tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post3564184027689784477..comments2024-03-19T10:11:41.294+00:00Comments on 'Do You Write Under Your Own Name?': Plot, Pace and InformationMartin Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-31224154295305521102010-05-08T00:28:59.057+01:002010-05-08T00:28:59.057+01:00Thanks, Dorte. You have encouraged me to do furthe...Thanks, Dorte. You have encouraged me to do further such posts!Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-16205207950628225782010-05-07T17:09:33.374+01:002010-05-07T17:09:33.374+01:00I certainly enjoy it when you blog about the writi...I certainly enjoy it when you blog about the writing process. When you enjoy a series, it is always interesting to read about the writer´s tricks of the trade. <br /><br />And to me the combination of British countryside + a touch of history is almost irresistible.Dorte Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14535044092722418173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-54103841264327440782010-05-07T00:19:00.189+01:002010-05-07T00:19:00.189+01:00A number of very interesting contributions here, t...A number of very interesting contributions here, thank you all.<br />Eric, you make a good point, and I'm also reminded that you and Mary are an admirable example of duo-writing, a subject I wrote about for Bookdagger.<br />Margot, you are spot on about the crucial significance of context.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-57518991475511532162010-05-06T13:42:37.232+01:002010-05-06T13:42:37.232+01:00I think you're right, depending on the genre a...I think you're right, depending on the genre and the era, you will need more or less backstory. But how you apportion out that backstory is important. I think too much at once will lose any reader, even the more enthusiastic. Great post, thought provoking.<br /><br />CDAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12160669603997465454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-41907639686093223592010-05-06T13:20:57.648+01:002010-05-06T13:20:57.648+01:00I think a lot depends on the genre, as you've ...I think a lot depends on the genre, as you've pointed out. Back story and trivia have *some* role in the traditional mysteries I write, but not much.<br /><br />Elizabeth<br /><a href="http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"> Mystery Writing is Murder</a>Elizabeth Spann Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625595247828274405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-42595805176197398502010-05-06T02:48:16.137+01:002010-05-06T02:48:16.137+01:00Martin - You make a very well-taken point about hi...Martin - You make a very well-taken point about historical novels, or novels where a point of history figures into the plot. In those cases, information is quite helpful. I'd argue it may even be necessary for the plot to make sense. That said, though, I agree that there's such a thing as too much background information. As with anything else, I believe it has a lot to do with context. Some contexts call for more information than do others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-33838690965745586702010-05-06T02:43:12.060+01:002010-05-06T02:43:12.060+01:00I'm not so sure that the setting isn't the...I'm not so sure that the setting isn't the main character in some historical novels. Mary and I try to integrate historical background into our writing without resorting to huge info dumps but, I admit, it is difficult for me because, as a reader, if the information interests me enough I really don't care how gracelessly it is dumped in. (If it doesn't interest, that's another matter) But I think most readers take a little more balanced view than I do and rightly so. If all one wants is information about history it is better to read a history book.Mary or Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17210964762989092658noreply@blogger.com