Randomness 4, Randomness Rebooted

Fredjikrang · Post by **Fredjikrang** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:02 am

I agree, Eragon is not very well written. Eldest is quite a bit better, and I expect the finale will be pretty good, but Eragon is very. . . amateur. I think that he just wrote it too young, after becoming obsessed with Salvatore and Tolkien, and maybe Anne McCaffery and that he didn't have a good editor go over it. (Again, my opinion, but I think that a good editor is the secret behind great writing.)

361 · Post by **361** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:29 am

bobtheenchantedone wrote:I believe that Paolini has it in him to be a good, even great, writer, but I certainly don't think Eragon is it. His story is much to derivative, his prose is amateur (I can say that because he does many things that I do - only thing is I realize that isn't the right way to do it and try to do better), and his vocabulary is all mismatched and often rather incorrect.

It does well as a children's book. Talk to a writer, especially one around his age, and things start to heat up.

Most books are derivative....

Similarly...

Eragon; Synopsis

Eragon is an orphan living with his adoptive father in the remote town of Palancar.

He is rescued from the Ra'zac by wise, beareded Brom who turns out to be a Dragon Rider.

Brom reveals to Eragon that Eragon's father was also a Dragon Rider and was a very powerful one.

Eragon is also instructed in how to use magic as he trains to become a Dragon Rider.

Eragon has many adventures in Alagaesia and makes new friends such as Murtagh and Arya.

In the course of these adventures he distinguishes himself as a top Dragon Rider in the battle of the Burning Plains, driving off Murtagh secures the Varden victory against Galbatorix's forces of evil.

Eragon also sees off the threat of the Ra'zac who we know murdered his adoptive father.

In the finale, Eragon and his new friends defeat Galbatorix (projected based on current data...)

All of this will be set to an orchestral score composed by Patrick Doyle (which is why the movie sucked... should have picked John Williams...)

361 · Post by **361** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:27 am

Similarly...

Ender's Game; Synopsis

Ender is a picked on kid living with his parents somewhere on Earth.

He is rescued from his abusive older brother by wise, beareded Colonel Graff who turns out to be a Battle School Director.

Colonel Graff reveals to Ender that Ender's big brother was also a Battle School Canidate and was ruthless and cunning.

Ender is also instructed in how to use strategem as he trains to become a commander.

Ender has many adventures in Battle School and makes new friends such as Petra and Bean.

In the course of these adventures he distinguishes himself as a top Army Commander in the battles of the zero-gravity wargame they play, driving off Salamander Army secures the Dragon Army victory against Ender's Rivals.

Ender also sees off the threat of the Bonzo Madrid who we know harbored a desire to kill Ender.

In the finale, Ender and his new friends defeat The Buggers.

All of this will be set to an orchestral score composed by someone yet to be announced since it's not a movie yet.

Fredjikrang · Post by **Fredjikrang** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:11 pm

Eh, Ender's game is a stretch in my opinion.

361 · Post by **361** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:45 pm

Fredjikrang wrote:Eh, Ender's game is a stretch in my opinion.

very similar concept though... I believe Orson Scott Card himself said he pulled some ideas out of Star Wars.

He has a paper he wrote about Authors borrowing from each other and expounding on stolen ideas and how this is normal and accepted... If not encouraged.

chillygator · Post by **chillygator** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:01 pm

In other news, my life would be a whole lot easier if CDOL would work.

Fredjikrang · Post by **Fredjikrang** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:09 pm

361 wrote:
very similar concept though...

That is probably because they are in the same, larger category of a "Hero's Journey." All of these stories have the same basic underlying structure, and they make up the majority of all novels.

Or, as one of my creative writing professors put it, "There are only two stories. A stranger comes to town, or someone leaves town, and some would argue that they are actually the same story."

Post by **bobtheenchantedone** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:16 pm

361 wrote:Most books are derivative....

But there's a difference. Yes, Harry Potter is like Star Wars, but the parallels are basic. With Eragon, the parallels are much more specific (some of them all but exact) and there are many more of them. And I might be able to forgive that if not for issues with the prose and vocabulary and deus ex machina and lack of organic-ness and such.

And yes, writers do steal/borrow/callitwhatyouwill from their fellow writers. The key in that is to make it your own. For example, I'm planning to include in my NaNo novel a demon and angel meeting, becoming acquaintances, becoming friends, and even working together, like the situation in Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. However, while people who read both may recognize that similarity, they will not accuse me of stealing. Why? Because the world, situations, personalities of the characters, basic plot of the book, and many other things will be different.

Post by **bobtheenchantedone** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:20 pm

Also, Fredji is very correct about editors.

361 · Post by **361** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:45 pm

chillygator wrote:In other news, my life would be a whole lot easier if CDOL would work.

Sorry about that...

Let me know when I've fixed it

Nanti-SARRMM · Post by **Nanti-SARRMM** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:32 pm

Have a great conference weekend everyone!

chillygator · Post by **chillygator** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:00 pm

Nanti-SARRMM wrote:Have a great conference weekend everyone!

Have I mentioned how incredibly excited I am to be watching conference from home? It's been 6 years since I've been able to do that and I'm so happy about it! There darn well better be waffles involved. (But am going to the Sunday afternoon session...oh well, nothing's perfect.)

Giovanni Schwartz · Post by **Giovanni Schwartz** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:03 pm

Waffles? Why waffles? We make "scones", which in our house is the same as indian fry bread.

Unit of Energy · Post by **Unit of Energy** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:08 pm

Giovanni Schwartz wrote:"scones", which in our house is the same as indian fry bread.

That's what I thought scones were until college. Then again my only experience with something called scones was with my Aunt from Arizona.

Giovanni Schwartz · Post by **Giovanni Schwartz** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:14 pm

I'm pretty sure your aunt isn't my mom, so it must be an Arizona thing.

Also, speaking of scones: Have you ever been to "Scone Cutter" or something like that? It's somewhere near Provo-ish. I'm not sure exactly.

361 · Post by **361** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:36 pm

Giovanni Schwartz wrote:I'm pretty sure your aunt isn't my mom, so it must be an Arizona thing.

Also, speaking of scones: Have you ever been to "Scone Cutter" or something like that? It's somewhere near Provo-ish. I'm not sure exactly.

It's a chain...

I've been to the Provo one with my "wild Provo friends"...

They (jokingly?) asked the guy at the window if he had any pot...

Giovanni Schwartz · Post by **Giovanni Schwartz** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:33 pm

It's a yummy place. I enjoy it. Also, I'm taking the SAT tomorrow, and I'm hoping that I can get near a perfect score on math so that national merit won't hate me.

Post by **bobtheenchantedone** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 10:20 am

Hooray for working at the Bookstore during Conference...

Fredjikrang · Post by **Fredjikrang** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:03 am

Um, yay?

Nanti-SARRMM · Post by **Nanti-SARRMM** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:35 pm

Giovanni Schwartz wrote:It's a yummy place. I enjoy it. Also, I'm taking the SAT tomorrow, and I'm hoping that I can get near a perfect score on math so that national merit won't hate me.

So are you taking both the ACT and the SAT?