Unknown2005-01-23 06:01:22
This is EXACTLY what I'm doing with novels I'm working on (note, I'm ONLY interested in Stand Alone novels at the moment (That is, novels in which a primary conflict is developed from beginning, and satisfied at the end - huge series' like Wheel of Time don't seem to fit this). No pre-knowledge is available, and the story is complete at the end (sequels CAN be possible, but aren't necessary for the story).
Now, what I'm wanting is rather intense (and I think once I have at least five+ books analysed this way, I may put it together into a web page or something) - what's the primary conflict? Sub-conflicts, characters, themes (yeah, those), settings. How many scenes are there? (uniform place and time, conflict, change). IN EACH SCENE how much time (in paragraphs? sentences? rough estimate) is spent on background+setting, how much is spent in dialogue, action, etc? (thoughts count as dialogue).
I'm going really in depth, and have some other ideas I haven't figured out yet. Basically, I'm wanting a really broad check of different authors' styles, etc., that I can check out. I'm really interested in the scene count bit, and will be starting that with The Hobbit soon.
Now, what I'm wanting is rather intense (and I think once I have at least five+ books analysed this way, I may put it together into a web page or something) - what's the primary conflict? Sub-conflicts, characters, themes (yeah, those), settings. How many scenes are there? (uniform place and time, conflict, change). IN EACH SCENE how much time (in paragraphs? sentences? rough estimate) is spent on background+setting, how much is spent in dialogue, action, etc? (thoughts count as dialogue).
I'm going really in depth, and have some other ideas I haven't figured out yet. Basically, I'm wanting a really broad check of different authors' styles, etc., that I can check out. I'm really interested in the scene count bit, and will be starting that with The Hobbit soon.
Unknown2005-01-23 06:01:42
PM me if interested in helping work on this, or just interested in the results if/when I have some.
Raan2005-01-23 06:30:03
Nevermind my last post on your previous topic then 
Out of curiosity (coming from an author) why would you want to tear a novel apart in that way anyways? Its like scraping paint off of a mona lisa to sample what its chemical composition is.
Out of curiosity (coming from an author) why would you want to tear a novel apart in that way anyways? Its like scraping paint off of a mona lisa to sample what its chemical composition is.Unknown2005-01-23 06:49:07
That's not the way I see it -
What is a novel?
It's a series of interconnected scenes in the life/lives of characters, as they pursue some quest (in the case of fantasy). Each scene is governed by the unity of space and time (one 'episode'). If I'm at work, and have a conversation with a coworker, the 'scene' begins when we come into contact with each other, and ends when we leave contact with each other.
Now, the stuff I want to know about each scene IS rather anal, and I don't know if anything will come of it; however, if I notice a pattern in several novels (x amount of description with y amount of dialogue), that might be able to tell me something.
I have something of a mathematics background, and I'm rather adept at seeing patterns. One of my favorite former activities was to perform some bizarre calculation (say, the cosine of 36 degrees (pi over 5 radians is that?), and try to figure out how I might represent that bizarre number in a more logical format (btw, I believe that is the square root of 5, plus 1, all over 4, if I am correct; also, a neat pattern shows up when you do cosine of 18 degrees: the solution is (square root of (((square root of 5, plus 1, all over 2) plus 2) all over 2)), all over 2
weee
What is a novel?
It's a series of interconnected scenes in the life/lives of characters, as they pursue some quest (in the case of fantasy). Each scene is governed by the unity of space and time (one 'episode'). If I'm at work, and have a conversation with a coworker, the 'scene' begins when we come into contact with each other, and ends when we leave contact with each other.
Now, the stuff I want to know about each scene IS rather anal, and I don't know if anything will come of it; however, if I notice a pattern in several novels (x amount of description with y amount of dialogue), that might be able to tell me something.
I have something of a mathematics background, and I'm rather adept at seeing patterns. One of my favorite former activities was to perform some bizarre calculation (say, the cosine of 36 degrees (pi over 5 radians is that?), and try to figure out how I might represent that bizarre number in a more logical format (btw, I believe that is the square root of 5, plus 1, all over 4, if I am correct; also, a neat pattern shows up when you do cosine of 18 degrees: the solution is (square root of (((square root of 5, plus 1, all over 2) plus 2) all over 2)), all over 2
weee
Unknown2005-01-23 06:50:32
oh, those interesting patterns seemed to repeat when you had pi/x radians and x consisted either of 2^x, 3*2^x, or 5*2^x. That's when I lost interest and worked on other projects (most notably, my negabases)
Raan2005-01-23 08:02:49
QUOTE
Now, the stuff I want to know about each scene IS rather anal, and I don't know if anything will come of it; however, if I notice a pattern in several novels (x amount of description with y amount of dialogue), that might
be able to tell me something.
be able to tell me something.
Thats actually basic linguistics, youll notice every author has the same pattern of writing in every thing he writes, but it still is off to me. Writing is an art form, not math problem.
Unknown2005-01-23 15:48:09
Then we'll merely have to disagree 
Unknown2005-01-25 04:50:40
No one else?
Jalain2005-01-25 05:49:18
QUOTE(SirVLCIV @ Jan 23 2005, 04:50 PM)
2^x, 3*2^x, or 5*2^x.
34341
*cries and runs away!*
Daganev2005-01-25 05:54:22
Every story is allready in the bible. 
Unknown2005-01-25 16:20:08
Eh, I don't buy it. Saying that is the same as saying that all stories have been done in Greek Mythology, British mythology (Welsh+Anglo-Saxon+Scottish, etc.), Japanese mythology, Native American Mythology.
And I disagree.
Most basic themes have probably been done to death - that's true - but no one has ever written a story using my invented country of Mhortan, the Exiled Land (in fact, a google search got one hit - the email address of something USDA related). There is also Rheinor (which appears to be a rather uncommon surname), and the as-of-yet unnamed Northlands.
Aside from my naming conventions, the regions all bear their own cultural identities, own governments (well, there are several small city-states - none own the region), etc.
Just a question - where in the Bible can one find a close approximation of LotR?
And I disagree.
Most basic themes have probably been done to death - that's true - but no one has ever written a story using my invented country of Mhortan, the Exiled Land (in fact, a google search got one hit - the email address of something USDA related). There is also Rheinor (which appears to be a rather uncommon surname), and the as-of-yet unnamed Northlands.
Aside from my naming conventions, the regions all bear their own cultural identities, own governments (well, there are several small city-states - none own the region), etc.
Just a question - where in the Bible can one find a close approximation of LotR?
