tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post2365958538275904646..comments2024-03-18T19:00:03.047-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Writing the ObviousLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-35853636584236361442016-12-07T17:49:36.030-05:002016-12-07T17:49:36.030-05:00I'm late in responding--I've been travelin...I'm late in responding--I've been traveling for the last few days--but I enjoyed your post, Leigh, and I'm glad you enjoyed the Woodhouse stories. Thanks for mentioning them!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673578800047888317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-21551055487045978382016-12-05T23:10:13.408-05:002016-12-05T23:10:13.408-05:00ABA, I'm glad you were able to make it. Yes, l...ABA, I'm glad you were able to make it. Yes, learning something new is always a nice find.<br /><br />Melissa, you make a good point. I also enjoy loving relationships. They add a dimension that often rounds out a story.Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-52814801760445768712016-12-05T19:31:38.199-05:002016-12-05T19:31:38.199-05:00Ahh, this is why we love you, Leigh. I'm going...Ahh, this is why we love you, Leigh. I'm going to check out some of these authors!<br />Other things I enjoy: thrilling, thought-provoking, loving stories.Melissa Yihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01714047923814805076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-67208636204123509602016-12-05T00:30:12.197-05:002016-12-05T00:30:12.197-05:00Johnny-come-lately's sister here.
Apart from a...Johnny-come-lately's sister here.<br />Apart from a devious plot, clever word-play and well-drawn characters, I love to learn something new, so details of a specific industry, occupation, place, etc. are right up my street. Oh, and please tie up all loose ends.A Broad Abroadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-28822342729132161432016-12-04T20:53:12.291-05:002016-12-04T20:53:12.291-05:00You're welcome, Steve, and thanks too.
Thanks...You're welcome, Steve, and thanks too.<br /><br />Thanks, Jan. I'm not familiar with Muller. I'm inclined to agree about Paretsky, although I recall a reviewer who said she took gender-neutrality a bit too far. And then along came Kathleen Turner and turned that on its head!Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-90548387641272256172016-12-04T15:25:20.118-05:002016-12-04T15:25:20.118-05:00Really enjoyed reading this post and nodding my he...Really enjoyed reading this post and nodding my head in agreement. I know my stories are not the best plotted but always hope my characters are worthy of rememberance. I have to add that Sara Paretsky writes great characters and great plots. And so does Marcia Muller. Maybe I can manage to do both one day. Thanks for mentioning me in your post.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12627816910160617450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-38900984748789697102016-12-04T15:23:38.106-05:002016-12-04T15:23:38.106-05:00Really enjoyed reading this post and nodding my he...Really enjoyed reading this post and nodding my head in agreement. I know my stories are not the best plotted but always hope my characters are worthy of rememberance. I have to add that Sara Paretsky writes great characters and great plots. And so does Marcia Muller. Maybe I can manage to do both one day. Thanks for mentioning me in your post.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12627816910160617450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-88812616530908513672016-12-04T14:52:09.851-05:002016-12-04T14:52:09.851-05:00This covers everything we expect with a minimum of...This covers everything we expect with a minimum of fanfare and a maximum of clarity. <br />I don't remember ever seeing such a list, and you'd think we'd all have it stuck next to our monitor or keyboard, wouldn't you?<br /><br />Great post (and thanks for the mention, too ;-)<br /><br />Steve Liskowhttp://www.steveliskow.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-52479488078910419392016-12-04T13:04:37.053-05:002016-12-04T13:04:37.053-05:00Thank you, ladies.
Janice, you know I admire your...Thank you, ladies.<br /><br />Janice, you know I admire your characters.<br /><br />Eve, I've read a lot of Hillerman and I can't recall the clouds, but what a cogent point.<br /><br />Barb, making characters come alive is the greatest art. I'm torn between plots and characters, but people remember well drawn protagonists.<br /><br />Thank you, Melodie!<br />Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-87695099971313286282016-12-04T12:55:14.420-05:002016-12-04T12:55:14.420-05:00You are charming as well as witty, Leigh, and I am...You are charming as well as witty, Leigh, and I am beholden to you!Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-83073279179150075532016-12-04T12:50:18.976-05:002016-12-04T12:50:18.976-05:00Solid writing to me requires plots to be believabl...Solid writing to me requires plots to be believable and have no holes. I've read so many books that flow nicely, but after I finish, I realize all the problems with the plot. And it pisses me off.<br /><br />Solid writing to me also sets the scene without having the scene overwhelm me. For me with setting and description, less is more. (That said, I know many readers enjoy a lot of description.) <br /><br />Great writing includes characters who come alive off the page, characters who are nuanced and real. When I read books or stories with characters like that, it makes me invigorated to improve my own craft.<br /><br />Thanks for the post, Leigh, and for mentioning my stories. I love writing funny stories. It's nice to envision making a reader smile.Barb Goffmanhttp://www.barbgoffman.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-33446765482729388902016-12-04T12:49:27.904-05:002016-12-04T12:49:27.904-05:00Thanks for including me in such great company, Lei...Thanks for including me in such great company, Leigh. <br />How about Tony Hillerman and his regular descriptions of clouds - is that clever bland, informative, descriptive, or was he just doing mushrooms? Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-37863248713185252292016-12-04T11:51:18.706-05:002016-12-04T11:51:18.706-05:00You're welcome, guys, a pleasure. I got to won...You're welcome, guys, a pleasure. I got to wondering why I particularly liked one book or author over another and I realized I might have an article about why different writing appeals for different reasons.<br /><br />But you are a clever word guy, Rob. Did you know ABA is one of your biggest fans?<br /><br />Dale! It's great to see you again!Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-59825932348421144712016-12-04T11:41:49.293-05:002016-12-04T11:41:49.293-05:00"Clever clever word guy." I'll put ..."Clever clever word guy." I'll put tht on my business card.<br />Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-52744454794839533872016-12-04T11:04:46.902-05:002016-12-04T11:04:46.902-05:00Ditto on the "mention!"
It's intere...Ditto on the "mention!"<br /><br />It's interesting to watch some writers grow as they mature. Frederic Dannay, a ruthless editor while editor-in-chief of EQMM, famously would edit the phrase "he shrugged his shoulders" to "he shrugged," explaining that there is nothing other than shoulders that can be shrugged. But if you sit down and read The French Powder Mystery, which, written in 1930, is the second novel in the Queen canon, you will, not one third of the way through, find that Ellery "shrugged his shoulders." <br /><br />So as with all things, in writing we live and we learn!Dale Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553503281187956955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-78364494615366651162016-12-04T10:26:52.307-05:002016-12-04T10:26:52.307-05:00Thanks for the mention, Leigh--this was a fun colu...Thanks for the mention, Leigh--this was a fun column.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-27631066478899205232016-12-04T09:23:31.193-05:002016-12-04T09:23:31.193-05:00Ditto what Art said, a fun post. And thanks for th...Ditto what Art said, a fun post. And thanks for the mention. I think the ultimate goal of good writing is to entertain however an author gets to that point. I hate to beat the proverbial dead horse, but Dan Brown isn't a good writer, but he tells a good tale. Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-763443586253752412016-12-04T08:52:02.980-05:002016-12-04T08:52:02.980-05:00Wow. Good posting. Gonna take a little while to ab...Wow. Good posting. Gonna take a little while to absorb it. Have to think on a Sunday morning. Cool.O'Neil De Nouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03142721824657611738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-3399353968787893672016-12-04T08:20:23.909-05:002016-12-04T08:20:23.909-05:00A fun post here—and thanks for the shout-outs!
A fun post here—and thanks for the shout-outs!<br />Art Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02409008167752619352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-6242457908710413112016-12-04T08:06:26.226-05:002016-12-04T08:06:26.226-05:00Nice to be included in this clever roundup of lite...Nice to be included in this clever roundup of literary virtues.janice lawnoreply@blogger.com