Fic Talk > General Discussion
New questions to ponder
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: mare on June 09, 2017, 12:38:29 PM ---I'm totally on the Swollen Issues bandwagon as well. That story really helped me feel the brotherly bond the fictional boys had with each other. I remember being so angry at the ending of the last story, but that just shows how invested I was in the actual series.
I'll answer the rest of the questions later but all the Swollen Issues talk made me think of a question because I almost didn't read it based on it's title. Is there a story you might have skipped based on it's title? Or is there a story you read just because the title drew you in? For your own stories, what was your favorite title you came up with and why? Was there a certain meaning behind it?
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Good questions! I will have to give some more thought to the title things, but I just wanted to comment on what you said about Swollen Issues. I remember feeling the same way about the title when it was just the one story. I think I did read part of it and thought, "Oh, this is just a comedy about Nick having mumps" - which, let's be honest, is not my cup of tea. If I'm going to read a disease story, it better be dramatic! But when they wrote a sequel, something made me go back and give it another try - I don't remember if it was just curiosity or word of mouth, but I did reread it and went on to the sequel, and WOW! The second and third story are totally different from the first. And that ending still makes me upset, but I can appreciate the realism of it.
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: mare on June 09, 2017, 05:54:30 PM ---And I know this is cheating, but it was more like an opening paragraph than a sentence, that sucked me completely in and that was for the book Nineteen Minutes. When a paragraph can give you chills, you know the story is going to be epic.
"In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn; color your hair; watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five.
Nineteen minutes is how long it took the Tennessee Titans to sell out of tickets to the playoffs. It’s the amount of time it takes to listen to the Yes song Close to the Edge. It’s the length of a sitcom, minus the commercials. It’s the driving distance from the Vermont border to the town of Sterling, NH.
In nineteen minutes, you can order a pizza and get it delivered. You can read a story to a child or have your oil changed. You can walk two miles. You can sew a hem.
In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world; or you can just jump off it.
In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge."
I think finding good last lines is a lot harder so I'll be cheating on those too. I think final paragraphs are much more likely to stay with you.
I'll be back lol
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Ooh, I love the Nineteen Minutes one! That is one of Jodi Picoult's books that I have yet to read.
A better question might have been about last paragraphs or even last scenes or chapters, so cheat away!
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: mare on June 09, 2017, 12:38:29 PM ---Is there a story you might have skipped based on it's title? Or is there a story you read just because the title drew you in? For your own stories, what was your favorite title you came up with and why? Was there a certain meaning behind it?
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No offense, but I think "The Importance of Fly Fishing" was one of those stories that I wouldn't have clicked on if it wasn't written by you, because of the title. Not that it's a bad title, but a fanfic that sounds like it's all about fly fishing just wouldn't have interested me. Luckily I gave it a chance because I liked all your other stories I'd read, and it was great - and about so much more than fly fishing.
A couple other examples of stories that I might not have read just based on their title are "Garden" by Louise and "The Market" by Susan. They're both actually great titles once you read the story and understand the meaning of them, but out of context, they seem kind of boring.
I'm usually drawn in by summaries more than titles, but any title that sounds like it could be a medical drama is likely to draw me in. "Cardio" by Trinity is an old one that comes to mind. It's not about exercise. LOL
I am very unoriginal when it comes to naming my own stories. Most of my titles come from songs, and the ones that don't are usually either 1) one word, 2) some cliched phrase, or 3) a vague combination of dramatic-sounding words, like "Cry of Despair."
My favorite titles are the ones with more than one meaning, like a literal meaning but also a figurative one. For example, "Beside the Ocean" literally does take place by the ocean, but that title also comes from the song "I Hope You Dance" ("I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean..."), which was my inspiration for that story. In "Broken," Nick really did have a broken leg at the beginning, but I broke his spirit as well as his body LOL.
I also like titles that sound figurative, but are actually just very literal. I loved the title "Sick as My Secrets" for the song before I borrowed it for my story, but it fits perfectly because the story is literally about sickness and secrets LOL. "Secrets of the Heart" sounds like some kind of Harlequin romance title, but it's literally about a human heart that's transplanted from one character to another and the secrets those characters have.
FrickingKaos:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on June 09, 2017, 08:17:12 PM ---LOL I feel so dumb for never making the connection between Finding Carter and Finding Nemo. Duh! That makes sense. Although you know there was a show on MTV called Finding Carter a couple years ago? I never watched it, but I would see it on my guide and always thought of your story.
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Lol yeah the story was literally about allowing yourself to grow up like Nemo's father had to let Nemo grow up. I know about the show and every time I saw tweets about it I would laugh. I often compared Nick to Peter Pan in the story because he wasn't ready to grow up until the end when he had children and named his son Peter. Andrew was named after Andy in Toy Story for the same reason, I did a lot of things on purpose hoping someone would get it.
mare:
Last lines are generally my favorite things to read and write.
This first one is from Season's of Change: I posted the final paragraph to put it in context, but I had posted segments of his commencement speech as a header for each paragraph and the epilogue was the full speech and final thoughts
Many years later when giving speeches had become second nature to me while doling out advice or getting honorary doctorates, I found myself talking more openly about my father and my theories about his unhappiness. Our families overall sadness, but at that moment, I kept those words as a silent thought as I exchanged a quick thoughtful glance with my father.
"Strive to become the best person you can be and never forget the people who helped get you there. Because in the end that's all that really matters. Thank you"
I stepped away from the podium to the sounds of silence followed by a roar of applause. People were standing up for me. My family was cheering. AJ making whistling sounds. I wasn't sure when I should walk away, so I waited for Mrs. Christopher to give me a cue which she finally did.
As I walked back down to my chair I took one final look at the crowd, how different things were going to be for me now. I was terrified but open for the challenge. That's what life was all about.
The other one I like that I've written is from Scars Run Deep and Wide:
He glanced up and looked at his family. They had been through so much and there were times he didn’t think they would make it, but one thing he realized, was even though scars run deep and wide, only one thing runs deeper…
And that’s love.
And yup, there's the title. In fact if I had posted a little more of Seasons, the title would have been there too. I'm very guilty of doing that. lol
As far as other people's last lines, I generally sigh when I'm done with a great story. I most enjoy endings that leave things open, like this little nugget from Ground Zero:
And that purpose was to bind the handcuffs I was wearing to the earth.
That wasn’t the worst realization though.
That came later.
When someone placed a board over the entrance of the…cave or hole or whatever it was we were in. And when the sound of dirt raining down on the wooden plank made me realize that we were being sealed into our tomb.
The End
Um....the end? Really? lol
But there's nothing wrong with wrapping things up with a little bow as well like this suspense On the Run:
Anyway, I am glad that everyone is back to their usual self. I never thought I would say this but I'm thankful for AJ's blunt, corky remarks. Howie's peace maker manners. Kevin's bossy, responsible adult attitude. Nick's unpredictable pranks. I was actually looking forward to all of it. I realized that all these things, makes the Backstreet Boys. That's what keeps our pride alive.
Wrapping things up nicely there after taking us on a suspenseful ride.
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