Comments on Anne McAllister's Blog!: Dialogue

Coming into this really late, but there's also a d...

2007-10-06T21:50:00.000-06:00

Coming into this really late, but there's also a different between delivering backstory in big chunks -- the "I'll just fill you in here" sort of backstory delivery -- and writing in a way that gives intimations of backstory. If you make the reader ask the questions and give them just enough information so that they start speculating about the backstory and filling in the gaps themselves, well,

What he seems to be talking about are "secrets" wh...

2007-10-05T08:01:00.000-06:00

What he seems to be talking about are "secrets" which, if revealed earlier would lessen the dramatic impact. I agree with him there. But backstory and secrets are not synonymous.

As an exercise, just like writing everything in dialogue, it can be useful. It's just not what I need to deal with in this story.

Writing the Breakout Novel workbook Ch23, Low Tens...

2007-10-05T07:30:00.000-06:00

Writing the Breakout Novel workbook Ch23, Low Tension Part II Burdensome Backstory Exercise --Delaying Backstory. It is an interesting exercise. You don't have to agree with him. His point is that the backstory stuff may be far more useful if revealed later in the story. He also recognises that it is something that the vast majority of novelists will not agree with. He feels that backstory

Of course dialogue can be boring by itself, Michel...

2007-10-04T23:50:00.000-06:00

Of course dialogue can be boring by itself, Michelle. It has to be delivered in context or it's just talking heads. But as a means of getting at what can be expressed by characters and not couched in narrative, it's a great way to pick up pace.

And I disagree with Donald Maass completely on the chapter 15 thing, if that's what he says.

The current plot wouldn't exist without

Then there is the Donald Maass idea that all backs...

2007-10-04T23:27:00.000-06:00

Then there is the Donald Maass idea that all backstory explanation should appear after chapter 15 or certainly some way after the first half of the book.
To make it into the first half, it must be absolutely vital to advancing the curent plot, rather than explaining.

Some times, the only way to tell is to write the thing, and then remove the backstory and see if it makes any