3 pages of maps
4 pages of dramatis personae
2 pages of poetry
6 pages of prologue
(introducing 4 characters)
1 page of history from a book on military campaigns
1/2 page of poetry
Then Chapter 1 starts. 6 more characters are introduced before 1 of the first 4 characters from the prologue enters the picture, 10 pages into chapter 1.
Thus 10 characters are introduced before the story really gets started.
And in the 4th paragraph of chapter one, the following:
quote:
The fishergirl nodded faintly. As befitted the lowborn, they waited by the roadside, the old woman burdened beneath a rough sack filled with turnips, the girl with a heavy basket balanced on her head.
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I'm frustrated. Not only does this author get away with all the things I've been told are 'no-no's, but he gets away with silly little mistakes like the one above. How on earth could you 'nod faintly' with a heavy basket balanced on your head?
I think it's time for a more in-depth discussion of the use of prologues, poetry, maps, excerpts from dry and dusty tomes, rapidly introducing multiple characters, etc in our work. Something that goes beyond, 'don't do it'. Obviously, it works and is acceptable to editors.
Just because it's published says nothing of it's worth. The amount of crap in the bookstores overwhelms me.
On whim one day I read a chapter from one book at random from the "C" part of fantasy section, then walked over to the "s" section and read a chapter at random. The chracters names and settings were so close it was as if I was reading the same book.
quote:
How on earth could you 'nod faintly' with a heavy basket balanced on your head?
One assumes she's got one hand on the basket or that she nodded ever so slightly as to not disrupt the balance. It's possible.
Does the average reader pick up a book in a bookstore and say, 'Hey this has a prologue!'? If the reader picks it up and they enjoy the tale, they might not even notice.
The use of maps, poetry, character introductions, all of that stuff, is typically dictated by the publishers themselves. They see an epic story being told, and they immediately think Tolkien. So it follows that they will ask the author to add those sections, often teaming the author up with an illustrator for maps and chapter headings.
And as for those random authors being chosen, they're called 'Cinderellas', and in many ways it's a publicity stunt. Consider that one particular author who wrote Message in a Bottle, and other sappy pieces of crap just like it. His publisher gave him a million dollar contract, and the buzz from it sold the book out flat the moment it hit the stands. Had it not been for the press, that book would have been in the discount bin in a month.
NO...
Want another good example of authors getting away with thing we never would? Pandora's Star is 800 pages of uncut, overkill. The several chapters that explained the aliens history, and how it came to be what it is, was flat out dull. To top the whole book off...was the cliffhanger at the end.
I think we should think more on the lines of why we don't want to get away with the things that annoy us. We should strive to improve our writing so it doesn't read like it was written by an amature. I believe most everyone here wants to be published, so concentrait on what it takes to make your writing what it should be.
The question comes down to this. Are you writing to get published, or are you writing because you have something to say? If you're writing with hopes for a career, or at least as a career supplement, then one might argue that you are better off observing the formulaic customs for your chosen genre and submitting to publishers with a demonstrated appetite for same. (The other route is harder.)
If, on the other hand, you are writing because you have something to say, then fidelity to your message is the watchword of the day. And once you've crafted your tale/thesis with whatever conventions, style and content serve it best, you go off and hunt for a publisher willing to view your work on its own, rather than as this month's publishable content in their never-ending flow of similar content.
At least, that's the way I see the game.
Jefficus
*Edited to remove ambiguity of a phrase.
[This message has been edited by Jefficus (edited January 26, 2005).]
Anyway, that's why I generally don't read all the stuff in the front before I start on the real story. (I know a lot of people read every last word, I just can't bring myself to. Besides, I already know the ending of the part that starts: "If you purchased this book without a cover..." So why bother?) If the story is interesting, I will read it even without knowing the background information, and I can always go back to those pages if something is confusing me.
I've never even suggested that you "can't" have a prologue, nor have I spoken against maps and other similar resources being in the beginning of a book. I have said that it is usually better to save a glossary or other appendices for the back of the book, but that's about as far as I'd go on the subject.
Two, if the author has handled it badly, showing me irrelevant maps, a poorly written and uninteresting prologue, contrived "documents", and so forth, then I judge the author's work on that basis.
Oh, and while it is possible to nod while balancing a heavy basket on your head, I don't recommend you try it. It really isn't a good idea, particularly if you happen to be a young girl.
Maria von Trapp, in her autobiography, got around this, with me. She called her preface "The Chapter Before the First," and admitted she called it that because she never read prefaces and she wanted people to read this. But by the time I read that much, I wanted to know why she cared so much, and so I was hooked!
It doesn't matter that much one way or another. Lot of people get published whose books suck. First of all, much to my dismay it seems the best way to get published is to have connections. I never heard of the random new author getting published. I have to believe that the editor at least picks a new author whose work has some merit, though.
On the other hand, if Erikson is an established author he might have gotten sloppy.
One of my least favorite things for an author to do is to introduce ten characters before getting me into the story. I almonst never remember any of their names of who they are because I have no relevant detail. Furthermore, I usually end up putting the book down. I'm not one of those who finishes a bad book...life's too short.