February 2012
53 posts
I'm a little confused about how the comma in your last post was incorrect. I interpreted the 'and' as combining two sentences: "I pulled out a letter. I pulled out a folded schedule of courses." If that was the case, than the comma would be separating the two independent clauses, which would mean it was correctly used. Could you elaborate as to why it was incorrect?
You’re partially correct. If that were the case, then the comma would be separating two independent clauses. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
I pulled out the letter, and a folded schedule of courses.
In your interpretation, you’re adding elements to the sentence that don’t exist. You’re adding an imaginary subject and predicate to make the second independent clause. I guess it’s okay if you want to do that, but you should keep the comma imaginary, too.
January 2012
24 posts
Interview →
timeoutdoha.com
I say lovely things about you near the end.
New Moon
What I hate the most about New Moon: Meyer romanticized suicide.
I understand that teenagers (and grown-ups, too) have volatile emotions. A broken heart really can seem like the end of the world. People get depressed and feel like they have nothing to live for. I know.
Though I’m not a person who has been suicidal, I am a person who has agonized over how to help someone who is. From this vantage point, I’m especially wary of dangerous influences.
Depression and suicidal ideations are real and should be taken seriously. These are issues that have a perfectly valid place in discussion and literature. The subject of suicide isn’t the problem; the presentation is.
Here we are at the end of New Moon. Everyone is safe and sound, despite the self-destructive behavior of our protagonist and her true love. What changed? What stabilized the will to live? Edward loves Bella; Bella loves Edward. Bella wasn’t dead; Edward wasn’t dead. The suicidal problem was only resolved because their relationship was revived. No one decided that life was worth living for the sake of being alive.
It pains me to do so, but I’m going to revisit the Romeo and Juliet comparison. In New Moon, Bella wonders if either of the star-crossed lovers would have been able to survive without the other, so what about the readers of this book still left with the question of what would Bella or Edward do if no one straightened out their mess of miscommunications? If the love of your life doesn’t want you or you have to live without someone you love, killing yourself is still presented as a viable option.
When you purposely write a bland protagonist to make it easier for the reader to relate to that character, you have an obligation to get the message across that suicide isn’t the answer. I’m not swayed by the fact that “it’s just a book,” because if readers can be inspired to greatness by books (and I believe people can be), the flip-side is that books can ignite destruction.
Darlings? Please know that suicide is not the answer. Please.
December 2011
37 posts
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
To avoid watching it in a crowded theater, I waited several weeks after the premier to see Breaking Dawn. I just got back, and I have only one question:
WHEN DID G’MORK AND DARK HEART HAVE A LITTER OF PUPPIES?!?!
Dana! Where have you gone? Oh. Wait. It's the holidays. Enjoy them and refresh your loving snark for next year, okay? Tell Boyfriend I say hi! :D
Happy Holidays to you, too.
Sorry for the radio silence. The holidays certainly contribute to my distraction, but it’s mostly the process of closing out New Moon and getting ready to start Eclipse. It takes a little longer to make end-of-the-book compilation* posts than standard entries. Also, it’s nice to have a little breather before I begin another book.
* At this point, the collection of dialogue tags has taken on a life of its own. It’s no longer about the writing technique. I’m marveling at the eccentric variety.
