Wright Writing Corner: Putting In the Stuff People Skip
The latest column from my lovely and talented wife, Mrs. John Wright:
http://arhyalon.livejournal.com/111904.html
I see I am mentioned in the opening paragraph.
" What is the number one thing that people skip? (Come on, admit it, you probably skip stuff, too…unless the “you” in question happens to be my husband, who probably never skips anything.)"
She is correct. I cannot imagine reading a book and skipping any of the paragraphs. It would seem to be an insult to the writer, if not a disservice to yourself, to do so. If the book bores you, put it back on the shelf. I cannot tell if my wife is more patient than I am, since she is willing to keep reading a book that bores her, or more impatient, since she is willing to skip paragraphs and chapters that might be crucial.
Maybe there is more boring description in books of the type she reads (WAR AND PEACE by Tolstoy or GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchel) than in the books of the type I read
(THE VORTEX BLASTER by E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith or THE COMET KINGS by Edmond ‘World-Wrecker’ Hamilton or THE SHADOW LAUGHS! by Maxwell Grant or TOM SWIFT AND HIS TRIPHIBIAN ATOMICAR by Victor Appleton II).
I think it is clear that science fiction is more intellectually evolved that there mere romance novels my wife reads, and perhaps therefore attracts a higher caliber of writing.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to return to my own very original and highly artistic science ficiton masterpeice I am writing, AMAZON GLADIATOR SLAVE-GIRL OF MARS VERSUS SPACE-DRACULA. She is writing some sort of sequelto to a guy named Shakespore or Dainte or something, or some other hack writer I never heard of. Jeesh.
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
