Re: [bookclub] Prose style in 'Losing Your Grip'

[J.D. Berry <jdberry@my-deja.com>]

In article <jdhffr2pbt.fsf@lepton.phy.duke.edu>,
  Stephen Granade <sgranade@lepton.phy.duke.edu> wrote:
>
> > With the exception of the professional and/or truly gifted writers
> > here, how much better are the rest of us going to get with
criticism if
> > this is but a hobby?  A little better, perhaps, but I think effort
> > and natural ability are the largest parts of the success equation.
>
> I pretty much consider myself a poster child for the "You Can Get
> Better With Practice" movement. I don't claim to be the end product of
> IF author evolution by any means, but I think that anyone who plays my
> first game (Waystation) and compares it to my later ones will see that
> I'm improving. And I doubt I'm the only one who wants to get better,
> even if this is "but a hobby".
>

Oops.  Critical analysis suggests my word "but" should be omitted.  ;-)

I did see your poster on e-bay.  "My writing was weak, but
through your help I got better.  Now won't you help others?"  They
wanted too much for it, though.

> That said, you've got to have a reasonably thick skin to see your
> works of creative genius dissected under a microscope. I like to see
> my games discussed like that, but I could understand people not
> wanting to go through the process.
>

Well, regarding LYG, I was able only to get through 1 1/2 fits.
The prose worked fine for me.  Nothing "got in the way," meaning
there was no confusion about situations and my imagination link to
your world was never disrupted because of clumsy writing.

I like the mircoscope analogy, though. Is there a point of diminishing
returns when you magnify to certain levels?   Like Nick's dislike of
your word "cram?"


Jim





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