tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post8003054656759921093..comments2024-01-01T21:31:27.654-08:00Comments on UNCLE EDDIE'S THEORY CORNER: ABOUT ELMORE LEONARDEddie Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-81227939081902688352010-08-23T09:33:50.405-07:002010-08-23T09:33:50.405-07:00I tend to view literature in an entirely different...I tend to view literature in an entirely different light than any other medium. For one thing, almost everything I believe about cartoons would spell disaster for the written word. To me there is no other medium in which the line between giving us what we want and condescending to us is finer or more dangerous. This summer I read "A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" and initially almost threw the book out the window when I realized, at the end, how staggeringly nihilistic Twain actually was, far beyond the mere cynic he always seemed to have been. But then I wrote a bunch of half-formed prose on the subject and got it out of my system. Now, THAT's a book doing its job.Zoran Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01257217002413486395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-54967803092274437312010-08-04T17:17:09.582-07:002010-08-04T17:17:09.582-07:00"My most important rule is one that sums up t...<em>"My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: if it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."</em> Well said.ComiCrazyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07715760829984057394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-42820856554295743832010-08-04T11:44:29.526-07:002010-08-04T11:44:29.526-07:00Nate: McCarthy's too fashionably depressing fo...Nate: McCarthy's too fashionably depressing for my taste, too influenced by nihilism. He's not a nihilist, but you can see the influence. Also he doesn't write beautiful words. Most good literature is about the words.Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-74270139132365099992010-08-04T09:49:09.582-07:002010-08-04T09:49:09.582-07:00Eddie - Cormac McCarthy?
5 Keep your exclamation...Eddie - Cormac McCarthy?<br /><br /><i> 5 Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. </i><br /><br />CORMAC MCCARTHY!!!!Natehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03736749486445043693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-35616701277422329382010-08-03T18:38:28.072-07:002010-08-03T18:38:28.072-07:00ComiCrazy: Thompson's great, but I was limitin...ComiCrazy: Thompson's great, but I was limiting myself to living, practicing writers. I didn't check, but I assume Ellroy and Leonard are still living. <br /><br />Kirk: I use exclamation points all the time, but I get Leonard's point. In addition to formal constraints on their use, in the popular mind they indicate shouting, and people are made uncomfortable when that's done unnecessarily.Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-44273760004365039472010-08-03T16:38:06.071-07:002010-08-03T16:38:06.071-07:00Confounded homophony! I meant "pared", ...Confounded homophony! I meant "pared", alas, not "paired"....<br /><br />There is a problem with Leonard's attitude toward exclamation points. Leonard appears to share a rather expressionistic conception of punctuation. An exclamation is category of speech, not merely an emphatic. So if what one utters is exclamatory, then the proper punctuation respondeth, verily, no?Kirk Nachmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03166276704512053376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-59762855231790257692010-08-03T15:51:54.874-07:002010-08-03T15:51:54.874-07:00Eddie, I've read quite a few of Elmore Leonard...Eddie, I've read quite a few of Elmore Leonard and enjoyed them. But, I have to say for my money, I'd much prefer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thompson_%28writer%29" rel="nofollow">Jim Thompson</a> over Leonard and most anyone else in the pulp crime genre. While I read a lot of Leonard, I read all of Thompson!!!ComiCrazyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07715760829984057394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-61585401082491748862010-08-03T01:53:37.186-07:002010-08-03T01:53:37.186-07:00Jennifer: Is that true? It never occurred to me ti...Jennifer: Is that true? It never occurred to me til you mentioned it, but girls do seem to like immersive novels. <br /><br />Jimmy: Thanks! I'm working on the problem.<br /><br />Roberto: I understand why you don't like Twilight. It's not really my kind of film either. I just like the way the film managed to transform Pattinson into the new Rudolph Valentino, and the way the girl played her role in a way that a lot of young girls can relate to. <br /><br />It's that rarity: a true chick flick. You and I are guys. It's not meant for us.Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-11038011618419960062010-08-03T00:30:06.591-07:002010-08-03T00:30:06.591-07:00Wow, informative!Wow, informative!bluh blah blah balhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290703868916125060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-15360752038317658972010-08-02T19:08:24.995-07:002010-08-02T19:08:24.995-07:00"I like Meyer's first film, though I don&..."I like Meyer's first film, though I don't feel a need to see the sequels."<br /><br />I was surprised by that statement you made. Twilight, to me, is simply a blatant rip-off of Dracula and a bunch of other classic stories, topped with sissy villain male leads trying to act tough, shallow characterizations from almost everybody in the cast (I admit. Kristin Stewart looked very pretty, IMO), and fancy schmancy special effects to hide all the flaws and kitsch that film contained. I saw it once back in 2008, and I didn't even think it was too good anyway. Explain why you liked the first one? Don't tell me you're becoming like one of those nutty girls obsessed with that certain series. They're everywhere in high school now. <br /><br />Haha! I'm just messing with you, Eddie, but I seriously wanna know why. I love Ray Bradbury by the way, or at least what I've read in Fahrenheit 451. In fact, I read that book twice, and loved it each time. I'm hoping that my teachers will assign more of his stories for me to read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-27520456046166794332010-08-02T11:36:56.186-07:002010-08-02T11:36:56.186-07:00uncle eddie,
I'm having trouble reading you p...uncle eddie,<br /><br />I'm having trouble reading you posts because the text runs under the pictures on the right. Just wanted to let you know! Alright?<br /><br />-jimmy k.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-30292851402329611302010-08-02T06:28:24.056-07:002010-08-02T06:28:24.056-07:00Nice post, Uncle Eddie. Your comparison between T...Nice post, Uncle Eddie. Your comparison between Taylor Caldwell and Elmore Leonard is spot on. The excerpt from Caldwell lost me because of all the flowery, wordy descriptions. Lenard's excerpt tells the story without going through all the hullabaloo. <br /><br />I'm wondering if the different writing styles have to do with the target audiences. It seems that Taylor Caldwell's books were targeted for female readers, while Elmore Leonard's books were targeted for male readers.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03850276613969680391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-67875540114395463392010-08-01T23:23:00.279-07:002010-08-01T23:23:00.279-07:00Rooni: I like Meyer's first film, though I don...Rooni: I like Meyer's first film, though I don't feel a need to see the sequels.<br /><br />Anon: No doubt that's what Mankiewicz intended, but I don't see the point in telling a star, "You know the thing you do that made you famous, and everybody likes? Well, don't do that."Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-79706680737291199712010-08-01T22:06:27.374-07:002010-08-01T22:06:27.374-07:00Couldn't you say that by having everyone aroun...Couldn't you say that by having everyone around her played over the top Bette Davis stood out by being underplayed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-9455804438042658392010-08-01T19:35:17.081-07:002010-08-01T19:35:17.081-07:00A paired and democratic approach, surely.
Reminds...A paired and democratic approach, surely.<br /><br />Reminds me of Paul Valery's Monsieur Teste, who moved without gesticulation, being that he had "killed his puppet."Kirk Nachmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03166276704512053376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-64690642664684300962010-08-01T18:44:33.436-07:002010-08-01T18:44:33.436-07:00Writers today could learn a thing or two from this...Writers today could learn a thing or two from this guy, espcially that good-for-nothing Stephine Meyer.Steven M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17284662120928553055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-79048707940684212552010-08-01T16:48:40.763-07:002010-08-01T16:48:40.763-07:00your welcome, I almost didn't post it b/c I wa...your welcome, I almost didn't post it b/c I was afraid you might of read it already.<br /><br />Also, I too would like to see your 'Cal-Arts acting' impersonation.Albertohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06604860564378574610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-12281924022272312492010-08-01T13:03:11.589-07:002010-08-01T13:03:11.589-07:00Eddie, I'm sure in your time teaching at Calar...Eddie, I'm sure in your time teaching at Calarts you had some influence on Calarts 'acting styles' yourself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-53548630030430261332010-08-01T12:28:15.902-07:002010-08-01T12:28:15.902-07:00Roberto: Bradbury is great! His recent books are n...Roberto: Bradbury is great! His recent books are not his best work, but I still read them because the words are so beautiful. <br /><br />Roberto, Anon, Jenny: About acting out the Cal Arts style infront of a camera: er...maybe. I'm afraid it'll be misinterpreted. <br /><br />Diego: Thanks for the correction! I made the change. <br /><br />Alberto: Wow! The Vonnegut list was worth reading. Thanks!Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-76747198950604245132010-08-01T11:23:04.215-07:002010-08-01T11:23:04.215-07:00Uncle Tarantino's Theory Corner?Uncle Tarantino's Theory Corner?Quentinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-72557506705470448492010-08-01T11:08:52.581-07:002010-08-01T11:08:52.581-07:00Seconded on the Cal Arts video. I Think that peopl...Seconded on the Cal Arts video. I Think that people are confusing the sophistication of movement and illusion of weight etc. that Disney and some Cal arts student are capable of with great acting. To me it still looks as stylized and over the top as very early silent films.<br /><br />I've read a few animation books by Disney animators and the sections on staging, composition and movement are fascinating and very advanced but then they have an 'acting'" section that is the stock Disney facial expressions sheet "'sad'' confused, happy, forlorn, etc. It is kind of like reading a '"how to cartoon" book that has good art advice but the how to write'" sections are jokes about bald eagles wearing toupees.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-21264243466353935562010-08-01T10:12:32.483-07:002010-08-01T10:12:32.483-07:00Though this post is more on wording and more gramm...Though this post is more on wording and more grammar related side of writing, I couldn't help but be reminded of this: http://boingboing.net/2007/04/14/vonneguts-rules-for-.htmlAlbertohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06604860564378574610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-7043569283461361782010-08-01T07:17:25.235-07:002010-08-01T07:17:25.235-07:00A little correction Eddie, his name is Bret Easton...A little correction Eddie, his name is Bret Easton Ellis, not Brad!diego cumplidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06033104257927433913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-17099524100922258062010-08-01T07:15:06.055-07:002010-08-01T07:15:06.055-07:00Gary Larson used to begin a lot of his captions wi...Gary Larson used to begin a lot of his captions with "suddenly" but I think he was going for a comically bad genre writing style.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-21191509073789242762010-08-01T06:34:52.233-07:002010-08-01T06:34:52.233-07:00Eddie, I seriously wanna see a performance of you ...Eddie, I seriously wanna see a performance of you acting out the Cal Arts acting style too, or whatever is most common in feature animation today. John K. on that Disney post the other day even mentioned that, and now he has me curious. Sounds like it will ensue in hilarity hopefully. Do it for real cartoonists everywhere, please?<br /><br />I'm not really aware of modern writing trends, but I like how concise the writing is in Elmore Leonard's piece. He doesn't waste time filling up the page with redundant jargon like in that other page you posted, although that was actually well written in itself. Who am I kidding? I can barely write anything decent myself, let alone a coherent story if it is for a school project or something, but still, fascinating stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com