Susan Sey
46 comments posted.
Re: Money Shot (3:44pm June 13, 2011):
Christina H wrote: I want my characters to have as much depth as possible, but they can't be perfect.
Exactly! There has to be room to grow, or why are we reading?
Re: Money Shot (3:43pm June 13, 2011):
Maude A wrote: Paint me a picture. My mind will do the rest.
Exactly! I love it that my imagination gets to work hand-in-hand with the author sometimes. That's half the fun & I don't want too much of the work done for me.
Re: Money Shot (3:41pm June 13, 2011):
Carla C wrote: The author is that artist and at times allows me liberal liscense to create, if they aren't as descriptive it allows my imagination to flow.
Exactly! Sometimes I just don't want the author to be too specific because I'm rocking a mental image & I don't want anybody messing with it. For this reason, I always have to read the book before I see the movie. I want my imagination to have free rein & if I see an actor in the role...I can't erase that.
Re: Money Shot (3:39pm June 13, 2011):
Lisa K wrote: I much prefer dialog. If there is too much description, I zone out.
Yep. Me, too. Not proud of it but...I skim. Where are the quotation marks??
Re: Money Shot (3:38pm June 13, 2011):
Lisa G wrote: I love good dialogue!
A girl after my own heart!
Re: Money Shot (3:38pm June 13, 2011):
Diane S wrote: Concise description is appreciated, some authors go on for two long with minute extraneous detail.
And some people really love that! (I know, I don't get it either but there you go.) I personally prefer the story to move along but I do know a lot of people who just savor all the details. Good thing there's a book out there for everybody.
Re: Money Shot (3:36pm June 13, 2011):
Tracey T wrote: I like realistic dialogue with a dash of sarcasm. The exchanges have to feel natural and not scripted or I lose interest.
I took a grammar class in college once that did a lot of transcription of actual conversation, & it was amazing to me how absolutely fragmented speech really is. And yet somehow we understand one another. So there's actual dialogue that looks bizarre on the page, well written dialogue that feels natural but isn't & bad dialogue that feels stilted and really is stilted. It's no wonder there aren't more people writing awesome books. This is hard to figure out!
Re: Money Shot (3:33pm June 13, 2011):
Mary Ann Landers wrote: Also under this heading is the author's voice, her distinctive way of telling a story---an important factor in the author-reader relationship.
This is so true! There are some authors I think I could identify from hearing the first sentence of their books, their voices are so distinctive. Janet Evanovich comes to mind as a perfect example. Even when she was writing short romances, her voice just shone through.
Re: Money Shot (12:11pm June 13, 2011):
Lynn L wrote: Are you from MI? I love to camp in the state parks.
I'm from MI originally, which is how I came to adore Mackinac Island (and pronounce it correctly.) :-) And now I'm from MN, which is way closer to Isle Royal than MI, so I have no idea how MI came to have custody of it. And I'm an enthusiastic backpacker, so I'm with you on that, too. Happy camping this summer!
Re: Money Shot (12:08pm June 13, 2011):
Jennifer B wrote: If the dialogue is good? Total dialogue junky. Now... I don't like WRITING dialogue, usually. I don't feel like mine is up to snuff.
Oh, we never think our own is up to snuff. I hate reading my own writing. But I do love others' snappy dialogue. And I'll bet people like reading yours, too.
Re: Money Shot (12:07pm June 13, 2011):
Sheila wrote: Enjoyed your post. Book sound great
Thanks, Sheila! Hope you enjoy MONEY SHOT if you pick it up!
Re: Money Shot (12:05pm June 13, 2011):
Carol D wrote: Settings need to be enough to provide the frame for all the characters & dialogue.
Yep, that's me, too. Character & dialogue aren't enough by themselves, but I love for them to be the stars of the show. Gotta have a coherent framework for it all to hang on, though, right?
Re: Money Shot (12:04pm June 13, 2011):
Jo R wrote: I suppose it's unique style and a comand of language in whatever form it takes. I like reading for the journey as much as for the destination.
I've been reading some Neil Gaiman lately & have been just savoring the language. He's got a gorgeous vocabulary but it's never showy, and never gets in the way of the story. Anybody in particular you like for language?
Re: Money Shot (12:03pm June 13, 2011):
Anna Speed wrote: I am drawn to books with certain settings. At the same time, I consider the characters and story more important.
Character and story are my biggest draws, too, but I love a beautifully rendered setting that doesn't get in the way. Too much setting & I skim, but when the setting serves to make the story come alive, I'm totally there.
Re: Money Shot (12:01pm June 13, 2011):
Desiree wrote: the book sounds great and then the cover is great to
Thanks, Desiree! Hope you enjoy it!
Re: Money Shot (12:00pm June 13, 2011):
Linda H wrote: I love were the settings are in books I read. You can go there in your mind. It's like going on a mini vacation.
I know! And cheaper! Sometimes when we actually do go on vacation, we try to read a bunch of books ahead of time that have been set in that place. It's just another way to anticipate the fun. Do you ever do this?
Re: Money Shot (11:59am June 13, 2011):
Linda H wrote: I love were the settings are in books I read. You can go there in your mind. It's like going on a mini vacation.
Re: Money Shot (11:58am June 13, 2011):
Wilma F wrote: I love accurate settings, makes the story more realistic.
I love this, too. I love feeling like I've been someplace when I close a book.
Re: Money Shot (5:19pm June 10, 2011):
Jeanne wrote: Susan, who says there aren't worlds in the back of wardrobes? I'm not convinced there AREN'T.
Well, since I'm among friends I will admit to a certain amount of fumbling about in the backs of closets. Just to make sure, you understand. I'd hate to miss an opportunity.
Re: Money Shot (5:17pm June 10, 2011):
Jeanne wrote: And I love setting, I could talk about setting alllll day. Architecture. Trees. Weather...oh, they're supposed to TALK to each other? Ha!
And this is why I must make a mental note to email you when I need to know what the heck to call that building over there. The...squarish one. Brick? With those, um, trees in front of it. The leafy ones. You know? :-)
Re: Money Shot (5:15pm June 10, 2011):
Anna wrote: I remember as a primary school kid reading Mary Stewart and how evocative those settings in her books were. They made me want to travel. A great setting really can turn a story to magic, can't it?
I cannot tell you how grieved I was to discover Narnia didn't actually exist, speaking of childhood reads that made an impression. :-) It speaks to the skill of the author that I so desperately wanted to go there even though I was well old enough to know there weren't worlds waiting around in the backs of wardrobes.
Re: Money Shot (5:13pm June 10, 2011):
Rita wrote: If it keeps my attention that is the main thing.
Ha! That's the trick right there, isn't it? I think it was Elmore Leonard who, when asked about the secret to his success, said he just tried not to write the parts people didn't read. Sounds so simple when he puts it like that, doesn't it?
Re: Money Shot (3:55pm June 10, 2011):
Jeanne S wrote: I like all three lol. Love characterization, descriptions (accurate if possible) but also the dialogue lol.
Well, sure. Who doesn't want it all if we can get it? :-) And accuracy to boot? Man. It's a goal.
Re: Money Shot (3:53pm June 10, 2011):
Tammy R wrote: it is nice to know setting but unless it is a matter of life and death to the scene it isn't all that important to me.
Exactly! It was a shock to me to discover that not everybody reads this way. I thought, "Huh. Really?" But it accounts for a great many books I couldn't hack being greatly beloved by other people.
Re: Money Shot (3:52pm June 10, 2011):
Sue F wrote: A good plot that is well fleshed out is what I'm looking for.
Me, too. I love a plot that refuses to let me look away. I don't want to hide from my kids, but if a book demands to be read, well, what's a girl to do but lock herself in the bathroom?
Re: Money Shot (3:51pm June 10, 2011):
Rosemary wrote: Wow, this book has a lot going on, great vicinity, wonderful dialogue, interesting characters and a read that will make me smile, laugh and enjoy. Just what I need to break up these hot Florida days.
Wow, Rosemary, I'm going to let you write my back cover copy from now on! You make my book sound really, really great! Hope it lives up to your blurb!
Re: Money Shot (3:48pm June 10, 2011):
Yuka wrote: I love snappy dialogue and interesting characers. Money Shot sounds like a fantastic book-congrats!
Thanks, Yuka! I hope you'll enjoy it!
Re: Money Shot (3:48pm June 10, 2011):
Holly C wrote: I like setting. I want to experience new places and climates or revist familar ones.
I'm always so nervous about writing about real places! I always feel like the people who live there are going to hate me for rendering their home so badly. That's why I tend to make places up. Plus, I probably won't get sued for talking smack about a place I made up.
Re: Money Shot (3:46pm June 10, 2011):
Colleen C wrote: the setting sets the book, but I am more into the relationship between the characters and how they come to life between the pages.
Yep. You & me both, Colleen. I bet we could happily read off each others' bookshelves for quite a while. :-)
Re: Money Shot (3:45pm June 10, 2011):
Kim C wrote: However, in Deanna Raybourn's "Lady Julia Gray" historical series, the author does an outstanding job with settings. Whether it's standing on the English moors or walking the streets of Victorian England, the reader actually feels as if she's there.
I have been so impressed with Deanna Raybourne. She won a RITA out from under Nora Roberts one year & the next year when Nora won, she actually acknowledged Deanna in her speech. Something about how she would have been more upset about losing last year if Deanna hadn't totally deserved it for writing a better book. Wow, right?
Re: Money Shot (3:43pm June 10, 2011):
Shirley wrote: Love great dialogue but also like a setting that reflects a place I know or introduces me to a new one.
Isn't that a great feeling? When you finish a book & feel like you *know* a place you've never been? That's talent.
Re: Money Shot (3:41pm June 10, 2011):
Robin W wrote: Sometimes I read a book for the second time & wonder how I missed an important setting or wonderfully lyrical description the first time.
I'm so glad you said this. It happens to me all the time & I'm always a little embarrassed. Like, "how on EARTH did I miss that vitally important plot point?" It's even more embarrassing when I'm not even concerned I don't fully understand what's going on because I'm so in love with the characters I'd follow them anywhere, even if they don't make sense.
Re: Money Shot (3:40pm June 10, 2011):
Jane C wrote: Settings are very important to me and I like details, but I'm also a dialogue junkie.
Yep. It's one of the crueler realities of life that people seem to want both things together. :-) Makes sense,though. If you can have them both (and some authors do both beautifully) why wouldn't you? I'll be interested to know how you think MONEY SHOT succeeds if you decide to pick it up.
Re: Money Shot (3:37pm June 10, 2011):
Connie F wrote: Your novel, "Money Shot" sounds like it would be one that would really hold the reader's attention. Therefore, you have obviously done a terrific job on it.
I like how you think, Connie! And thanks so much for the confidence in my abilities. If you read MONEY SHOT, I'd love to know what you think of it.
Re: Money Shot (3:35pm June 10, 2011):
Peggy R wrote: I'm by Lake Huron, but I'm familiar with the area.
Lake Huron! My family has a cottage in Alpena--lower peninsula, Huron side! I love that lake. Say hello to it for me!
Peggy also wrote: My main purpose is to be swept away from my everyday life and into a new one for the length of the book, and to be totally swept off my feet.
Me, too. That's absolutely what I want & as long as the author transports me, I'm thrilled. I don't care how they do it so long as they do it. :-)
Re: Money Shot (3:32pm June 10, 2011):
Marjorie wrote: Variety is good!
Yes! I'm all for variety! Hopefully I provided plenty in MONEY SHOT but I'll look forward to hearing what you think.
Re: Money Shot (3:31pm June 10, 2011):
Lynn R wrote: Blast! It's naked HIPPIES and frisky MOOSES (MEECE?). Here I was hoping for frisky hippies and naked mooses (mice?)!! Oh, well.
Oh shoot, I wrote it backwards. :) If it helps, there is some naked friskiness that goes on. Just not necessarily with the hippies or the moose. At least not together. Which is good, right? :-)
Lynn also wrote: I usually need a fairly even balance of setting and dialogue.
Oh, balance. It's the killer. I tried really, really hard but only the reader gets to decide how I did. If you read the book, I hope you'll let me know what you think.
Re: Money Shot (3:27pm June 10, 2011):
Liesa wrote: Characters and settings draw me in...the dialog is a bonus
Then you'll get plenty of bonus with MONEY SHOT. :-) Hope you enjoy it!
Re: Money Shot (3:26pm June 10, 2011):
Debra R wrote: Characters and dialog! the scene matters just not as much.
A girl after my own heart! I tried hard with the setting in MONEY SHOT but this leopard couldn't change her spots if she wanted to. Plenty of character & dialogue there, still. Hope you enjoy it!
Re: Money Shot (3:25pm June 10, 2011):
GS Moch wrote: 'm very character driven, so I do appreciate dialog quite a bit. I look forward to reading your newest.
Thanks, GS! I really hope you'll enjoy it! It's a bit darker than MONEY HONEY but its beating heart is the characters & their back-and-forth. Happy reading!
Re: Money Shot (3:23pm June 10, 2011):
Dawn S wrote: The setting draws my attention..but the dialogue has to be interesting also...
I'll admit that I'm a dialogue junkie. If the patter is snappy & the banter sparkling, I'll forgive about anything. That's shallow of me, isn't it? Charm over substance? What the heck. I read for entertainment. If I learn something along the way, great, but I'm not there for the facts.
Re: Money Shot (3:22pm June 10, 2011):
Georgia wrote: Think I need a book like this in our 90 plus degree weather.
Amen,sister. We broke heat records here in MN earlier this week. Today it's, like 50 & cloudy, but on Monday I'd have given anything for a snow covered island to hang out on. :-)
Re: Money Shot (3:20pm June 10, 2011):
Beth E wrote: like the girl trying to cope/guy at home with himself duo.
Thanks, Beth! I seem to be attracted to this set up, maybe because I always feel like I'm working so hard to cope with life & my husband just sails through with supreme confidence. :-)
Re: Money Shot (3:18pm June 10, 2011):
Teresa N wrote: but the dialogue and story are what will keep me reading to the end.
Yep, me too. The setting can be beautiful and beautifully rendered but what grabs me by the heart is the characters. I have to care about them before I care about the setting. Just my bias.
Re: Money Shot (3:16pm June 10, 2011):
Karen wrote: Where ever it is, I want to have a sense of place. The author needs to be able to put me in the scene emotionally and mentally.
Author who can do this have my complete admiration. It's such a gift to be transported this way, isn't it? This is why I read, in the end.
Re: Money Shot (3:15pm June 10, 2011):
Gladys wrote: I must admit I enjoy reading about the setting,also. ...to place myself in the location and it is fun.
This is absolutely true. I've been reading a lot of fantasy lately & I'm enthralled with the world building. It's so fun to be immersed in that alternate reality.
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