tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574414788989761066.post7219099557126011949..comments2023-03-01T06:25:23.395-05:00Comments on The Raven's Quill: Wink, Wink; Nudge, NudgeKrista Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00887177438174795076noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574414788989761066.post-53160088724637999712012-01-31T11:20:53.240-05:002012-01-31T11:20:53.240-05:00Not really a writer, as the blogger knows, but my ...Not really a writer, as the blogger knows, but my thought is that subtlety actually is the middle ground. I think if you worry about making sure the reader picks up on foreshadowing cues, you may have already gone too far. All your readers will have different focuses and attentions and I would think that trying to ensure they grasp something is going to make it far to blatant. <br /><br />I've discussed writing with the blogger occasionally and while I like to think I'm decent at paying attention to composition, character, meaning and the possiblilities in a narrative... I'm garbage at picking up foreshadowing. My wife sees things coming in a text, or a film for that matter, miles before I do. The thing is, I like it that way. When I do catch something, I feel very engaged, and when I don't, I allow myself to be surprised by the twists and turns in the narrative that I did not see coming.<br /><br />Feedback from betas, mentioned in the comments, makes a lot of sense to me too - and I think a key would be getting several of those, because different people focus and attend to things differently.<br /><br />I think that if the world and characters are rich and well constructed, then simply writing about them will bring out subtle cues. Maybe that is too simplistic a way of looking at it, but I definitely would be a proponent of subtle as opposed to slap-you-in-the-face foreshadowing.<br /><br />The almonds though? That whole plot twist was just nuts.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12425275085752713415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574414788989761066.post-86234415849476622762012-01-27T12:36:02.331-05:002012-01-27T12:36:02.331-05:00The emerald light flashes once more; the smell of ...The emerald light flashes once more; the smell of burning organic matter fills the air.<br /><br />Hi Krista. Nice post on a complex topic. I've used it with mixed success, and I suppose if you aren't confident in some genres you could leave it out, but not if you're writing detective stories or most horror...<br /><br />He re-calibrates the laser. The Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and Cheerios are next. <em>No one invades my breakfast table. Not now! Not ever!</em>T. Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14660486241627763908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574414788989761066.post-64629726899016477902012-01-26T17:47:48.976-05:002012-01-26T17:47:48.976-05:00So true! My betas are invaluable. Don't know w...So true! My betas are invaluable. Don't know what I'd do without them.Krista Walshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00887177438174795076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574414788989761066.post-78230007282102010352012-01-26T17:47:25.476-05:002012-01-26T17:47:25.476-05:00That's exactly it! With my latest ms (the one ...That's exactly it! With my latest ms (the one I kinda, sorta pushed to finish -- yeah, obvious error) I left a few "uh..." moments, it seems.Krista Walshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00887177438174795076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574414788989761066.post-87586340780217659342012-01-26T17:46:35.782-05:002012-01-26T17:46:35.782-05:00I love those times when you read back over your co...I love those times when you read back over your completed ms and hit on points you don't even remember adding that tie in so perfectly with where you ended up. Great feeling :)Krista Walshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00887177438174795076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574414788989761066.post-59361756538059794452012-01-26T13:17:33.833-05:002012-01-26T13:17:33.833-05:00I think its easy to go too far. Many books assume ...I think its easy to go too far. Many books assume the reader is a dolt, it's very irksome. I big dilemma for sure, and one that varies between adult and YA. I think this is again where Beta readers who ARE IN your target market are so key. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574414788989761066.post-17694947518152839162012-01-26T09:57:17.194-05:002012-01-26T09:57:17.194-05:00This is something I do think about at certain poin...This is something I do think about at certain points while I'm working on a ms. I've never actually "planned" the hints --they just kind of happen as I'm writing as a natural outcome to the way I've structured my outline. Sometimes I catch things while editing that are a little too obvious but for the most part it words out okay --or at least I've never been criticized for this aspect of my writing.<br /><br />Great post, Krista!Angela Addamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00283366504707259705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-574414788989761066.post-27125673436697012722012-01-26T07:19:29.288-05:002012-01-26T07:19:29.288-05:00Some day I'm going to figure out how to commen...Some day I'm going to figure out how to comment without it eating the first one! Anywho. . . what I said was something along these lines: I tend to be too subtle in my hints. My readers pointed out a couple areas where they were taken by surprise by something I *thought* I had made quite clear, in a subtle manner. ;) There's a big difference between the reader thinking, "Wow! I didn't see that coming!" and "WTF Where did that come from?!!?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com