Attention to detail

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sonicinterface's avatar
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The other day I asked lizardman22 what he considered a good story.  He said he likes a story that "pulls him in", one he can visualize easily.  To him, this means a subject he takes interest in and knows something about, writing that's descriptive but not tediously so, and language he can relate to.  (You can read the conversation here.)  Of course, he didn't suspect at the time that his answer would lead to the beginning of The Bronze Seagull...

But I digress.  I figure that in order to possess the right to ask a question like that of someone else, I should be able to answer it myself.  That's what this journal entry is about.

What I value in a story can be summed up in three words: attention to detail.

I like a story that demonstrates that the author knows what he or she is writing about, and has made some effort to research and/or think about the subject material as opposed to just making details up on the fly without caring how they fit together.

The reason I take to fan works is most likely because there's an extra layer of detail to pay attention to: faithfulness to the source material.  If you're writing about a character or setting conceived by someone else, you'll impress me the most if your impression of that character or setting matches the original creator's, or at least differs for a sensible reason.

Sometimes attention to detail isn't readily visible.  That's why I'm not shy about challenging anything I perceive as inconsistent or illogical.  I'm one of those people that would say "Wait a second-- wait a second-- if that's his chair, then how do his dorsal plates not damage the back when he sits in it?"  Of course, such a challenge doesn't automatically mean you've failed my test; if you can give a satisfactory answer, I'll most likely warm up to you.

As for my genres of choice, I'm interested in both fantasy and sci-fi, but what really catch my eye are works that blend multiple genres, or put new spins on well-known formulas.

...That's all I have to say at the moment.  Perhaps it'll answer a few questions others have had about me.
© 2014 - 2024 sonicinterface
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Lolocator's avatar
So thats your secret no wonder my stories arent interesting to you. I live off free lance writing. Or whatever its called when you prefer to work with what ever comes into your head first. Though I do try to connect things and given legitimate reasons for things.