Comments on: Spellbound by Nora Roberts (Review) http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts the blog about writing stories and being a better writer Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:16:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Tirya http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-27893 Tirya Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:01:57 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-27893 It's weird. Nora Roberts has been one of my favorite authors for quite some time, and I've enjoyed nearly all of her contemporary romances. It wasn't until I took a writing class that discussed the concept of Point of View that I realized just how much "head-hopping" she does in her novels. That doesn't make them any less enjoyable for me - I still like her stories and her tone. It just made me wonder if her earlier novels (the ones that were first published) were written in the same manner, or if the "head-hopping" has developed as she has become more successful, in the same way that Stephen King's self-editing has gone by the wayside as he has become more famous. After all, what editor is going to tell Nora Roberts "You really shouldn't do that"? It’s weird. Nora Roberts has been one of my favorite authors for quite some time, and I’ve enjoyed nearly all of her contemporary romances. It wasn’t until I took a writing class that discussed the concept of Point of View that I realized just how much “head-hopping” she does in her novels.

That doesn’t make them any less enjoyable for me - I still like her stories and her tone. It just made me wonder if her earlier novels (the ones that were first published) were written in the same manner, or if the “head-hopping” has developed as she has become more successful, in the same way that Stephen King’s self-editing has gone by the wayside as he has become more famous. After all, what editor is going to tell Nora Roberts “You really shouldn’t do that”?

]]> By: J. Timothy King http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-27556 J. Timothy King Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:26:48 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-27556 Heidi, Nora is a lucky writer to have fans like you. No joke. I might also say the same thing about Robert Heinlein, that he never wrote a bad book. (Even though I know that <em>any</em> writer can write a bad book.) What I've found since I wrote this review is that Nora just isn't my cup of tea. But then again, I'm picky. Cheers. -TimK Heidi, Nora is a lucky writer to have fans like you. No joke. I might also say the same thing about Robert Heinlein, that he never wrote a bad book. (Even though I know that any writer can write a bad book.) What I’ve found since I wrote this review is that Nora just isn’t my cup of tea. But then again, I’m picky.

Cheers.
-TimK

]]> By: HeidiW http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-27554 HeidiW Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:11:32 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-27554 I am sorry about the confusion some are having with ANY book by Nora Roberts. She can't write a bad book. Maybe you should go back to Dr. Seuss! I am sorry about the confusion some are having with ANY book by Nora Roberts. She can’t write a bad book. Maybe you should go back to Dr. Seuss!

]]> By: J. Timothy King http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-71 J. Timothy King Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:12:34 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-71 Maybe it would've helped. I don't know. You're right that it's not really a scene change. But it is a new shot, a change of focus. And that's why I was thrown by it, because I saw nothing that anticipated the change. I guess I just get confused by thought conversations, being able to hear inside multiple heads at once. Cheers, -TimK Maybe it would’ve helped. I don’t know. You’re right that it’s not really a scene change. But it is a new shot, a change of focus. And that’s why I was thrown by it, because I saw nothing that anticipated the change. I guess I just get confused by thought conversations, being able to hear inside multiple heads at once.

Cheers,
-TimK

]]> By: Anonymous http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-70 Anonymous Sat, 11 Feb 2006 22:43:19 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-70 Perhaps if she had begun the next paragraph with "It is, yes" the viewpoint change would of been more obvious. But, that's not always how the thought process works. I don't see it as a scene change. The scene doesn't change until the conversation is over. I look at it as a thought conversation. As readers we are able to hear the words and thoughts simultaneously back and forth. Perhaps if she had begun the next paragraph with “It is, yes” the viewpoint change would of been more obvious. But, that’s not always how the thought process works.
I don’t see it as a scene change. The scene doesn’t change until the conversation is over.
I look at it as a thought conversation.
As readers we are able to hear the words and thoughts simultaneously back and forth.

]]> By: J. Timothy King http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-69 J. Timothy King Sat, 11 Feb 2006 20:32:27 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-69 You can't be in over your head. Much of this is hocus pocus, anyway; it's subjective. As long as you say how the piece truly affected you, you're on solid ground. <blockquote>But he couldn’t know just how deeply that disappointment, that frustration cut into her heart.</blockquote> So you're saying this is what he's thinking, that he's observing a disappointment in her eyes, but he doesn't know how deeply that disappointment affects her. Yes, that's possible. I probably myself would have taken it this way were it not for the next sentence: "He’s here, she told herself. He’s come." This is clearly inside her head. So when did the point of view switch, and why? When a writer switches point of view, it's like changing scenes in a movie. He has to give me some reason to expect the scene to change and then make a clean transition. Maybe someone walks out of the frame through a door, then suddenly we're looking at the next room, from the other side of the door. That's a scene change, and the person walking out of the frame anticipated the change. In prose, the transition can be as simple as putting a section break. We end one scene and we start the next, now from a different perspective. But when I'm reading along and I'm in one character's head and then suddenly I'm in another character's head, I get confused. So I don't know where the scene change occured, and I need to re-read that part of the prose a few times just to figure out what I missed, and that disrupts the story for me. -TimK You can’t be in over your head. Much of this is hocus pocus, anyway; it’s subjective. As long as you say how the piece truly affected you, you’re on solid ground.

But he couldn’t know just how deeply that disappointment, that frustration cut into her heart.

So you’re saying this is what he’s thinking, that he’s observing a disappointment in her eyes, but he doesn’t know how deeply that disappointment affects her. Yes, that’s possible.

I probably myself would have taken it this way were it not for the next sentence: “He’s here, she told herself. He’s come.” This is clearly inside her head. So when did the point of view switch, and why?

When a writer switches point of view, it’s like changing scenes in a movie. He has to give me some reason to expect the scene to change and then make a clean transition. Maybe someone walks out of the frame through a door, then suddenly we’re looking at the next room, from the other side of the door. That’s a scene change, and the person walking out of the frame anticipated the change. In prose, the transition can be as simple as putting a section break. We end one scene and we start the next, now from a different perspective. But when I’m reading along and I’m in one character’s head and then suddenly I’m in another character’s head, I get confused. So I don’t know where the scene change occured, and I need to re-read that part of the prose a few times just to figure out what I missed, and that disrupts the story for me.

-TimK

]]> By: Anonymous http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-68 Anonymous Sat, 11 Feb 2006 19:47:16 +0000 http://bethestory.com/2006/02/05/spellbound-by-nora-roberts#comment-68 Hi Tim, I don't really see the viewpoint changing in the paragraph you mentioned. It is still his viewpoint. He is trying to figure out how deeply he has effected her. His answer comes in the next paragraph, where you get her perspective. I don't know. I think I'm already in way over my head! Hi Tim, I don’t really see the viewpoint changing in the paragraph you mentioned. It is still his viewpoint. He is trying to figure out how deeply he has effected her. His answer comes in the next paragraph, where you get her perspective.
I don’t know. I think I’m already in way over my head!

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