Four kinds of stories (was Tolkien vs. Rowling)

[bluesox4113]

No: HPFGUIDX 32213

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Elizabeth Dalton <Elizabeth.Dalton at E...> 
wrote:
> As some folks know, I have some aspirations toward a writing career 
myself
> someday. (So far all I have is rejection slips, but that's a start, 
I guess.)

Keep trying!  As I can personally attest, quite often deathlessly 
stubborn persistence will take you even farther than pure talent 
will.

 In
> the course of trying to improve my writing, I've read a number of 
books about
> the subject. My favorites are by Orson Scott Card. (Unsurprising,
as 
I like his
> writing rather a lot as well.)

Yes, I will definitely second this.  The two I have are his _How to 
Write Science Fiction and Fantasy_ and _Character and Viewpoint_.  
I've used his _How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy_ book in 
teaching a course on, what else, writing sf and fantasy.  And his 
_Character and Viewpoint_ was one of the most helpful resources I 
found while I was struggling with understanding the technical 
difference between omniscient viewpoint and limited third person 
viewpoint while I was writing my second novel, The Wild Swans.

All you fanfic writers out there, take a look at these two books.  I 
also particularly like his discussion of things to think about when 
you're trying to build fully developed characters.

I had thought of bringing up Card's discussion of the four story 
types, esp. since he does discuss Tolkien in particular.  But you
beat me to it, Elizabeth, with your nice synopsis.  Thanks.  I do 
think his distinctions between story types are useful, and for that 
reason comparing Tolkien to Rowling's work IS rather like comparing 
oranges and apples.

(I happen to love both oranges and apples.)

Cheers,
Peg Kerr

Author of: 
Emerald House Rising (Warner Books)
The Wild Swans (Warner Books)

currently re-reading The Fellowship of the Ring (yet again)
Current reigning CD: the BBC production LOTR from 1981, re-released
on CDs.  (I've had them on cassette tape for years and listened to 
them over and over again, even though the radio station I taped them 
off "drifted" so you can hear on the tape Prince's song "1999" during 
the scene between Frodo, Sam and Gollum at the Crack of Doom in 
Mordor.  Rather ruined the mood of that scene and drove me absolutely 
crazy, so I went out and bought them, now that they're re-released.  
How nice to finally have it in clean crisp sound on CD!  It was so 
strange to hear Ian Holm's voice in the movie, playing Bilbo.  I'm so 
accustomed to his voice as Frodo!)