From: nicky.matthews@btinternet.com   
      
   On Wednesday, September 17, 2014 5:38:27 AM UTC+1, Jymesion wrote:   
   > On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 16:50:19 -0700 (PDT), Nicky   
   >    
   >  wrote:   
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   > >   
   >    
   > >Then I think I'd probably ask what function it serves.   
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   >    
   > One of my favorite characters likes pb&j sandwiches on dark rye (which   
   >    
   > is a shame because he's usually in quasi-Medievel settings where there   
   >    
   > isn't any peanut butter).   
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   >    
   >    
   > A girl was born in an upstairs back bedroom which then became her room   
   >    
   > until she was twelve. She moved to a second-floor front bedroom when   
   >    
   > her little sister was soon to be born.   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > A pony has a white spot the size and shape of a thumbprint on its   
   >    
   > right ear.   
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   >    
   >    
   > A wizard lisped when he was a child and so couldn't perform some basic   
   >    
   > spells.     
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   >    
   > None of these things make it into my stories, as such.    
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   >    
   >    
   > Knowing them makes it much easier for me to write about the character   
   >    
   > because I understand them better.   
      
   Ah well I don't build character like that. However, the background you've   
   given for this story is not of that order. You have created a setting which   
   allows the opportunity for the revelation of character, showing character   
   through setting is part of    
   novel writing.  I tend to look at the novel or story as the thing in itself:   
   anything that doesn't make it into the story is irrelevant.    
   I always think its a pity when, for example, students understand exactly why a   
   character does what they do or speaks as they do and can give me chapter and   
   verse on it but none of the material makes its way into the story. As a   
   consequence  the writing    
   is thinner than it could be because all the rich and interesting stuff stays   
   in the writer's head. I've no idea if you do that or if you are too   
   experienced/talented whatever not to make that mistake. However, in the scene   
   upthread I don't think you take    
   the opportunities that are there to reveal background and so that's why I   
   mention it. It may be because most of my experience is in  writing for younger   
   people I take the view that everything in a novel has to justify its   
   existence, but that the material    
   that will help the story work and accentuate thedrama has to make it to the   
   page in some form.    
      
   Nicky   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)