Rambling about writing
My mother buried three husbands, and two of them were just napping.
- Rita Rudner
This sounds like a funny suspense or something. I don't know about any other writers out there, but I study films or books. Now that I write as a career I never seem to read or watch a movie for the pure enjoyment any more. Even simple things, like the above quote I analyze.
Movies, I watch for the transition from scene to scene, how they build suspense. How different directors build the tension in different ways. I love Dexter on Showtime, and this last season with John Lithgow has been one of my favorites, but I found myself waiting to see how the author would write their next scene. How Dex's sister is working her way toward discovering his true identity, etc.
Books, I find myself watching how they phrase things, do they over use fragments? How do they write their hook at the beginning of the book. Is there a hook at the end of each paragraph so you can't put it down?
Five years ago, I would sit down to a movie and enjoy, none of this stuff crossed my mind. Or I'd read a book, and though I was writing at the time, I never thought about the hook.
Now I can't seem to stop.
What about any of you other writers? Readers, do you ever think about the hook?
- Rita Rudner
This sounds like a funny suspense or something. I don't know about any other writers out there, but I study films or books. Now that I write as a career I never seem to read or watch a movie for the pure enjoyment any more. Even simple things, like the above quote I analyze.
Movies, I watch for the transition from scene to scene, how they build suspense. How different directors build the tension in different ways. I love Dexter on Showtime, and this last season with John Lithgow has been one of my favorites, but I found myself waiting to see how the author would write their next scene. How Dex's sister is working her way toward discovering his true identity, etc.
Books, I find myself watching how they phrase things, do they over use fragments? How do they write their hook at the beginning of the book. Is there a hook at the end of each paragraph so you can't put it down?
Five years ago, I would sit down to a movie and enjoy, none of this stuff crossed my mind. Or I'd read a book, and though I was writing at the time, I never thought about the hook.
Now I can't seem to stop.
What about any of you other writers? Readers, do you ever think about the hook?
Comments
"You can't take back knowledge."
The upside is that the more I study the more some of the good stuff has to rub off.
Great food for thought, Mary. Thanks
Stanalei
Lesli, I need to get with you about screenwriting.
Darcee, that sounds like something I need to pick up. On Writing by The master--Stephen King is still my favorite!