tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post3966444185401919441..comments2024-03-15T00:15:04.424-07:00Comments on Marilyn's Musings: Setting the Scene by Timothy HallinanMarilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179984154939161530noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-34413574522378788162011-11-27T21:56:52.951-08:002011-11-27T21:56:52.951-08:00I'm back, after a great day of writing and rea...I'm back, after a great day of writing and reading your comments.<br /><br />Like yours, Madeline -- greatly appreciated. Don't we have the greatest job in the world, getting to think these people up and then live with them?<br /><br />Thank you, Pat -- having read ABSINTHE OF MALICE, I'm not sure you need any help with setting, but I'll take praise where I can get it.<br /><br />To Patricia, thanks to you, as well-- if I had any doubt about whether to keep the scene in, this would resolve it. (The explanation for the handprints is pretty good, although once again, I have no idea where it came from.)<br /><br />Alice and Anne, you're really supportive, and don't think it's not appreciated. The most recent book tried to kill me for months, and my confidence is still in a full-body cast. (Thanks also for the nice words about LITTLE ELVISES and FOUR LAST THINGS, Alice.)<br /><br />Prentiss, so glad you like Poke and his family. Hope you like the new one, which is the one with the little handprints in it. <br /><br />Jackie and Lil, we all have to stop meeting like this, although I can't think of a reason not to continue.<br /><br />And finally, thanks to you, Marilyn, for hosting me and for bringing so many nice people to the party. This has been phenomenal.Timothy Hallinanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00551263887774445511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-26161764900560665752011-11-27T19:39:49.140-08:002011-11-27T19:39:49.140-08:00I liked your assignment to your students about how...I liked your assignment to your students about how character defines the story, Tim. I bet the waters off the Santa Monica pier affect the character, thought, differently from the waters in Thailand which I can still feel. I even have some nostalgia for the trees and rocks of Joshua Tree. You are a just a very fine writer.lil Glucksternhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09288522126331817172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-28747000300085457242011-11-27T14:49:27.551-08:002011-11-27T14:49:27.551-08:00Wow, I go write for a few hours and come back to a...Wow, I go write for a few hours and come back to all this niceness. Marilyn, you draw a great crowd.<br /><br />Pat and Marja, thanks for the praise. I never know what's going to show up on the page and it's always great to have these errant impulses (I hesitate to call them inspirations) validated.<br /><br />Kevin, thanks for such a precise real-life example of what I was trying to say. One person's neighborhood can be another person's war zone, and the writer who fails to use the setting to illuminate characters wastes a resource that can be extremely valuable.<br /><br />Wendy, thanks for the "hook" comment. Planting a hook at the beginning of a scene, as well as at the beginning of a book, can be a great technique as long as it remains honest and doesn't get all tricksy.<br /><br />Earl, Jean, and John, my fellow blog tourists (tourers?) - you guys are all turning out such good quality, in books and blogs alike. I have to admit that I looked ahead to this with a twinge of dread, but it's turned out to be a great experience.<br /><br />Everett, spot on, as usual. Everything is character. Plot is what characters do. Dialogue is what characters think. Setting is how characters experience place -- otherwise, it's scenery, not setting. We (I, anyway) read for character and pretty much only for character. Nice stuff about the trees, too.<br /><br />Thanks to Cindy for being such an enthusiastic Poke fan and to Heather for thinking of becoming one and to Neil for ongoing support that always makes me feel better.<br /><br />I'll be back in a bit to finish this up, but I just realized where a scene in the new Junior is going and I want to get it down before I forget it.<br /><br />Y'all are great.Timothy Hallinanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00551263887774445511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-71537206278738928092011-11-27T14:26:38.515-08:002011-11-27T14:26:38.515-08:00Wonderful post, Tim. I'm looking forward to re...Wonderful post, Tim. I'm looking forward to reading through your series very soon.Jackie Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16276062715832103428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-90297566371887854462011-11-27T14:06:04.364-08:002011-11-27T14:06:04.364-08:00Thank you one and all who have visited today and r...Thank you one and all who have visited today and read and commented on Timothy's post.<br /><br />MarilynMarilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04179984154939161530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-65847954039922954882011-11-27T13:13:44.217-08:002011-11-27T13:13:44.217-08:00Tim, I love your Poke books!Tim, I love your Poke books!Prentiss Garnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07843306525782167667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-33165119071354490942011-11-27T12:44:14.825-08:002011-11-27T12:44:14.825-08:00Marilyn,
I enjoyed reading this post on setting th...Marilyn,<br />I enjoyed reading this post on setting the scene. What Timothy said is so true; each of us experiences our setting in a different way. I loved the excerpt about the children's' grimy hand prints. Those few words were so intriguing that they made me want to read the novel.Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-22305258395494482202011-11-27T12:39:24.771-08:002011-11-27T12:39:24.771-08:00You had me from 'The same setting is different...You had me from 'The same setting is different to different people'. What a great lesson and writing tip all wrapped into one. Thank, Tim. <br /><br />Those handprints scare me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-32002225318936140892011-11-27T12:07:40.955-08:002011-11-27T12:07:40.955-08:00One of the things I loved best about LITTLE ELVISE...One of the things I loved best about LITTLE ELVISES and THE FOUR LAST THINGS was the setting. I grew up in So. CA, and reading those books was like taking a tour of places I miss (some of them more than others). Good job, Tim!Alice Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04617808704864502171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-12734990676681087102011-11-27T11:43:25.353-08:002011-11-27T11:43:25.353-08:00Oops! That "comment removed by author" w...Oops! That "comment removed by author" was just me. I somehow managed to post the same thing twice. <br />Pat BrowningAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-46970580084939266532011-11-27T11:40:28.601-08:002011-11-27T11:40:28.601-08:00Great post, Tim. I'm with you all the way when...Great post, Tim. I'm with you all the way when it comes to setting, and your blog is helpful.<br /><br />Also helpful is the comment from Kevin Tipple, a native Texan, about how he and a friend who moved to Texas from California, saw the same places in different way -- "What we were and are as people, deep inside, drove how we perceived the setting--often in some very opposite ways."<br /><br />I never realized it before but as a re-planted Okie I see everything in terms of California. Good character material there -- we are not always happy where we are because of where we've been.<br /><br />Best to both you and Marilyn --<br /><br />Pat BrowningAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-60676052815158965532011-11-27T11:38:38.430-08:002011-11-27T11:38:38.430-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-51410304223890570442011-11-27T11:30:37.361-08:002011-11-27T11:30:37.361-08:00Poke and Junior, what interesting characters, Timo...Poke and Junior, what interesting characters, Timothy. And the two settings--perfect. Great post, a lot to take from it.<br /><br />MadelineM.M. Gornellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05610211516010193111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-26064604463136222052011-11-27T11:29:33.082-08:002011-11-27T11:29:33.082-08:00Yet another example of great writing! Thanks, Tim....Yet another example of great writing! Thanks, Tim.Neil Plakcyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14790700248668484294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-45147751968727776892011-11-27T10:46:19.384-08:002011-11-27T10:46:19.384-08:00I think I've just become a Poke fan! I'm o...I think I've just become a Poke fan! I'm on my way out to buy a Poke Rafferty book. Love trailing along on this mystery tour, too!Heather Havenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13095994296025539054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-59781269207194849252011-11-27T09:18:25.496-08:002011-11-27T09:18:25.496-08:00Very thoughtful post. I love the Poke Raffety seri...Very thoughtful post. I love the Poke Raffety series and always feel like I've been transported to Bangkok, experiencing all aspects of that city. The scene with the hand prints is absolutely (had to use an adverb) masterful. I can't wait to start the new series. Thanks for the great advice.Cindy Samplehttp://www.cindysamplebooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-44457730379357995722011-11-27T09:15:59.790-08:002011-11-27T09:15:59.790-08:00Hi, everybody, and thanks for being so nice. As i...Hi, everybody, and thanks for being so nice. As it turns out, the scene did make the cut - so far, at least; the book is still with my editor -- and the handprints are explained at the end of the chapter. One of the peculiar things about writing with no outline whatsoever is that things like the handprints suddenly pop up, and often they turn out to be the most important detail. These weren't that important in turn of story, but they provided the emotional note the end of the scene needed.<br /><br />I used to assign my students to write a description of a street we all knew -- the last block of Washington Boulevard before it ends at the Pacific Ocean -- from the point of view of someone who's going to meet someone she loves, someone who's just had a bad medical prognosis, and someone who thinks there may be a person between him and the beach who wants to kill him. It really animated their descriptions and also provided them with multiple points of entry into the story.Timothy Hallinanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00551263887774445511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-75884943481206690052011-11-27T09:15:07.109-08:002011-11-27T09:15:07.109-08:00Everett's Grand-Unification Theory of Story Wr...Everett's Grand-Unification Theory of Story Writing: EVERYTHING is Character. Characters, of course, but also setting, time period, events, they'd ALL better flesh-out, inform, shape and drive the characters of the stories, or they're dead weight.<br /><br />A tree's a tree. But a tree in the desert is a very different thing from a tree in a rain forest or along a coastline or on a mountain top. Some are ravaged by sun, some are ravaged by wind, and some are gently nurtured in every way. Some are burnt in forest fires, while others are eaten by insects, and others are cut down and sawn into lumber. Some live thousands of years and witness the rise and fall of hundreds of civilizations, while others live far less than a century and barely manage to shed a handful of seedpods.<br /><br />But if a tree lives and dies in a forest, and no one writes about it, do any readers care?Everett Kaserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12371555243187874414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-900010034131378392011-11-27T08:46:31.502-08:002011-11-27T08:46:31.502-08:00Liked this post!Liked this post!Theresa de Valencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11192010465755742673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-12267834798387394262011-11-27T08:39:07.733-08:002011-11-27T08:39:07.733-08:00Can't wait to start reading your work, Tim, on...Can't wait to start reading your work, Tim, once the dust settles. I plan to start with Little Elvises.john M. Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00175415154857919353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-17155110232729249832011-11-27T08:17:42.507-08:002011-11-27T08:17:42.507-08:00THE QUEEN OF PATPONG is one of my favorite novels ...THE QUEEN OF PATPONG is one of my favorite novels and I look forward to reading the Jumior Bender series.Jean Henry Meadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08146960738692672013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-51518394294201836342011-11-27T08:17:25.815-08:002011-11-27T08:17:25.815-08:00I greatly respect authors who can write setting as...I greatly respect authors who can write setting as a character and not an info dump, and you're one of them, Tim. I hope you include the children's handprint scene. It's awesome.Earl Staggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13349667172813175960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-11249024407714849302011-11-27T07:27:02.107-08:002011-11-27T07:27:02.107-08:00Tim: This post may have been about setting but you...Tim: This post may have been about setting but you gave us a great lesson about hooking the reader. I can't wait to read your Poke books and explore Bangkok.<br />Wendy<br /><a rel="nofollow">W.S. Gager on Writing</a>WS Gagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02278366853908626596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-91936215199432551912011-11-27T07:14:56.071-08:002011-11-27T07:14:56.071-08:00Good stuff. Years ago I got a direct lesson on how...Good stuff. Years ago I got a direct lesson on how setting would be different for different people based on their life experiences. I became good friends with a guy who was a native Californian and, because of his wife's job, forced to move to Texas and this same complex. I'm a native Texan.<br /><br />When we drove down the street, especially when we went into some places that weren't the best, what he saw and what I saw were two very different worlds. The same thing happened here at home or dealing with store folks or whatever. There was a race angle to everything but it went far beyond that. <br /><br />What we were and are as people, deep inside, drove how we perceived the setting--often in some very opposite ways.Kevin R. Tipplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04170714419133752724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3164137142811869136.post-56764932267783355702011-11-27T06:30:41.821-08:002011-11-27T06:30:41.821-08:00I have to agree with Pat. The handprint scene is a...I have to agree with Pat. The handprint scene is a great hook, and good writing. Interesting blog, and thank you for sharing.Marja McGrawhttp://www.marjamcgraw.comnoreply@blogger.com