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    Canonfire :: View topic - Literary Influences
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    Literary Influences
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    GreySage

    Joined: Oct 06, 2008
    Posts: 2788
    From: South-Central Pennsylvania

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    Thu Aug 30, 2012 12:01 pm  
    Literary Influences

    I'm posting this because I'm having html problems. Canonfire will not accept the html of my new Word 2010 program. I am therefore obliged to copy and past to my new Open Office program, which doesn't have a Thesaurus feature.

    Smillian asked about my Literary Influences regarding my story: "The Making of a Paladin."

    http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1054&mode=&order=0&thold=0

    Because of the html problems, my reply ended up all jumbled together. So I'd like to re-post my reply here:

    “As silently as the ghost of murdered men they disappeared in the darkness.”

    The Phoenix on the Sword, by Robert E. Howard

    “The shimmering shaft of the tower rose frostily in the stars.”

    The Tower of the Elephant, by Robert E. Howard

    Hope I’m not disappointing you, Smillian! There are, of course, innumerable books on writing and I’ve read several. They all offer the same advice: Read what you like and want to write yourself. So, you shouldn’t expect me to name any “great” literary minds, in the normal sense.

    Howard tops my list. Many know, or are familiar with Conan, but have those readers ever paid real attention to Howard’s prose? His scenic descriptions are awesome and who else would have thought to write the above quotes? How do you better such sentences as those?

    Howard is followed closely by Tolkien, Louis L’aMour , Sir Walter Scott and Michael Moorcock. Moorcock’s “Eternal Champion” theme is one I’d like to emulate, but haven’t quite figured out how to do so without blatant plagiarism! Evil Grin

    And now I spend the rest of my life trying to figure out how to rewrite the quotes above, lest all of you know from where I stole them! Laughing

    Hope that answers your question, without disappointing you, Smillian!
    And I’ll consider your complimentary comment to be my Nebula. Cool

    And . . . Thanks!
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    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 09, 2003
    Posts: 1358
    From: Tennessee, between Ft. Campbell & APSU

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    Thu Aug 30, 2012 12:48 pm  
    Re: Literary Influences

    Mystic-Scholar wrote:
    ...Howard is followed closely by Tolkien, Louis L’aMour , Sir Walter Scott and Michael Moorcock. Moorcock’s “Eternal Champion” theme is one I’d like to emulate, but haven’t quite figured out how to do so without blatant plagiarism! Evil Grin


    -If you give credit, it ain't palgarism! Laughing
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Apr 13, 2006
    Posts: 654
    From: Frinton on Sea England

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    Fri Aug 31, 2012 1:25 am  

    Howard's descriptions, a couple of which you've posted above, are completely evocative of his world vision for Conan. No doubt a literary snob would take them to pieces and label them "genre". Well, whatever friend, if that's genre fiction then I'm a genre reader and bloody well proud. Okay, some of the Conan stories did leave one a little disappointed mainly due to predictability of outcome but getting to the end, the journey, was a thoroughly diverting experience; and ain't that the point.

    Moorcock's language and descriptions are also "of the setting" and deliver the same kind of "trip"; probably literally in Moorcock's case.

    As for Walter Scott, the first few pages of Ivanhoe remain (IMO of course) the most descriptive piece of scene setting ever committed to the page; whilst I can't quote, having the most appalling memory for such, I can see the forest, the moss covered fallen stones of an ancient people and actually breath the clean air as it stirs the branches overhead.

    Aah!!!!
    GreySage

    Joined: Oct 06, 2008
    Posts: 2788
    From: South-Central Pennsylvania

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    Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:33 am  

    "Hundreds of broad-headed, short-stemmed, wide-branched oaks, which had witnessed perhaps the stately march of the Roman soldiery, flung their gnarled arms over a thick carpet of the most delicious green sward; in some places they were intermingled with beeches, hollies, and copsewood of various descriptions, so closely as totally to intercept the level beams of the sinking sun; in others they receded from each other, forming those long sweeping vistas in the intricacy of which the eye delights to lose itself, while imagination considers them as the paths to yet wilder scenes of silvan solitude."

    Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott

    Is that, or is that not, just about the longest sentence you've ever seen? Shocked Laughing

    Sir Walter was determined not to leave anything out! Wink

    Young people today do not read such literature, unfortunately. Many today consider him a touch pedantic, not realizing that people actually spoke like that in that time period.
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    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Apr 13, 2006
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    From: Frinton on Sea England

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    Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:52 am  

    That's probably where I get my overuse of the semi-colon from, then.

    Thanks, Sir Walter.
    GreySage

    Joined: Oct 06, 2008
    Posts: 2788
    From: South-Central Pennsylvania

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    Fri Aug 31, 2012 10:47 am  

    Ragr wrote:
    That's probably where I get my overuse of the semi-colon from


    Not really. Wink

    I have several publications on punctuation and they all say the same thing: Use of punctuation and punctuation usage has changed much over the years.

    For instance, where the parenthesis was widely used, now they use the dash instead -- as is illustrated in my stories. An interesting subject, should you choose to look into it. Cool
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    Last edited by Mystic-Scholar on Fri Apr 22, 2016 9:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Nov 07, 2004
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    From: Mt. Smolderac

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    Fri Aug 31, 2012 7:39 pm  

    You do not disappoint at all, sir. I was actually thinking of RE Howard as I was reading it. Good influences, all!

    Thanks for answering.
    GreySage

    Joined: Oct 06, 2008
    Posts: 2788
    From: South-Central Pennsylvania

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    Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:19 pm  

    smillan_31 wrote:
    I was actually thinking of RE Howard as I was reading it.


    Allow me to thank you, sir! In my opinion, you could not have paid me a greater compliment . . . truly.
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    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 10, 2003
    Posts: 1234
    From: New Jersey

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    Sat Sep 01, 2012 12:03 pm  

    I really enjoy your writing Mystic.

    Your influences are great and I don't care what other people say about them. However, one of the things I like most about your style Mystic, is how effortlessly you seem to be able to mesh many different characters into your story and make them seem like they fit well. So keep your stories coming.

    Later

    Argon
    GreySage

    Joined: Oct 06, 2008
    Posts: 2788
    From: South-Central Pennsylvania

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    Sat Sep 01, 2012 2:33 pm  

    Argon, I am humbled. Truly. Thank you very much.

    And more Canonfire! characters will be showing up: Rasgon, Argon, Lanthorn and Sir Xaris will be there.

    Lanthorn's creation -- "Shandra" -- makes a small appearance in Part 9, which is in the hopper now. Wink

    Anna has not finished her role yet, either. And others, as I think of them.

    Ever play Baldur's Gate? Remember how Elminster kept showing up? Well, given the nature of Chronomancy, so might PSmedger.

    By the way, if you don't want me to totally create your character, you might want to tell me a little bit about him, or her. Wink

    MysticWhip@Canonfire.com

    Otherwise, you get what I give you! Evil Grin
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    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Apr 13, 2006
    Posts: 654
    From: Frinton on Sea England

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    Sun Sep 02, 2012 4:27 am  

    Mystic-Scholar wrote:




    Otherwise, you get what I give you! Evil Grin


    That's got to be more fun, surely. Nothing more revealing than seeing your character through the lens of another. Heck, you might even start taking on new characteristics as a result.
    GreySage

    Joined: Oct 06, 2008
    Posts: 2788
    From: South-Central Pennsylvania

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    Sun Sep 02, 2012 6:58 am  

    Ragr wrote:
    That's got to be more fun, surely. Nothing more revealing than seeing your character through the lens of another.


    I remember with fondness being given the honor of being allowed to join in "The Misadventures of Ragr and Eileen."

    http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=3084

    So there should be no doubt that Ragr will be making an appearance in my "That Infamous Key" stories. Cool

    http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=Your_Account&op=userinfo&username=Mystic-Scholar

    And Ragr? I promise . . . there will be bacon and mushrooms! I know how hungry you get! Evil Grin

    And now, back to "The Making of a Paladin" . . . because two more installments are ready to go. Wink
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