG that pretzel is awesome. I do that sometimes. Another thing to consider during paragraphing is to keep to strict chronological order. The door crashed open. The wind was howling. See, that's a bit backwards. The wind blew the door open, so you want to keep it that way. Keep cause-and-effect in mind and lead with the cause. The wind was howling. The door crashed open. OMG that pretzel is awesome.

I do that sometimes. Another thing to consider during paragraphing is to keep to strict chronological order.

The door crashed open. The wind was howling.

See, that’s a bit backwards. The wind blew the door open, so you want to keep it that way. Keep cause-and-effect in mind and lead with the cause.

The wind was howling. The door crashed open.

]]> Comment on Backstory delivery 201 by Jaime http://jordanmccollum.com/2010/08/good-backstory/#comment-4249 Jaime Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:13:56 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=2893#comment-4249 So I realized that isn't exactly back story as I was thinking about this on one of my many commutes. Sorry! So I realized that isn’t exactly back story as I was thinking about this on one of my many commutes. Sorry!

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