When a story doesn’t suck as bad as you thought
I was pleasantly surprised when I read over some of the stuff I wrote doing SOCNOC today. Oh, is that nightmare finally done? Yeah, it is, isn’t it? Well, it’s always a good feeling when you’re sure that something you’ve written sucks, and then you read it and it doesn’t suck. Actually, I found it all rather readable.
Which isn’t the same that I can say for the first chapter of Lord of the Rings. Not to put the poor chap down, but I feel confident that I can do something cool and interesting with it. Tomorrow is the first of a new month, and the first day of our eleven day Chapter One Rewrite Book Club challenge. I won’t need the whole time, but maybe I can write two chapters. Who knows.
Having said that, the first chapter of Lord of the Rings is very much a chapter of its time. Tolkien certainly didn’t have to deal with what’s required of a first chapter in this age. I’m not sure, would it sell on it’s first chapter in this day and age? It certainly has a lot of fat on it.
Last question for tonight. Alien or Zombie? Answer me that. Which would you choose? Keep in mind, this is strictly 50s flavor. Ray guns, or shamblers? Why do I ask? Well, you shall find out, dear reader.
July 1, 2009 at 9:35 am
Zombie.
I’m looking forward to playing around with it though, still having no idea what to do with it!
I am yet to read the chapter through! Guess that should be my task for the morning
July 1, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Alien. Zombies are SOOO passe.
And I think Tolkien is a matter of taste. I love his style, even if it is out of fashion, and he hooks me and keeps me reading. Not that I would ever write like that, but I think his prose is less dated than Dickens or Peake.