How to Write a Novel Posts--Cool
Sep. 9th, 2006 02:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shalannaWell, there are now quite a few "How to Write a Novel" meme posts on LJ. You can probably find a list of links someplace. But here's something else interesting. Author and creative writing professor Crawford Kilian has put a very USEFUL How to Write a Novel site up as Open Courseware!
I'll bet I could go through that course and learn more stuff than I could ever put to use, although it wouldn't fix what is wrong with my works at heart, which is (1) that my openings don't send people, and (2) they're by me, and I repel humans, so it's always going to be a problem. Now, if cats and dogs read books, I would have no trouble at all. I can stand in an open field and any cats or dogs around will be attracted to my legs, either to circle while purring or to, um, hump. I have no idea what I'm doing to my pants to make these animals interested, but it's probably better not to know.
At least I'm popular (kinda) with SOME species.
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andelku writes:
I'll bet I could go through that course and learn more stuff than I could ever put to use, although it wouldn't fix what is wrong with my works at heart, which is (1) that my openings don't send people, and (2) they're by me, and I repel humans, so it's always going to be a problem. Now, if cats and dogs read books, I would have no trouble at all. I can stand in an open field and any cats or dogs around will be attracted to my legs, either to circle while purring or to, um, hump. I have no idea what I'm doing to my pants to make these animals interested, but it's probably better not to know.
At least I'm popular (kinda) with SOME species.
andelku writes:
Ridicule has been raised to an art form. It comes from all sides, and in all directions, and it is the most powerful method of soft control we engage in. [...] [M]odern romantic comedies hinge on making one partner, usually the woman, humiliate herself in order to get the guy, and how that impacts the dating environment.) Some of it comes from our work environments or families. But it's everywhere. We're soaking in it, Madge.
"I wonder how harmless such people are? To what extent civilization is retarded by the laughing jackasses, the empty-minded belittlers." So writes Robert Heinlein in _Have Space Suit, Will Travel_. And yes, we're on about anti-intellectualism here again.
