The Art Of Sleep
not the ultimate page-turner...36 total reviews
Comment from w.j.debi
I love the satire. What a great way to present all the things you don't want to do in writing. This work is the opposite of putting the reader to sleep. Now, I have to return to my latest work and see if I am guilty of any of these. I hope not.
As far as critiquing it, you're a better writer than I am. I can just say I appreciate the organize way you present your arguments, and the specific examples that bring your points to life.
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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I love the satire. What a great way to present all the things you don't want to do in writing. This work is the opposite of putting the reader to sleep. Now, I have to return to my latest work and see if I am guilty of any of these. I hope not.
As far as critiquing it, you're a better writer than I am. I can just say I appreciate the organize way you present your arguments, and the specific examples that bring your points to life.
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Hah, I'm neurodivergent so my brains just wired that way! lol Many thanks
G
Comment from Jay Squires
Oh, man! Just when I figure you've covered all the bases, along comes some gorgeous reverse psychology. Well done, my friend.
Readers love info-dumps unencumbered by character or plot. [My favorite line!! Worthy of abuse of the exclamation point! Here, have another!]
Jay
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Oh, man! Just when I figure you've covered all the bases, along comes some gorgeous reverse psychology. Well done, my friend.
Readers love info-dumps unencumbered by character or plot. [My favorite line!! Worthy of abuse of the exclamation point! Here, have another!]
Jay
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Many thanks, Jay. Well I've tried instructional and I've tried ranting, now I'm taking the piss...
Much appreciated
G
Comment from royowen
And I thought I could be a "sarkky" heh heh. There are some flat spots while determinedly trying to force yourself to read. I guess study could be classified as goodnight material, and I must admit some supposedly good books have sometimes been guilty, good tongue in cheek stuff G, blessings Roy
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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And I thought I could be a "sarkky" heh heh. There are some flat spots while determinedly trying to force yourself to read. I guess study could be classified as goodnight material, and I must admit some supposedly good books have sometimes been guilty, good tongue in cheek stuff G, blessings Roy
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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I've had to force myself through some sections of books just to finish it. Now I just give up. Life's too short! Much appreciated, Roy. G
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I agree
Comment from rama devi
Awesome satire and wit. Well paced. Entertaining, informative and memorable.
Made me chuckle more than once - so humorous!
The six is for witty satirical humor, super writing craft (minus a few minor nits noted below), superb sentence mechanics and pacing, plus being super-informative and a great read for budding writers who need to learn craft. Covers a lot!
NOTES
Punctuation suggestions:
* See, boredom can be a good thing(,) and if you wish to pass this kind of generosity on(,) then stick around to the end of this post!
*Remember, your reader doesn't want to experience what the character is going through,(; or --) broad strokes do the job.
*Triple redundancy works for the military and government bodies(,) so why not use it to full effect in your writing?
*This may seem counterproductive given the previous point(,) but bear with me.
* barely 2-dimensional characters randomly
barely two-dimensional characters randomly
* Follow these golden rules(,) and you'll have created one of the best sleep-aids on the market.
Favorite bits:
LOVE THE PUN HERE:
What follows is a quick guide to ensure your story or book will be eminently put-downable.
Brilliant:
Don't show us the white-knuckled, trembling fists, flushed cheeks, and the flitting eyes when you can just say the character was angry and scared.
Witty exemplification of the triple-point-play:
Make your characters think about how they feel, then tell someone how they feel, and then have them do something to show how they feel (but not too much as denoted in the first point above). It is most important to make sure you do this all in the same paragraph to make the biggest impact.
This line made me LOL:
They much prefer to picture the vague character in a featureless beige box.
Hilarious:
Give the reader every titchy, tiny detail. Relate the landscape, geology, politics, religions, socio-economic systems and, most importantly of all, the weather.
LOL:
The reader struggles to imagine how a character may cross a room without knowing which was the leading foot, what they narrowly avoided bumping into and the exact angle they glanced the coffee mug from.
I enjoyed reading this, and I'm going to bookmark it. Would it be okay with you if I share this with a couple of my non-Fanstorian editing clients? They'd get a kick out of it, since it so deftly echoes many things I try to teach them in a much less humorous approach! Ha ha!
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Awesome satire and wit. Well paced. Entertaining, informative and memorable.
Made me chuckle more than once - so humorous!
The six is for witty satirical humor, super writing craft (minus a few minor nits noted below), superb sentence mechanics and pacing, plus being super-informative and a great read for budding writers who need to learn craft. Covers a lot!
NOTES
Punctuation suggestions:
* See, boredom can be a good thing(,) and if you wish to pass this kind of generosity on(,) then stick around to the end of this post!
*Remember, your reader doesn't want to experience what the character is going through,(; or --) broad strokes do the job.
*Triple redundancy works for the military and government bodies(,) so why not use it to full effect in your writing?
*This may seem counterproductive given the previous point(,) but bear with me.
* barely 2-dimensional characters randomly
barely two-dimensional characters randomly
* Follow these golden rules(,) and you'll have created one of the best sleep-aids on the market.
Favorite bits:
LOVE THE PUN HERE:
What follows is a quick guide to ensure your story or book will be eminently put-downable.
Brilliant:
Don't show us the white-knuckled, trembling fists, flushed cheeks, and the flitting eyes when you can just say the character was angry and scared.
Witty exemplification of the triple-point-play:
Make your characters think about how they feel, then tell someone how they feel, and then have them do something to show how they feel (but not too much as denoted in the first point above). It is most important to make sure you do this all in the same paragraph to make the biggest impact.
This line made me LOL:
They much prefer to picture the vague character in a featureless beige box.
Hilarious:
Give the reader every titchy, tiny detail. Relate the landscape, geology, politics, religions, socio-economic systems and, most importantly of all, the weather.
LOL:
The reader struggles to imagine how a character may cross a room without knowing which was the leading foot, what they narrowly avoided bumping into and the exact angle they glanced the coffee mug from.
I enjoyed reading this, and I'm going to bookmark it. Would it be okay with you if I share this with a couple of my non-Fanstorian editing clients? They'd get a kick out of it, since it so deftly echoes many things I try to teach them in a much less humorous approach! Ha ha!
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Share away, Rama. I had fun with it so enjoy. G
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Thanks!
Comment from jmdg1954
Wow. I'm going to either cut and paste your post to word or copy it for the notes APP on my phone and use it as a reference.
Your satirical approach to this was perfect. Just have to have a clue and use it wisely.
Thanks G. for providing us with a good read and a value post!
Cheers,
John
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Wow. I'm going to either cut and paste your post to word or copy it for the notes APP on my phone and use it as a reference.
Your satirical approach to this was perfect. Just have to have a clue and use it wisely.
Thanks G. for providing us with a good read and a value post!
Cheers,
John
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Just have to have a clue and use it wisely. - these just may be the truest words I've come across today! Many thanks, john. G
Comment from Ulla
Hahaha, I loved this Gareth. But apart from the satire you do part with some very good advice. It all a question of balance and to strike the right note. Sounds so easy, but is so difficult to find. Ulla:)))
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Hahaha, I loved this Gareth. But apart from the satire you do part with some very good advice. It all a question of balance and to strike the right note. Sounds so easy, but is so difficult to find. Ulla:)))
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Much appreciated as always, Ulla. G
Comment from Mary Shifman
This is a terrific post. I have read some tedious books in hopes that they would improve. A novel that reads like a textbook is not entertaining or engaging. As you say, it is a great sleep aid though. I will have to say that there are occasional stories that seem to require telling, rather than showing. I'm not sure why, but I know I've written a couple of them, myself and it felt right.
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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This is a terrific post. I have read some tedious books in hopes that they would improve. A novel that reads like a textbook is not entertaining or engaging. As you say, it is a great sleep aid though. I will have to say that there are occasional stories that seem to require telling, rather than showing. I'm not sure why, but I know I've written a couple of them, myself and it felt right.
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Yeah, I've slogged through a few awful things just hoping they'd pick up. it's not fun! Much appreciated. G
Comment from Katherine M. (k-11)
What ever made you write this? Are you trying to push some readers into reacting negatively and others into believing their (poorly constructed) writing has value? It has to be said that when I see the genre 'satire' I cringe, as it would appear I have no understanding of this. So given that statement, I have just gone against my gut feeling and changed the four star rating to a probably more deserving five - and I shall now google satire for the 100th time and scratch my head for a while... kay
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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What ever made you write this? Are you trying to push some readers into reacting negatively and others into believing their (poorly constructed) writing has value? It has to be said that when I see the genre 'satire' I cringe, as it would appear I have no understanding of this. So given that statement, I have just gone against my gut feeling and changed the four star rating to a probably more deserving five - and I shall now google satire for the 100th time and scratch my head for a while... kay
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Satire isn't that hard to get. just take the piss to make a point basically although it mightn't be written like that in the dictionary! Much appreciated. G
Comment from barbara.wilkey
This is a very creative and humorous way to get your point across. I strive all the time to give just enough setting, without giving too much. I listen to my reviewers, the ones who really care and adjust as necessary. Thank you for sharing this.
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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This is a very creative and humorous way to get your point across. I strive all the time to give just enough setting, without giving too much. I listen to my reviewers, the ones who really care and adjust as necessary. Thank you for sharing this.
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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It's all about the balance, barbara. Many thanks. G
Comment from Jim Wile
I loved the ironic approach to making your points about good vs boring writing. Excellent advice. It's amazing that even some well-known and very successful writers like Dean Koontz are guilty of over-indulging-the-setting, as often his descriptions seem to go on for pages. I skim a lot of this or ignore it altogether and just get back to the action when I see it.
I think too many books are 50-100 pages too long and could tighten up their stories and make them far less boring if they would cut out a lot of description of scene and feelings. Some amount is necessary, as you point out, but too many authors get wrapped up in their own facility with words and think everything they say is fascinating and important.
This was an excellent summary of good vs. bad writing, G. Jim
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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I loved the ironic approach to making your points about good vs boring writing. Excellent advice. It's amazing that even some well-known and very successful writers like Dean Koontz are guilty of over-indulging-the-setting, as often his descriptions seem to go on for pages. I skim a lot of this or ignore it altogether and just get back to the action when I see it.
I think too many books are 50-100 pages too long and could tighten up their stories and make them far less boring if they would cut out a lot of description of scene and feelings. Some amount is necessary, as you point out, but too many authors get wrapped up in their own facility with words and think everything they say is fascinating and important.
This was an excellent summary of good vs. bad writing, G. Jim
Comment Written 10-Jun-2023
reply by the author on 11-Jun-2023
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Some of the more famous writers can get away with it because they've earned that right. i like the Jack Reacher books but the first few are so much better written than the later ones. Many thanks. G
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I agree with you about the Reacher books. I think I've read them all, and I definitely prefer the earlier ones.
Stephen King is another author whose books often exceed my usual max, but I think his descriptions are written in such an interesting way, that I never skim his books. I've pretty much given up on Koontz.