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I would characterize myself as lowbrow with you, but that's one of the things I noticed Cannoli Send a noteboard - 29/05/2014 12:13:18 AM

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I actually had to read it 3 times to even get your point. The "he said" or "she mentioned" portion of dialogue normally doesn't even register with me. I am too focused on the conversation itself to care much (that is what is critical to the story, not the dialogue "format".


I didn't much further in Mistborn, and it gave me a really bad feeling about the forthcoming WoT finale trilogy. The irony is that I am only able to articulate the specifics of Sanderson's flaws because I hated his treatment of WoT. I didn't really know what he was doing wrong, but I knew WoT like the back of my hand and what Sanderson wrote was not what I was used to reading. Discussions with the more enlightened readers on this site, particularly DomA (most of the other "book snobs" having matured far beyond having anything constructive or useful to say about Sanderson's attempt)helped me catch this kind of thing. It has also helped me put my finger on things I dislike about Game of Thrones, in comparison to A Song of Ice & Fire.

I still can't really tell good writing from bad, but thanks in large part to Jordan setting me up to plow through three long books written by Brandon Sanderson, I am better able to pick out differences in style, and spot bad things.

Cannoli
"Sometimes unhinged, sometimes unfair, always entertaining"
- The Crownless

“Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.” GK Chesteron
Deus Vult!
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Friendly challenge to Larry and other literary "snobs" on the board..... - 25/05/2014 06:44:34 PM 1237 Views
As it happens, I wrote an example last year. - 25/05/2014 07:13:41 PM 1221 Views
Nice *NM* - 27/05/2014 02:43:53 AM 598 Views
I have no problem with BS' dialogue in your example. - 27/05/2014 03:52:27 AM 1037 Views
I would characterize myself as lowbrow with you, but that's one of the things I noticed - 29/05/2014 12:13:18 AM 1033 Views
Wait, aren't Game of Thrones and A Song of Fire and Ice the same thing? - 29/05/2014 09:18:31 PM 1095 Views
Fair enough, but do you mind me waiting just a little bit? - 26/05/2014 04:57:18 AM 1211 Views
Re: Fair enough, but do you mind me waiting just a little bit? - 26/05/2014 09:10:31 PM 1222 Views
I really should read Irving, I see - 27/05/2014 06:10:50 AM 1076 Views
Re: I really should read Irving, I see - 28/05/2014 03:01:24 AM 1135 Views
Promising opening paragraph, yes, but... - 26/05/2014 10:55:16 PM 974 Views
I think those shifts are part of the character, not something unintentional - 27/05/2014 06:08:44 AM 988 Views
So bad prose is okay if it is intentional? *NM* - 27/05/2014 03:54:34 PM 478 Views
Okay, I do of course miss the perspective of what comes after. - 27/05/2014 06:29:33 PM 883 Views
I proudly claim the title of literary snob, and will provide you with a quick, unscientific example. - 26/05/2014 08:15:04 PM 1089 Views
LOL! - 26/05/2014 10:03:50 PM 1282 Views
Huh. Lana Del Rey quotes Nabokov... I had not made that connection. - 26/05/2014 11:17:47 PM 1194 Views
That quote from Lolita sounds like it is from a romance novel with Fabio on the cover. - 27/05/2014 03:40:37 AM 997 Views
Bah! - 27/05/2014 07:50:15 PM 1109 Views
Alloy of Law was great *NM* - 28/05/2014 08:16:26 PM 572 Views
Hell Yeah! *NM* - 28/05/2014 08:36:40 PM 482 Views
The audiobook was pretty great, as well. *NM* - 29/05/2014 09:19:07 PM 588 Views

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