Comments on dan powell - fiction: Fourth Fiction - Round 4 LitCrit (Part 1)

'When a place comes up - would you be interested i...

2009-09-14T17:35:03.687+02:00

'When a place comes up - would you be interested in taking part. I'd love to have you on CW writing cast.'

I'd be well up for that. The whole concept is really interesting as a writer and a reader.

Brilliant!! There goes Fyor's too cool to tweet. ...

2009-09-14T12:37:14.921+02:00

Brilliant!! There goes Fyor's too cool to tweet.

I'm taking a break from the internet for a week so wont bother putting all my thoughts up on my own blog. Better I hide them off here ... it would just be my luck I'd end up with a lurker like Auggie on my own website.

Must read your latest Fourth Fic installment too. Glad to have got mine down finally.

Thanks also for your comments and RTs for Chinese Whisperings. When a place comes up - would you be interested in taking part. I'd love to have you on CW writing cast.

Now for that much yearned for rest :)

'I should cut and paste all of this into a blog po...

2009-09-14T10:42:36.414+02:00

'I should cut and paste all of this into a blog post for my site - lol!'

Go ahead. I was thinking you wrote enough here to fill a new post. :)

'PS: do you know why Tuck and Fyor both had 24% of the vote but Fyor was the one who was outsed-ed. I sort of dropped off the planet last week.'

Fyor was booted on the basis that he had taken no part in the social media side of what is a social media event. Because he had made no comments to his readers on his own posts and had avoided tweeting during the pre-competition phase he was shown the door.

I remember criticising Tess for revealing too much...

2009-09-14T00:22:21.893+02:00

I remember criticising Tess for revealing too much in her opening paragraph (where she slipped in her character was a twenty something virgin) and she commented how you have to reveal some stuff to keep in the game.

I think Utah's tiny flip at the bottom is all about staying in the game. I agree with you that such a "lazy" convention wouldn't cut it in a novel (I believe of either YA or A fiction) but the deliciously disturbing thing about FF - is pushing boundaries of writing - things which would never work in a full length novel work exceedinglyl well here ... which I think for us writers can be both terrifying, frustrating and enlightening.

Seeing the contestants adapt - as sort of hothouse evolution - is interesting in itself. Those who are paying attention are evolving their writing to suit the contest and are flourishing.

I was thinking how Coco's writing is also making best use of the short vignette insight which combined with all the other things which are wonderful about her writing and character - are keeping her at the forefront of the competition.

I should cut and paste all of this into a blog post for my site - lol!

PS: do you know why Tuck and Fyor both had 24% of the vote but Fyor was the one who was outsed-ed. I sort of dropped off the planet last week.

Wow, top comment Jodi. I like the idea of Tess's s...

2009-09-13T14:40:45.760+02:00

Wow, top comment Jodi. I like the idea of Tess's story presented in snapshot. A chicklit novel about a celeb told in that style could really work. The style would fit the subject.

Your thoughts on Utah are interesting, particularly that you like what seemed jarring to me. I suppose whether or not her approach is working depends on the audience it is aimed at. A teen novel on the subject, as you say, should definitely be told by the teen character. A more adult take oriented take on the subject would allow for multiple narrators. Let's hope Utah can prove my criticisms wrong in the next round.

Thanks for casting the x-ray on Fourth Fiction. I...

2009-09-13T14:31:26.030+02:00

Thanks for casting the x-ray on Fourth Fiction.

I am interested in how each of the contestants seems to have good weeks and bad weeks.

OLAF:
3rd rounds was really disappointing - a man adrift at sea - but Round 4 really packs a punch and I can see his story really moving from here. It would be wrong to say he'd been "floudering" prior to this. Round Five has his MC with a name for the first time, his back story firmly embedded and a chance for all of this to play out with Olga.

COCO
Ditto! I am enamoured with the fact what would have been considered (pre contest) to be Coco's weakness is actually her strength.

TUCK
I've got a bit of a love hate relationship with Frank and with Tuck (mainly for the political leanings) I haven't seen "24" so can't charge him with being derivative. I do think Tuck manages to catch little snippets which are quite clever and wry but there are just not enough of them in there. I also think his "off page" behaviour (which has been suprisingly toned down this round - has he had some PR grooming!) has contributed to the voting.

TESS
Her writing is a tease - she promises so much and delivers so little at time. There are glimmers of what could be smart, funny, edgey but there isn't the maturity in her writing or conceptualisation to weed out what will work and what will bore. Unlike a novel - you can't just step it out and hope you fall into something good. What I have noted though - given the SATC-ishness of it. She should be using the short vignette sized paragraphs to better effect - because her story lends itself to the slightly broken snap shot style.

UTAH
I like what Utah has done and I do like the short snappy paragraph and change of perspective at the end. I think what she's done is quite clever. We've ben given the domestic bliss and the demise of it ... so what will come next will be all the more horrific/tragic/uplighting ... depending on where her narrative goes. And as you say - I believe in this day and age, utilising the old story telling ethos - it is a story which must be told and read by those 13 year old Coreys out there.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

Thanks for taking the time to comment Felicia. I a...

2009-09-11T07:36:31.999+02:00

Thanks for taking the time to comment Felicia. I agree that it was good to see the effect on the mother in Utah's story, just wish she had taken her time and shown us more instead of telling it.

Hope you check out my second post detailing the remaining contestants which is now posted.

I have to say that I agree with you on several acc...

2009-09-10T23:50:58.573+02:00

I have to say that I agree with you on several accounts, which means that I don't with all.

For me Olaf started good, but it's going slowly, and I'm loosing interest. I want to see more of the finnish woman (Olga right?).

I agree about Coco.

Tuck writes rather flatly. Not engaging. So I guess I agree. ^^

I want the man-hunting with Tess's story too. I haven't read much chicklit, but it's more geared towards me, since I'm a 20 year old woman (although I can't understand the obsession many girls have with fashion).
I have read some though, and this IS a slow start. I don't care about a failed date or a shopping trip without being show a clear purpose as to why we need to read it.
The date I can see as a story element to further the plot, but not the shopping trip.

I have to disagree with you about Utah. I think it's good that she got the mother into the beginning, although it could have been shortened I guess.
In some ways by writing the Jacob scene so short, it sounds omnious in it's simple stating of facts. Like what will happen is to gruesome to put into words. I felt dread for what would happen to Corey.

Anyway, I like reading your crits! It puts my thoughts into perspective. :)

Another great roundup. I'm curious to see what the...

2009-09-10T22:45:28.837+02:00

Another great roundup. I'm curious to see what the others think of this-where they agree with you and where they disagree.

I haven't been following all of this like I had in...

2009-09-10T15:26:33.448+02:00

I haven't been following all of this like I had intended to, so I am incredibly thankful for your rundown here. I hope to catch up soon, and be on top of things.

Thanks, Dan!
~2