July 29, 2009 Fine Line Between Fact & Fiction, open chat 2
The transcript below covers the complete #litchat conversation on July 29, 2009. The order appears sequentially from the first post to the final post. Topic was open discussion The Fine Line Between Fact and Fiction.
| LitChat Welcome to #litchat. For the next hour we are discussing THE FINE LINE BETWEEN FACT & FICTION. Join us 4-5 p/et.July 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| maggiedana Hi, everyone. Looking forward to another lively session on #litchat. Monday’s chat was awesome and flew by way too fast. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| BenRubinstein @LitChat I don’t understand why people get angry over fact/fiction? Is there anyone who really cares? Good writing is good writing #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| LitChat If you have questions about THE FINE LINE BETWEEN FACT & FICTION, please send to @litchat w/o hashtag so l can post to #litchat.July 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| LitChat Step into the #litchat salon and introduce yourself. We’re chatting about THE FINE LINE BETWEEN FACT & FICTION.July 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| GraywolfPress RT @LitChat: Step into the #litchat salon and introduce yourself. We’re chatting about THE FINE LINE BETWEEN FACT & FICTION.July 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| VanessaDobbs Hi everybody looking forward to tonight’s chat #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LitChat If you have questions about THE FINE LINE BETWEEN FACT & FICTION, please send to @litchat w/o hashtag so l can post to #litchat.July 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| danish_novelist @LitChat I once wrote a novel based on my Jewish grand dad’s life. It was much closer to the truth than his own auto biography #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| Eugenia_Kim hello… torn between vacuuming or chatting. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana Twitter dropping posts now and then. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LitChat RT @BenRubinstein don’t understand why ppl get angry over fact/fiction?Is there anyone who really cares?Good writing is goodwriting #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| maggiedana @danish_novelist How did he react to your novel? Was he around to see it published? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| danish_novelist @BenRubinstein I got so mad when I discovered that Harry Potter wasn’t a memoire #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat Hallo! Twitter dropping posts?? *gasp* Unheard of! Ahem. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| LitChat @maggiedana Yes, several of my tweets and others haven’t made the search feed. Will try to RP them. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LyndaDW I hate it when an author writes about a real person but adds things that didn’t happen. They should create a fictional character #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Sirenland @LitChat @BenRubinstein Non-Fiction (fact?) is much easier to market. People don’t like to feel lied to so others can sell #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| ecurbmp Hello #litchat! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Eugenia_Kim @danish_novelist: I believe my novel is similar. Sometimes fiction brings more truth, certainly more intimacy. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LitChat If you see RP preceding a tweet, it’s because it didn’t make the feed and I am RePosting (not the same as a RT). #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana @mdbenoit Hi! Your post didn’t show up in TweetChat window. Am flipping between twitter and tweetchat to keep up. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| danish_novelist @maggiedana No, he had died. He was born in Palestine among camels but was abducted by a Danish missionary when he was 6 years old #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat @danish_novelist So you’re saying the novel could e more objective about your granddad’s life? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
BenRubinstein @Eugenia_Kim Chat with us please! I talked up enough copies of Calligrapher’s at ALA to warrant it  #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat I’ll log onto Twitter too, to try to catch everyone. Tho it was dropping posts too, last time, as far as I could tell. *sigh* #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| SueCookcom Hello everyone – my first attendance #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| LyndaDW thanks for letting me know the search is having problems. I thought I was doing it wrong #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana @danish_novelist Wow, that’s amazing. Perfect fodder for a novel. What a history! What’s title of your novel about him? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| SueCookcom @maggiedana is tweetdeck ok to follow conversations #litchat?July 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
rebeccawoodhead @SueCookcom his sue – OK everyone, I’m in. Will keep as quiet as pos  #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| Eugenia_Kim @BenRubinstein Yes, good writing; but when a book is sold as memoir or -ography, it promises more reporting than fiction #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| LindseyOConnor You asked for intro. I’m a journalist with a narrative nonfiction wip and a memoir. 4 prior books, but wips 1st in these genres. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana @SueCookcom Hello Sue! Any old way to follow is great, long as it works! Twitter’s being a bit slow right now, so hang in there! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Eugenia_Kim Too many technical difficulties have chased me out of the room. Sorry! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| SueCookcom @rebeccawoodhead Hi Rebecca, I don’t think keeping quiet is what it’s all about #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| danish_novelist @Eugenia_Kim Novels can restore emotional life and put back the stuff a person has blocked out on purpose #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| Doublelattemama @danish_novelist was it marketed as a novel? Did u explain in either preface or afterward what was based in fact? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead @SueCookcom I always get in trouble on litchat #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| CarolyBurnsBass @BenRubinstein I disagree with you. Consider James Frey’s “memoir” that was pure fiction. I don’t want to be manipulated like that. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead @maggiedana here… what are we chatting about? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| SueCookcom So what is the feeling about the fine line between fact and fiction. Aren’t we always told ‘write what you know’?! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| maggiedana Sue and I will help keep you in check! RT @rebeccawoodhead: @SueCookcom I always get in trouble on litchat #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| danish_novelist @maggiedana It’s “only” out in Danish and French. Le Reveur de Palestine (The Dreamer from Palestine) #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| maggiedana @rebeccawoodhead Topic: The Fine Line Between Fact and Fiction. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| SueCookcom @rebeccawoodhead This is my first so i’ll probably spell trouble too #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| iainbroome Hello – anyone able to tell me when it kicks off GMT? I always get timezone-confused with chats! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LindseyOConnor Fact or fiction: Poynter’s Roy Peter Clark said “If you say there’s a dog, I want there to have really been a dog.” I agree. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead @maggiedana right – Not usually a big fan of historical fiction so was really shocked at home much I loved Jamie Ford’s book #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead Still can’t get it in England – though you probably can on Amazon – Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LitChat Q1 fm @hangingnoodles Neuroscientists say brains not built to recall accurately. Are we never impartial observers? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat @LindseyOConnor Of course that has to allow for metaphors etc. There might “be a dog” in some other than literal sense & still true #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| SueCookcom After 25 years in journalism, I always spend rather too long on research instead of plunging into the story #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| ecurbmp Don’t we all put some fiction into our facts? Think the old game ‘Telephone’ and how a word could change with retelling. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana @SueCookcom But your research has paid off. Your novels are spellbinding. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| danish_novelist @mdbenoit It was based on his own auto biography, diaries, and MY imagination. My first best seller in Denmark #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rebeccawoodhead @SueCookcom All the writers & publishers are lovely. Don’t worry about punctuation either: exclamation marks = twitter glitter #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| RTjournalism RT @SueCookcom after 25 years in journalism, i always spend rather too long on research instead of plunging into the story #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from Retwittering |
| SueCookcom @maggiedana Thanks – one review of my last book I got said i had done too much! ‘Too much science’ she said #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| maggiedana @iainbroome #litchat 9-10 GMT. On now.July 29, 2009 from web |
| Doublelattemama @danish_novelist I’m writing a book this fall- same concept-amazing life, lots of missing pieces. Curious how much explaining u did #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead @SueCookcom Jilly Cooper takes the same approach – research-wise #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat @SueCookcom I just can’t imagine there being “too much science.” <boggling> #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| LindseyOConnor @SueCookcom Knowing when to quit researching and start writing’s always hard. Write early, but go back and forth as needed. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| latta #litchat look fwd to summary. twtr on bb difficult; chats close to impossible.July 29, 2009 from mobile web |
| maggiedana @SueCookcom I disagree. I think you had a perfect blend of science and story. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LEEandLOW @SueCookcom Readers appreciate when writers do their research & document well. It’s a sign of respect for readers & for the story. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat Re Q1: I think we can’t recall entirely accurately. I still think we can come close, by various means. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| VanessaDobbs @LEEandLOW great point #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana RT @LEEandLOW: @SueCookcom Readers appreciate when writers do their research & document well. Sign of respect for readers & story. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| CarolyBurnsBass @SueCookcom I tend to research a topic to death, plus for me it’s also a great procrastination tactic. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Antoniablue @SueCookcom Way I look at it is, you can research say, a dentist, know nought about profession, but have similar life experiences. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| maggiedana Invoke the 5th? RT @kashicat: Re Q1: I think we cant recall entirely accurately. I still think we can come close, by various means. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| ecurbmp RP: Q1: Don’t we all put some fiction into our facts? Think the old game ‘Telephone’ and how a word could change with retelling. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TwitterFox |
| SueCookcom @kashicat i@maggiedana it’s not poss to please everyone I guess. Insight to one person is tedium to another #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| kashicat I remember s/one saying Dorothy Dunnett never wrote ab. any place she hadn’t visited. Don’t know if true, but her bks read that way #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| VanessaDobbs @CarolyBurnsBass a tacticI used when writing my masters assignments #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Antoniablue #litchat for anyone interested. Discussion now.July 29, 2009 from web |
| marybrebner @DYockman when they start lying..I mean making things up?~Oh, so true. Remember James Frey? Dude, it’s fiction. Just say it! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat @mdbenoit True. Tho I think there can be *ways* of weaving science into story that makes it really good #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| danish_novelist @Doublelattemama It’s funny that fiction often can get closer to “truth” than some one’s memoire.#litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rebeccawoodhead I kind of revise the factual stuff first and it becomes the characters ‘thinking’ it after a while, then I go back and correct #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma Hey, everyone – research gives authors “spice” 4 story. Research can bog down author, slow writing, but not reading experience #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat @CarolyBurnsBass Do you research to death bc. you’re worried there’ll be one fact you end up getting wrong? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| SueCookcom @Antoniablue Exactly – find out everything poss about the life of a dentist, then add the human stuff you know from own experience #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| George9Writer Changing facts into fiction (a gross oversimplification anyway) is where the art comes in. Bad memory makes better art? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| iainbroome I think it’s important to research thoroughly, but just as important to show restraint when you apply it in your work. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| marybrebner Freakin’ Twitter keeps eating my #litchat posts. Guess I’ll just read the transcript. Later!July 29, 2009 from web |
| wiremamma @danish_novelist – true! all stories worth fictionalizing a bit RE: fiction often can get closer to “truth” than memoir. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| Doublelattemama @danish_novelist I’m sure that’s true! I’ll have less 2 go on than u-no diary, no autobiography, but I’ll stay true 2 what I know #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| VanessaDobbs Mine too!RT @marybrebner: Freakin Twitter keeps eating my #litchat posts. Guess Ill just read the transcript. Later! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| CarolyBurnsBass @kashicat Yes, that’s certainly one of the reasons. Contributed by my graying brain. I must keep written records of everything. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead @SueCookcom do you find you need to remove some of your fave details so the plot doesn’t suffer? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Antoniablue @SueCookcom Yeah. Eg: I may have been bitten by dog in the past (see I put dog in there!), & so might my dentist. Can tell truth. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| wiremamma @kashicat @CarolyBurnsBass I’m currently researching my WIP to pieces. MUST back away from google & progress plot! #writegoal #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| maggiedana <— going to stick w/Twitter for #litchat, even if it makes me want to hurl laptop across room. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| SueCookcom Is doing so much research a sign of insecurity though? Should we just go wild with our imagination? Give it free reign? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| LindseyOConnor @mdbenoit If you say a dog, I want there to be a dog, meaning lots readers want narrative & memoir to be factual. Literary but true #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from Nambu |
| rebeccawoodhead @SueCookcom I fight with my characters over it. I want my great research to be seen but they’re certain people want them first #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat Interesting. I’m seeing about 4-5 times # of posts on Twitter as on TweekDeck. Yet I can’t reply on Twitter. Grrrr. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| danish_novelist @wiremamma A noveli can put things into a larger perspective in a way that a memoir cannot #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| George9Writer @maggiedana Could be. Depends on how you use the words. Fiction is all about making up stories anyway. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| wiremamma @vanessadobbs @marybrebner – mine are disappearing as well. Hello! *taps mike* is this thing on? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead @George9Writer Hi! Brilliant work on the WIP! I think this is what I’m saying – need to learn it then put it aside #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Doublelattemama @wiremamma &it seems 2 me that some fictionalizing can draw focus to key points/theme-A portrayal of facts is hard to interpret #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| iainbroome @rebeccawoodhead Absolutely, taking bits out is the most difficult thing, but a complete necessity. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead RT @George9Writer …Fiction is all about making up stories anyway. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| SueCookcom @rebeccawoodhead I try to keep the fave details in if poss, but sometimes you have to ‘murder your babies’ and cut fave bits #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| 100_indecisions @kashicat I def. do that–paranoid someone somewhere knows more about [tiny detail] than I do and will catch me not having a clue. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| George9Writer @rebeccawoodhead Thx Rebecca, and Hi! Yes, 82,500 words in a month. I need a health spa and a vacation. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| jkoyanagi @rebeccawoodhead Yes. It’s good to have the information stored away in my head, but I don’t want to bog down the reader. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma @iainbroome @rebeccawoodhead – don’t they call that “murdering your darlings” or something? plot progression is key. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rebeccawoodhead @SueCookcom trickiest bit isn’t it? Hate that bit. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| maggiedana I wonder … do fiction writers tend to remove more researched details than do non-fiction writers? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| SueCookcom @Chadwickauthor Do you make sure you know your characters as if they were real before you start writing? Then let them grow #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead @jkoyanagi @wiremamma @iainbroome with you on that #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| maggiedana @George9Writer 82k words in a month? That’s phenomenal. Amazing. D’you write fic or non-fic? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Anne_Frasier wonder if heartbreaking work of staggering genius would be considered memoir today? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| wiremamma @george9writer – I’d be gibbering in a corner after 82k in amonth. well done. I have 30k to go by end of august! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| RebeccaMather #litchat just joining in. I’d like to write about Portugal. Never been there and likely won’t soon. Should that keep me from writing it?July 29, 2009 from web |
| LindseyOConnor @George9Writer I’m in awe and envy of your word count. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| ibeforem #litchat I think memoirs *should* be vetted, because the reader makes an emotional commitment to a story when they believe it is true.July 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| kashicat @wiremamma Maybe just get it written, then fact-check during edit? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| Antoniablue @LindseyOConnor No, he would experiecne what I had, because I was bitten, so I know how it is. The story would be fictional though. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rebeccawoodhead @maggiedana He’s done brilliantly hasn’t he? Totally amazing. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma You never know when you’ll need it RT: @jkoyanagi information stored away in my head, but I don’t want to bog down the reader. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| danish_novelist @maggiedana Yes and they should. A novel should NEVER brag about its research. The story comes first #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| maggiedana @jkoyanagi Having that information in your head makes one’s writing richer, even if those details don’t make it to the page. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| iainbroome @maggiedana I imagine non-fiction is a different beast, but the research you include may depend on whether it’s an opinion piece. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| George9Writer @maggiedana I write novels. My first one’s “first draft” took four years or so; this one went a bit faster #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead @SueCookcom – piggy-backing on your last q… My characters are the most important thing to me. I know EVERYTHING about them #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| RebeccaMather just joining in. I’d like to write about Portugal. Never been there and likely won’t soon. Should that keep me from writing it? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Antoniablue @LindseyOConnor Also, even if I hadn’t been bitten by dog, I had ferret hanging off finger, so could use that expeirence perhaps. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| 100_indecisions @kashicat Spec genres are hard in their own right, but at least no one can say “I’ve been to [planet] & it doesn’t look like that!” #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| 5M4B Madeleine L’Engle said that every nonfiction piece is part fiction, and all fiction has some truth. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from Seesmic |
| danish_novelist @jkoyanagi Amen. Good research is never about impressing the reader. You merely want believability #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| SueCookcom @Chadwickauthor completely agree that research should be as invisible as possible in the story. Nowt worse than feeling lectured at #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| kashicat @RebeccaMather I’ve got same question about London where sequel to my 1st bk happens. Never been there. And 3rd bk wd be in India! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead @RebeccaMather No!! You don’t need to murder someone to write about murder. At least… I hope not *looks around nervously* #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana @RebeccaMather I’d think if non-fic, best to go to Portugal to research it; if fiction, then going there not so important. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| George9Writer @RebeccaMather One word re Portugal: RESEARCH #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| VanessaDobbs @RebeccaMather No! I’m told Stef Penney had never visited and tenderness of wolves was brilliant #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| pitchparlour @maggiedana For fiction writers, researched details are inspiration, for non-fiction writers, they are footnotes. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| George9Writer @LindseyOConnor Thanks Lindsey! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| kashicat @100_indecisions Heehee! That’s why I wrote fantasy stories so many yrs bf I had nerve to write “real world” story #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead @kashicat Give it to a Londoner to read for accuracy – have a word with someone like @TamsynTweetie #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| CarolyBurnsBass @RebeccaMather Give it a try. Read everything you can similar to yours, then have yours read by others who know the area well. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LindseyOConnor @Antoniablue LOL #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma @doublelattemama – Agreed – if true memoir, how would you know how secondary characters are thinking/feeling? Tricky. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| RebeccaMather @George9Writer #litchat. That’s what I would rely most heavily on. And gorgeous photos.July 29, 2009 from web |
| danish_novelist @RebeccaMather Of course. You can create your own Portugal. But if you’re a social realist you have to go. Great country! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| wiremamma @rebeccawoodhead @rebeccamather – be careful about researching nefarious activities as well. Homeland security is watching. *wink* #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat @rebeccawoodhead I had an online friend from London who helped me with Tube stops that wd be abandoned some day #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| wiremamma Does anyone use GoogleEarth for research? I needed a perspective from a certain location. Didn’t even have to book a flight! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| George9Writer @JSColley Oh the obtusity! More acuity please! Janet, just do a Twitter search, use search term like #litchat or #writechatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead @wiremamma argh! *eyes darting* #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat @rebeccawoodhead I feel same way ab. my characters. I live in their heads. I know them better than the world. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| RebeccaMather RebeccaMather@kashicat Beautiful!#litchat travel anywhere with research photos and imagination. Ideally love to actually be there though hm?July 29, 2009 from web |
| wiremamma @CarolyBurnsBass @RebeccaMather – I try to stay away from certain genres when I’m writing. dont want my voice tainted… thoughts? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LisaPietsch @wiremamma I use GoogleEarth all the time. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| kashicat @RebeccaMather I’d rather be there in person too. I’ll get help w/London, but by golly, I will *GO* to India bf bookk #3! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| danish_novelist @rebeccawoodhead Thank God that there’s this thing called imagination, or I wouldn’t want to hang out with horror writers #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rebeccawoodhead I’m pretty sure Emily Bronte never had a lusty run in with a bad man on the moors but she wrote an awesome Heathcliff #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma @rebeccawoodhead – big bro’s watching! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Doublelattemama @RebeccaMather I vote that u should write it anyway. Optimal solution is to go but u can interview, research, etc #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| maggiedana @wiremamma Am opposite. When writing (women’s fiction) I read lots of WF. Find it invigorating. Am careful to keep own voice, tho. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| jkoyanagi @wiremamma I admit to worrying about that from time to time, hah. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma @danish_novelist – I’m still not certain I want to hang out around horror authors. At least, not in the dark, or near cliffs. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Antoniablue @rebeccawoodhead Harsh, but necessary, I think. Realising what ISN’T relevant is so hard too, sometimes. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| George9Writer @wiremamma You’ll get there. Each book has its own pace. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| danish_novelist @wiremamma If you have a good voice it won’t disappear just because you read Dan Brown or the Bible #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat @5M4B I’d think fiction has to have some elements of truth to be palatable, let alone enjoyable. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| iainbroome My novel is about caring for someone who’s had a stroke and I had no direct experience – it can be done! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| richardwiles @SueCookcom Hi Sue. Hope you’re well…I have numerous books in preparation that mix fact and historical fiction. I see no problem #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead @danish_novelist that’s what I’m saying – scary thought! Good thing there’s a concept called ‘fiction’ eh? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| CarolyBurnsBass @wiremamma I stay away from certain genres all the time. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma @maggiedana – you have such a beautiful, clear voice — I doubt if you could ever sound like anyone else. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rottenperson @CarolyBurnsBass Like what? #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana Wow, thanks! RT @wiremamma: you have such a beautiful, clear voice — I doubt if you could ever sound like anyone else. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Vigorio I’ve always heard write what you know about. That’s why I do fantasy. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Antoniablue @iainbroome Course! And you’ll have cared for someone in different ways, love, sympathy, empathy, so you’ve a head start. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rebeccawoodhead @Antoniablue heartbreakingly so. This is why I always have a breakdown at the ‘tricky middle bit’ when my characters take over #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma Elements of truth are what season good writing @kashicat – I just need to remember that and keep going with WIP. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat RT @danish_novelist: Thank God that there’s this thing called imagination, or I wouldn’t want to hang out with horror writers #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| LitChat RT @20xJENNY: Ultimately the author is responsible for stating whether his/her story is fact or fiction. –more– #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| wiremamma @maggiedana – no problem. I got your back. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| pussreboots @wiremamma Tainted how? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| RebeccaMather @wiremama and @rebeccawoodhead lol! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| LisaRomeo @wiremamma In nonfic, want to stay in narrator’s head, not wander into another’s mind, unless understood it’s only what narr THINKS #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| George9Writer @RebeccaMather Research may well include going there, even living there. Look at William T Vollmann’s level of research #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| Doublelattemama @wiremamma depends on point of view-3rd person doesn’t necessarily know what everybodys thinking- sometimes all we know are actions #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| iainbroome I recently blogged about writing without upsetting friends and family – has anyone had to dodge this metaphorical bullet? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| danish_novelist @wiremamma The most poisonous writers are the sickly sweet ones. The dark ones get it out in their writing. they’re pussycats #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rottenperson @LitChat Or something in between? #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana RT @aecbks RT @jennybent: Writers: try ending each chapter with a cliff hanger. Works for most any kind of fiction. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| RebeccaMather #litchat Oh I’m writing about what I know right now my friends and it’s not all that pretty let’s just say “potty-training” lol!July 29, 2009 from web |
| wiremamma @pussreboots – After research for _All or Nothing_ & immersing in history of Am. west, I stopped reading anything and just wrote. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| CarolyBurnsBass @rottenperson I don’t enjoy genre fiction written with specific forumlas in mind. You can probably figure out what types I mean. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| linc0lnpark @danish_novelist Yeah! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rottenperson @maggiedana Works with nonfiction, too. We’re all in the entertainment business. #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Antoniablue @iainbroome Not dodged yet but would say any similarities completely coincidental. I’d forgotten about you bashing pet etc etc. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| bridelines #litchat looking 4 literary agent for nonfiction humor book. please contact bridelines if you know anyone with interestJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rebeccawoodhead @kashicat tweetchat dropped tweets just found.. Don’t you love living in their heads? I always resist for a bit but then it’s magic #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| Best_Books #litchat if a biography/autobiography has embellished stories do we really care? Do we require such memoirs to b reliable historical source?July 29, 2009 from web |
| spacemonkeygaz @iainbroome My novel is about a rock star who has an affair with a glamour model, and I had no direct experience – it can be done! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rottenperson @CarolyBurnsBass Me, too. But they’re good to study if you’re a writer, yes? #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana @rottenperson Good point. Those cliffhanger endings are what keep me turning page of non-fic even when I know the outcome! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LitChat RP @LitChat: RT @20xJENNY: –cont– How could Rosenblat’s editor have known? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| kashicat @rebeccawoodhead I can’t really even start writing story, most of the time, if I’m not living in head of at least 1 character #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| George9Writer Re Memoirs, vetting facts: as a writer I found the level of dishonesty in a certain “memoir” to be deplorable, likely a media stunt #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| UnionSqPress @Best_Books If stories = embellished, that must be acknowledged. Authors notes are great ways of setting up the “rules” for the bk. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| SueCookcom @RebeccaMather Lucky you! My kids flown nest now, but I’m the poorer for material! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| CarolyBurnsBass @rottenperson Eek. I did my study, now I’ve moved on. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma @doublelattemama – true. but in 3rd person, you can change characters POV from one chapter to next #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rottenperson @Best_Books Deciding what to leave in and what to take out is one thing; embellishing may be something else. #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana @SueCookcom Grandchildren will (I promise) provide much fodder for fiction. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| QcattQ @Best_Books I EXPECT biography/ autobiography to include embellished stories. Bit boring otherwise. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| LindseyOConnor @UnionSqPress @Best_Books Give me authors notes w/your “rules” and I’ll follow you anywhere. Lie (embellished if I don’t know) grrr #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma @lisaRomeo – in Nonfic – you still can shift characters, yes? Honestly, I read mostly fiction unless it’s reference books. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rebeccawoodhead @kashicat I fight it out until I’m in their heads, then I edit ‘as’ them – if they wouldn’t say it, it goes. I’m brutal. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| SueCookcom Bowing out now – really enjoyed the last hour x #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| linc0lnpark @UnionSqPress a disclaimer, so to speak… #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LitChat Trying again– RT @20xJENNY: –cont– How could Rosenblat’s editor have known? #litchat #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| RebeccaMather @SueCookcom Thank you! it is lots of fun isn’t it. #litchat #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana @Doublelattemama I’ll look into tweetgrid. Thanks for tip. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| 20xJenny Even facts are open to interpretation. Two differing biographies on Harry Truman in college taught me how to think critically. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| Vigorio If I read a bio I want it to be all truth – nothing embellished. That sounds like lying. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead @SueCookcom thanks for chatting. Bye for now #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat @rebeccawoodhead You must find that they take over the story too, right? Sometimes take it where they want to go, rather than you? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rottenperson @LindseyOConnor Yeah, and the rules better be posted at the entrance, not exit. #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| CarolyBurnsBass @UnionSqPress Embellishment is an element of good writing, fiction or non. Falsehoods are another story entirely. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Doublelattemama @wiremamma you absolutely can – just pointing out that u don’t necessarily have to be in the head of everybody #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| RebeccaMather @20xJenny I agree. I think we all see through our own lense. Our own experience and that’s largely where we write from. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead @kashicat – oh yeah! My characters ruin my life. I lose all ownership of the story but it’s not mine, it’s theirs so… fair enough #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat @20xJenny That was why I mentioned on Monday that we almost have to read several bios of same person, to get near full perspective #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| Doublelattemama If novel is based loosely on fact, 1) would u explain it to reader? 2) if so, where-preface or epilogue? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| kashicat @rebeccawoodhead What I find, with my char’s, is that the direction they want to go is usually better than my plan. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| CarolyBurnsBass @LitChat When memoirs have such a miraculous coincidence as Rosenblat’s, I think an editor should do some fact checking. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead @kashicat like I said, aside from the odd sub-plot I guide the plot until the mid-point then there’s a big scrap between me & them #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LindseyOConnor @rottenperson Entrance rules make me love you. Exit rules like you. No rules, suspect you. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| LitChat We’ve come to the end of our posted hour of #litchat. Feel free to continue the convo, but come back on Friday at 4 p/et.July 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| StackedBlog @best_books Biography, for posterity, yes, we care. Autobios & memoirs are tainted by personal bias which is to be expected. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| LisaRomeo @linc0lnpark I know what you mean. Well then I guess “lie becomes truth” huh? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| UnionSqPress @LindseyOConnor Ex: my aus of a crime bk are clear about parts of the case where no one knows the truth & explain their conjectures #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| Best_Books @Vigorio wot do u consider embellisment-authors may not make up story bt can they really remember intricacies of childhood events? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| RebeccaMather @kashicat @rebeccawoodhead What I find, with my char’s, is that the direction they want to go is usually better than my plan.#litchat I likeJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| wiremamma RT: @kashicat @rebeccawoodhead What I find, with my char’s, is that the direction they want to go is usually better than my plan. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rottenperson @LindseyOConnor Sounds like a dating service Web site. Sorry. #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| kashicat @RebeccaMather But don’t you think we can write s/o else’s experience bc we’ve got imagination? We’re writers, after all. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead it’s the same for characters – they change so they have to call it #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| UnionSqPress @CarolyBurnsBass Agree. Embellishment creates flavor. But it must stem from solid research and not purely invention of details. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat @Vigorio Oh yes! It’s the kind of “filler” chars I put in sometimes who become crucial to whole plot, that I love. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rottenperson @LindseyOConnor P.S. But in a good way. #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rottenperson @Best_Books All an author has to do is say, “as I recall…” #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| linc0lnpark @LisaRomeo Linear thinking seems more of a moot point in a world where lines are rarely straight, IMHO… you know? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| 20xJenny @kashicat completely agree + also with your RT: I mean, all our historical sources are written from “a pt of view” #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| rebeccawoodhead when you plan your life you’re not the person you were when you reach each point so you only know if the plot works when you arrive #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| Vigorio @rottenperson but shouldn’t the basis for the story be provable with facts? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Best_Books @UnionSqPress at what level do u declare story is embellished ?Must u admit that conversations not exact/scenary not remembered? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| wiremamma RT: @rottenperson @Best_Books All an author has to do is say, “as I recall…” #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| rebeccawoodhead it’s the same for characters – they change so they have to call it #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| LitChat RP: On Friday @rottenperson aka Gary Buslik joins us as guest host. Save your questions for him on Friday, 4-5 p/et in #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma @rebeccawoodhead – I guess that’s why writing is rewriting, huh? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| 20xJenny @RebeccaMather So true. That’s why Mary Karr’s LIAR’S CLUB is one of my all-time favorites. Love her lens. (oops) #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| LindseyOConnor @UnionSqPress Love your example. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from Nambu |
| Best_Books #litchat @kashicat absolutely – biogs etc only 1 source among many and therefore embellishment to a certain degree is presumed in some form.July 29, 2009 from web |
| rottenperson Have to sign out now. Look forward to guest hosting on Friday. You’re a terrific group. #LitChatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| wiremamma Great chat everyone! Nice to see you all… #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| maggiedana @rottenperson Looking forward to seeing you again. Bye! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| alexisgrant Sorry to pop in midstream, but what’s the #litchat topic?July 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat @rottenperson See ya later! #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| Best_Books #litchat @QcattQ exactly – comes back 2 the point that book must be entertaining & stories chosen and told for maximum readership potentialJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat @rebeccawoodhead Ha! Well done. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| alexisgrant Ooops! Missed #litchat. Next time!July 29, 2009 from web |
| UnionSqPress @Best_Books Another recent ex: COVERT, about infiltrating the mob, has a note about how undercover officers are trained to recall. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| rebeccawoodhead @wiremamma yep. I used to be a singer though and there’s something about that first ‘take’ – happens in writing too #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| UnionSqPress @Best_Books COVERT doesn’t have endnotes, so we found a way to explain how the author remembered as much as he did: It was his job. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| RebeccaMather Great to connect with all of you. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| 20xJenny RT @RebeccaMather: Great to connect with all of you. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| UnionSqPress @LindseyOConnor Thanks! And now I’m signing out of #litchat. Off to edit!July 29, 2009 from web |
| linc0lnpark Without embellishment, there would be no HOUSE OF LEAVES, for example. It is a dirty thing that can be a jewel in the right hands. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| iainbroome I’m not sure about ‘planning’ characters. Have a good profile and a narrative for them to live in, but feel free to let them wander #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| Best_Books #litchat i know this coversation has ended-and sorry for late arrival-but do we think politicians memoirs for e.g really tell whole truth…July 29, 2009 from web |
| VeggieV @QcattQ hi hon! did you enjoy that flourish into wed #litchat?July 29, 2009 from web |
| wiremamma @rebeccawoodhead – rewrites get easier the more we write, yes? We all want a clean “first take” but must keep fingers “singing” #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat @20xJENNY This isn’t to say I disbelieve in objective knowledge. I just think it takes lots of research about events. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| BenRubinstein @CarolyBurnsBass But drama, which is the same in fiction/memoir, is what appeals. What’s the difference? #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| 20xJenny @kashicat I hear you. My favorite historians use a balance of primary sources–mostly quotes, and often opposing views. More #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| kashicat @20xJENNY Hee! Double post, there. But yes — that’s what I like. A rounded approach, w/as much primary background as possible. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| kashicat @20xJENNY This was why I loved John Romer’s early Egypt documentaries — packed w/good research. Unlike Hist. Channel dreck today #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| herstorian Missed #litchat because I read the time wrong. Catching up now.July 29, 2009 from web |
| kashicat @20xJENNY They seem to cater to lowest common denominator. Plus most sensationalist stuff. Demeaning, & very popular. Ugh. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetDeck |
| CarolyBurnsBass @BenRubinstein Drama can be achieved in good narrative non-fiction and memoir while still maintaining truth. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from TweetChat |
| herstorian @UnionSqPress If stories = embellished, that must be acknowledged. Authors notes are gr8 ways of setting up the “rules” for the bk. #litchatJuly 29, 2009 from web |
| FredRamey #litchat. Too late. I wanted to say A figure in a memoir I pubbed long ago asked “Is it true?” The author said “Well, it’s not Rashomon.”July 29, 2009 from web |
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