tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-417337570309175061.post2611425652858711068..comments2024-03-07T13:47:29.810+00:00Comments on Lloyd of Gamebooks: Paradigm shift - my writingStuart Lloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100216520313336932noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-417337570309175061.post-18020080252875316342013-06-14T22:54:24.956+01:002013-06-14T22:54:24.956+01:00Many thanks, Dave. And many thanks for your guida...Many thanks, Dave. And many thanks for your guidance in these past few years. It has been invaluable. There will be a lag in my change as the things I create will get released after a delay. I think that I must like writing because after reading that it is a thankless, never ending journey, I still want to do it.Stuart Lloydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15100216520313336932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-417337570309175061.post-43311844195345983302013-06-14T14:42:36.645+01:002013-06-14T14:42:36.645+01:00You'll be cursing me forevermore, Stuart - tha...You'll be cursing me forevermore, Stuart - that path to good writing is a journey that no writer has ever completed to their own satisfaction :)<br /><br />Nevertheless, it is a leap worth taking. The purpose of good writing is to go beyond the simple "description of events" (which is really, after all, the business of reportage rather than fiction) to evoke the specific emotions and ideas that you want to communicate to the reader. It's how storytelling moves from gossip around the water cooler into the realms of entertainment and (dare I say) art.<br /><br />I was reminded of this when I saw a review of one of Jack Vance's books recently. The reviewer was saying how "maybe this was the kind of SF they read in the old days. I thought all the twists were obvious and I didn't see why we were supposed to like the hero." Okay, so Vance is probably the greatest ever writer of fantasy, but I realized that everything he did was completely invisible to this reviewer because he couldn't judge the quality of writing - the way Vance can be poignant and funny at the same time, the way he evokes genuinely strange worlds, the elegant dialogue and the unsentimental love he has for humanity. But it was like showing a rainbow to somebody who's colour blind.<br /><br />What I'm saying is that it may be a thankless journey as well as a never-ending one. But the journey is the thing. I'm looking forward to seeing how this new direction shapes your future work.Dave Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14468228790874490693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-417337570309175061.post-88349298106579646172013-06-10T19:25:17.270+01:002013-06-10T19:25:17.270+01:00Many thanks for your comments, Grey Wiz! I'm ...Many thanks for your comments, Grey Wiz! I'm really glad that you did start posting about Mysterious path because your posts have been really insightful. I'm glad I wrote my experiences out in public as they have helped me crystalise my thoughts and yourself an my other blogger friends have been nothing but helpful. I bet you're right about the feeling of inadequacy not going away, but I am happy that I am better than when I started.<br /><br />Keep going too! Loved part 5 of the problem with gamebooks!Stuart Lloydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15100216520313336932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-417337570309175061.post-18914132691537150982013-06-09T21:16:26.730+01:002013-06-09T21:16:26.730+01:00Yours was the first gamebook blogs I discovered an...Yours was the first gamebook blogs I discovered and encouraged me to start posting about Mysterious Path.<br /><br />Learning in public is scary thing to do, but it helps others. I'm grateful to you (Dave Morris, Ashton Saylor, Gamebookers, Comic artists, Game designers et al) for all the knowledge share.<br /><br />The more you practice your craft, the more you realise it's a long trek to become the artist you want to be. Neil Gaiman says he still feels like he's 'making it up as he goes along' and will get found out eventually. I doubt the feeling of inadequacy ever goes away.<br /><br />Looking back to where you started can be an inspirational reminder to spur you on to your next milestone. Art is a process not product. It's all about the journey. <br /><br />Keep going!<br />Grey Wizardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03679328235334899633noreply@blogger.com