(10-22-2014, 02:23 AM)Streetboat Wrote: try to employ the infamous floppy penis technique whenever possible, as employed by the prestiged sir george ARAR martin, esq.
(10-22-2014, 02:23 AM)Streetboat Wrote: try to employ the infamous floppy penis technique whenever possible, as employed by the prestiged sir george ARAR martin, esq.
Simply put: there's too much information to be told about the subject, so just simply showing everything starts to be a bit challenging. That was my point with WW2, it's a large subject, which can't be shown just like that.
I'm writing a book too (my first) and my advice for you, although it may not be the best, is the following:
You want the reader to know about the WW2, right? Then, you can make him/her take lessons in the same books, in the form of dialogues. GoT does this a lot: you know the story of the reign because when characters interact, some of them explain history to the other one. Pretty much like:
-Grandma, who are those men? (pointing at Nazis)
-They are german soldiers at the orders of Adolf Hitler.
-Who's Adolf, Grandma?
-He is... (insert explanation)-
I guess you get what I mean. At least, this is what I like to use to tell my readers essential information to get through the plot.
Sorry, but you just repeated the same advice, which was represented earlier.
Making scenes of explaining via dialogue; it's not simply enough: the conversation wouldn't consist everything, since I've got quite large subjects in question. Subjects which contain large amounts of details, things to be told. It would be also irrational to disscuss about things so deep that every aspect of the subject are being revealed, if there's simply so much. The event should take place in a school lesson, that should be reasonable, but then it would simply give a cheap impression, it could give a feeling to the reader that it was intentionally written, just for that one purpose.
I decided it's better to explain. I'll just write separate chapters exclusively telling about why is this and why is that, so it won't intersect with the story telling.
I appreciate your effort though. Thank you.
(This post was last modified: 10-22-2014, 09:39 PM by Red.)
Hold on, Rött. I think some of us have missed the point, and I didn't explain myself well. Personally, my advice would be to not have "explanation" chapters. You're right in feeling that the explanation should not interrupt the narrative, but rather it should be woven through it. I think this is what Froge meant by "show, don't tell".
Every element of the narrative (the events, characters, dialogue, settings, imagery, and the word choice and tone of the narrator) should go towards explaining your theme. Conversely, every element of the theme should be relevant to the narrative.
If something you are trying to explain doesn't fit the narrative, then there is no need to explain it. Leave it up to the reader's imagination. If you load your narrative with meaning and implications, then everything relevant will be explained.
That's what I was trying to say with my example above.
Quick question: Is ALL of this massive information that you're saying you have ALL 100% essential to making the story make sense? It's best trying to cut out what the reader doesn't need absolutely, and slowly trickling things in as it goes along.
That is just what I am trying to do currently: cutting down the subjects to basics and show more, if needed, when needed. There are a lot of important stuff, which really is essential, so I am questioning should I postpone it or leave it to readers imagination. But for now, thank you all for your effort of answering. I'll try to blend everything with your suggestions. This will do and be enough, for now. I think I got the grip again.