Great Clomping Foot of Blogism

Posted on February 18, 2009 by JE

I just posted my Blog Gate entry of the week. This one is about not beginning with the beginning, among other things.

About JE

James Enge is the author of the World-Fantasy-Award-nominated novel Blood of Ambrose (Pyr, April 2009). His latest book is The Wide World's End. His short fiction has appeared in Black Gate, Tales from the Magician's Skull, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and elsewhere.
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11 Responses to Great Clomping Foot of Blogism

  1. peadarog says:
    February 18, 2009 at 9:37 am

    And how does a rat-bastard lie? How, James, how?

  2. kythiaranos says:
    February 18, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    I suppose it’s too much to hope that the guilty parties will read this and repent of their boring ways. I’ve noticed the same problem lately with mysteries and romance novels as well–too much front-loading of unnecessary information. Stops me cold every time.

    I think part of what bothers me–other than the boringness–is the sense that the author doesn’t trust me to stick with the story and figure out the ins and outs of the world on my own.

    • JE says:
      February 18, 2009 at 10:55 pm

      I know what you mean–the author isn’t content to write the book, but wants to make sure you read it the right way, and wants to tell you what to think about it.

      Sometimes (not always, I’m afraid) this is due to inexperience. The guy I was complaining about is a first time novelist, which is why I made a straw man in his image and rebuked it. So even in the unlikely event he reads my post, he may not recognize himself.

      • kythiaranos says:
        February 21, 2009 at 1:30 pm

        Ironically, I was at the big library in Buffalo yesterday, and I looked at the books of some authors I hadn’t tried before. One seemed kind of intriguing from the back cover, so I opened it up to the first page. And the story started right after the main character’s conception. No, really. I put that one back on the shelf.

        • JE says:
          February 22, 2009 at 6:52 am

          Sounds a little like Tristam Shandy. I remember it having some good lines, but in general I felt like the joke was on me.

  3. al_zorra says:
    February 18, 2009 at 7:44 pm

    A great deal of this is caused by the fact that so many of us nerds lack a sense of rhythm. We all should spend less time with screens and more time on the dance floor!

    That’s one of the two profound qualities of Battlestar Galactica — the directors and editors lack rhythm. They are also sexist as hell in such an unrealistic way for the world they set up. So they keep making the wrong choices.

    Upshot, I stopped watching it about a couple of eps into season 3.

    But these flaws showed up as permenant parts of the show with the Pegasas ep. I gave them a chance to put themselves on track for a few more eps, but they just went further and further and further out into dumbness. Not to mention boring.

    Love, c.

    • JE says:
      February 18, 2009 at 10:56 pm

      Rhythm: that is it, isn’t it? The plot has to not just move but swing.

      • al_zorra says:
        February 19, 2009 at 12:05 am

        Also too many novels are being published that really aren’t professional quality yet.

        There seems to be a dearth of editors who do not give first-time novelists the eeny teeny comfy lecture disguised as lunch about ‘just,’ ‘every,’ ‘always,’ etc. are words no novelist needs to use. There are variations of this lecture, but it is the same one that illustrates ‘don’t use words that have nothing to do with what’s going on right now.’

        Love, C.

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