12 Matching Annotations
  1. Last 7 days
    1. consistency is not necessarily a virtue

      I found this interesting because I usually think consistency is a good thing, but this made me realize real people are inconsistent sometimes and that actually makes them more believable.

    2. if characters surprise but do not convince us, they are only flat pretending to be round

      This line made me pause because it shows that being random isn't the same as being complex. A character has to surprise us in a way that still makes sense.

    3. only 10 percent of what the author knows about the character actually appears in the story

      I really liked this idea, it makes me feel like good writing requires a lot more background thinking than we actually see. It also explains why some people feel "empty" and it's because the writer probably didn't fully know them.

    4. We want to create real people: characters that liw and breathe and act in believable ways

      This made me realize how much character really matters in a story. It reminded me that emotional connection is the main goal.

  2. Feb 2026
    1. irst grew restless with the arc a

      The author is saying she got bored with the same old beginning - middle - end stories and that sort of structure. She wanted to find new ways stories could work.

    2. only the man who names all the eucalypts on his grounds may marry her

      This rule feels unrealistic to me, but I feel like it's supposed to symbolize control. Ellen's future is being treated like a challenge to be conquered.

    3. this is what meandering narratives do.

      I take this to mean that meandering stories wander on purpose. They explore ideas and moments instead of moving straight to the conclusion.

    4. Each author chooses the parameters of her own workshop

      This gives writers a lot of control, which could help them feel a lot more comfortable. I like that it respects different comfort levels.