Is there a recommended maximum part size for stories?

curious_guy (imported) wrote: Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:08 am Is there a recommended maximum part size for stories?

I myself like guys who tell me their story about 7.5 inch part sizes... How about you? What do you like their part size to be?...

You know, I think there is an old saying that, anything more than a mouthful is wasted. Do you find that to be true?



P.S. I don't know what the heck you asked but if you wait a while, I am sure someone with the necessary knowledge will reply.

Take care...

curious_guy (imported) wrote: Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:08 am Is there a recommended maximum part size for stories?

Not really, so long as it's on-topic and and more than a few paragraphs.

Yes,

...and the part size should not be too long here on the E.A. because we have a bad reputation for cutting them off if they are.... :dong:

A-1

....Seriously, Though,

Tt is much easier to read if you break the paragraphs into no more than 10 to 15 lines.

Try to separate the story into paragraphs where the subject or thought line changes, except in quoted conversations.



A-1

A-1 (imported) wrote: Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:01 pm ....Seriously, Though,

Tt is much easier to read if you break the paragraphs into no more than 10 to 15 lines.

Try to separate the story into paragraphs where the subject or thought line changes, except in quoted conversations.



A-1

I do break things into paragraphs. Did I use to few paragraphs in Sander 8?

I am working on finishing the Sander story and so far I have 34778 characters (6624) words and I am not finished yet. The average size of the previous parts is about 18,000 bytes. I was wondering if I should make it parts 9 and 10 instead of one long part 9.

curious_guy (imported) wrote: Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:08 am Is there a recommended maximum part size for stories?

The guidelines I follow when editing my wife's stories are those she teaches in her writers' workshops. As she says time after time, "There are no such things as 'rules' when it comes to writing, just general principles."

If your story is longer than 4,000 to 5,000 words, consider breaking it into more than one chapter. Chapter breaks should feel natural to the reader, and occur where the action shifts from one setting to another, or from one time frame to another.

Paragraphs should be divided according to a natural break in the stream of consciousness, or, in the case of dialogue, when one character ceases speaking and another takes over. Again, that's not a hard and fast rule, just a suggestion to make things easier for the reader.

Please don't try to imitate Faulkner by making it a contest to see how many words you can write in a single sentence, or even in a paragraph. Punctuation has its uses, and your readers will appreciate its correct use.

Above all, read and re-read what you've written. If something sounds bad to you, believe me, it'll sound much worse to your readers. Don't ever hesitate to edit several times. Be happy with your finished product, and your readers will probably echo your feelings.

Shortie (imported) wrote: Thu May 05, 2005 6:37 am The guidelines I follow when editing my wife's stories are those she teaches in her writers' workshops. As she says time after time, "There are no such things as 'rules' when it comes to writing, just general principles."

If your story is longer than 4,000 to 5,000 words, consider breaking it into more than one chapter. Chapter breaks should feel natural to the reader, and occur where the action shifts from one setting to another, or from one time frame to another.

Sander 9 is up to 10,938 words now so I probably should break it into at least two parts.

Shortie (imported) wrote: Thu May 05, 2005 6:37 am Paragraphs should be divided according to a natural break in the stream of consciousness, or, in the case of dialogue, when one character ceases speaking and another takes over. Again, that's not a hard and fast rule, just a suggestion to make things easier for the reader.

Please don't try to imitate Faulkner by making it a contest to see how many words you can write in a single sentence, or even in a paragraph. Punctuation has its uses, and your readers will appreciate its correct use.

Above all, read and re-read what you've written. If something sounds bad to you, believe me, it'll sound much worse to your readers. Don't ever hesitate to edit several times. Be happy with your finished product, and your readers will probably echo your feelings.

Have you read any of my stories? If you have, did I do well in the things you mentioned above?

I have had two people read Sander 9. One loved it and one hated it. Would you like to read it so that I can get a third opinion?

curious_guy (imported) wrote: Thu May 05, 2005 1:04 pm Have you read any of my stories? If you have, did I do well in the things you mentioned above?

Hi, C_G,

I just finished reading Part 8. Although the subject matter is not what I would normally choose to read, I certainly have no issues with the formatting. You paragraphed well, and the transition from dialogue to narration was okay, also.

As for chapter length, I can't find fault with that either. There was no natural break in the action which would normally call for another chapter, so your decision to include everything in Part 8 was perfectly acceptable.

curious_guy (imported) wrote: Thu May 05, 2005 1:04 pm Sander 9 is up to 10,938 words now so I probably should break it into at least two parts.

Have you read any of my stories? If you have, did I do well in the things you mentioned above?

I have had two people read Sander 9. One loved it and one hated it. Would you like to read it so that I can get a third opinion?

Since curious is probably referring to me as a person who hated the story, I thought I should supply some clarification. Curious writes well. That's not the problem I have with the story.

I just think that he succumbs to a long-winded discussion of the technical aspects of the future world in which Sander lives. It's unneeded and distracts from the story we want to hear.

The Story: all writers should realize that's what's important. In this case, the story is Sander, whether he is neutered or not and whether or not he comes to accept being neutered, if he is. All else is fluff that distracts from the story. "You have to kill your darlings," Hemingway said.

I'm sure curious is proud of the "tomorrow world" he's invented. It could be successfully used a science-fiction story. Sander is not about the world of the future; it just happens to take place there.

It's difficult -- if not impossible -- to write like someone else. Timothy had a unique style which captured the feel of Sander, a young boy. I wish I could do it as well.

I read a long book once. In it, one author began the story, writing a section, then another author took over writing the next section. After three or four writers, the story bore no resemblance to the one the first author had started.

It was like the old game of "gossip," where one person whispers something into the ear of another, then that person passes on what he thinks he heard.

This would be the problem, whether this story were written by curious, me, or someone else.

I written stories that were loved by some and hated by others. That's always going to happen. If curious likes his story, he should post it. I'm sure he'll have the same reaction: some will love it and some will hate it.

Since he solicited my opinion, I wrote my own version of the conclusion of Sander. I'm not sure though -- under the circumstances -- I should post it here on the archive.

Perhaps, I'll post to my web site. It isn't true to Timothy's "Sander" either. I can't stay out of their heads. My version delves deeper into their thoughts and feelings. I tried to write it like Timothy would have -- but I just couldn't help myself