Comments on: Uncle Chris’s Writing Tips #1: The Folly Of Wilful Obfuscation

By: Chris Wooding

Chris Wooding — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:29:29 +0000

Sure, quote away. I don’t do Twitter though, I’m afraid.

By: klanzdev

klanzdev — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:51:51 +0000

I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?

By: Chris Wooding

Chris Wooding — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:58:21 +0000

You’ve got a good point, Hope. Most times you have to wonder how these heroes lived long enough to gain their amazing powers.

I find that the situations you’re talking about (I also can’t think of any examples, natch) tend to be justified with reasons that sound good but are actually dumb. The old ‘I don’t want to get my friends in danger so I’ll go it alone’ is a classic. It inevitably results in at least one friend getting killed during the subsequent rescue attempt. You know, you can be noble AND sensible…

By: Joseph Evans

Joseph Evans — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:21:27 +0000

Well, Hope, even though I can’t think of any either, I agree that characters stumbling into avoidable conflicts seems ridiculous. It’s interesting that we can’t think of any specific titles though. Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe after reading such badly constructed writing we subconsciously erase them from our memories, leaving a bitter taste but no specific details. Or maybe we’re all assuming we’ve been angered by this kind of thing in novels when we’re actually all just furious at Lost . . .

By: Hope

Hope — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:56:25 +0000

Joseph, I can’t think of a single one, so I guess that effectively negates my comment. If making an ass out of myself were a sport, I’d excell, yes? Yes.

By: Debbie Cowens

Debbie Cowens — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:57:51 +0000

Wow, that has to be the most entertaining and funny writing tip I’ve read in some time. Of course I have a fondness for scathing critiques of Lost – they’re actually the biggest source of pleasure and satisfaction that the last two seasons have afforded.

You’re so right about how annoying easily distracted protagonists are when they just don’t bother to ask enough questions. It’s bad enough when it happens in fantasy (although I frankly think any real person would start demanding to know exactly what was going on the second any old sage showed up and started alluding to some mystical destiny) but what really bugs me is when you have characters in paranormal mystery books who are supposed to be detectives and they go along with this whole ‘you’re not yet ready to know the whole truth’ bollocks. They’re supposed to be professional investigators for crying out loud.

Is there going to be another writing tip coming soon perchance?

By: Joseph Evans

Joseph Evans — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:43:48 +0000

Hope, do you have any particular titles to name in which this kind of thing happens? Every novel I can think of has at least some kind of decent motive that causes the protagonist to go through their destined hardships.

The closest thing I can think of may be Skulduggery Pleasant, in which Stephanie chooses to stay involved in Skulduggery’s otherworldy conflict purely for the excitement and adventure of it, even though Skulduggery protests.

By: Hope

Hope — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:52:07 +0000

I can’t stand it when the character stumbles into an absolutely avoidable conflict, and their excuse for it is, ‘No one told me I shouldn’t.’ It’s just infuriating. Are you honestly so stupid that you can’t take the time out to think, ‘Gee, I wonder if lying to everyone I know and then trying to tackle the dragon on the other side of this quarry filled with lava and bridged by a stone toothpick with cracks in it all on my own, without first exploring my power, is a bad idea? I would THINK so, but no one’s said anything…’? No. You aren’t. No one who has lived past the age of eight could possibly be that stupid. (As to all of the characters who fall victim to this: did they have these sort of problems before they had a mentor and a power? No, they didn’t. So why do they have them now?)

Then the mentor comes along and gives the hero a tap on the wrist and an indulgent smile. ‘Oh, Jane dear, you know that you could’ve told your friends the truth, and then of course they would’ve helped you. And there’s never been any reason for you to be afraid of dragons or lava, because your magical powers make you immune to such nasty things as being burned to death. Your Achilles’ heel, however, is bridges; that probably gave you a problem earlier. Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. Now let’s go try that vanguishing-the-enemy bit again, hm?’

Ridiculous.

By: Chris Wooding

Chris Wooding — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:09:30 +0000

It’s a metaphorical fireplace, so its capacity is infinite

By: David Scott

David Scott — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:59:11 +0000

I immediately withdraw my comment =P

I have to admit, I’ve never considered that. Then again, I’ve rarely read a book where I have not expected the protagonist to succeed in the first place (Granted, with heavy losses) so I suppose it hasn’t phased me much.

Your fireplace must be very well stocked!