Readers liked the last video I did for The Juggling Writer, so here’s another — this time, about how all writing, physically, looks relatively the same.
When you think about it, there’s not much difference in the look of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Snooki’s A Shore Thing…but they are definitely different books!
So what’s a writer to do if it all looks the same? Watch the video above and find out.
[…] mentioned several times on The Juggling Writer that I learn a lot from artists. (My favorite book about creativity is still Chuck Jones’s Chuck […]
[…] mentioned the opening credits of Birdemic. The way they dragged on, it was like the anti hook, a terrible way to establish that the director really doesn’t understand the importance of […]
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
The 1-2 punch of that pirate’s hook and Snook book reading is making my wonder if my beginning hook is strong enough- in any of my works-in-progress. Oh joy. lol Thanks for the video, well done.
Nicely done. And a good topic, too. I say this from the POV of the reader of course, but a good hook certainly keeps ME going. I’ve always thought you are pretty good with ‘the hook’. And your Captain Hook hook cracked me up, by the way. 🙂
CMS: I’m glad you liked the video. I’ve always wished that writers could have their work physically analyzed as quickly as art. You see a great work of art and you instantly know if it’s good or not. Then you can spend more time with it and let it sink in even more. I think art directors — in ways — have it easier than editors and agents, simply because they get to go through something visual. All we have as writers is the hook.
Mary: Thanks for the reply. I think genre fiction helped me with hooks. Sometimes they can lean to being in your face, but there seems to be more of a hook in genre and commercial fiction than some literary fiction I’ve read. Granted, they’re different things and if it’s a literary novel I’m in the mood for, I’m fine wading through pages of pretty prose before things start moving, but a good hook can be used in anything, so why not do it.
I’m glad the pirate hook cracked you up. It was the last one on the shelf.
Damn it, were are you, call me or send me email. I am sure you are social with others in the group. Call Cuntis Hard and get my number I miss seeing your posts.
Rob: Yeah, the downside of the social media break is losing touch with some people. I’ve received some goofy text messages from Curt. The break would have been over this Tuesday (Cynthia will be back), but I was dared to go 50 days more. I won’t take any dares beyond that (I’m actually going 51 days beyond 50, just ’cause it’s 101 days and that’s kinda cool). I’ll try not to be so reclusive.