Eragon

[Majimaune]

Oh I get it. Be wary, don't bleach anything that isnt white.

Book 3 is called Inheritance (OMFG he named it after the series. How stupid can you be not to think up a name!!!). Also the third egg with go to whatsisname...Eragon's "cousin". He isnt really Eragon's cousin but his brother.

 

[the_faery_queen]

hehe. thanks guys

 

[The Upright Man]

Inheritance, what a lame idea
i thought that'd be the title of the last chapter or summit

 

[sassy1]

I've been hanging out too much on a couple forums finding the faults in the books. Now I have to read the last one just to know what they'll be refering to; and I'll need plenty of bleach when I'm done!

those forums are so sad, you think people would have better things to do with their time that try to pick up every littlest mistake in a book. seriously, people like that need to get a life. If you didn't enjoy the book, don't read any more! And you keep slagging off Chris Paolini, but i'd like to see you lot do better than he has

 

[Melanie Nilles]

those forums are so sad, you think people would have better things to do with their time that try to pick up every littlest mistake in a book. seriously, people like that need to get a life. If you didn't enjoy the book, don't read any more! And you keep slagging off Chris Paolini, but i'd like to see you lot do better than he has

It's not that hard to do. He sets himself up for it. Ever know someone who had a particular quirk that other people poked fun at? We all have. CP is just like that. And he commits a ton of writing errors in his books that stand out like glaring little gremlins calling "Here I am!" THAT is what stands out and why people pick it apart. Then again, it is those of us who have done all we could to learn to write well who notice the mistakes the most. For people who don't know any better, usually those who aren't widely read in the fantasy genre, his work is great. Personally, I'm glad they enjoy it.

*standing on soapbox*
Keep in mind that mummy and daddy published him and he just lucked out to get noticed by a relative of one of the Knopf editors (says it right in his acknowledgements!). Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have made his millions.

Most writers and author hopefuls hate him because he makes out being published to be a walk in the park--if he had to go through the standard editing, querying, rewriting, requerying process as the thousands of stories that are submitted every month to agents and publishers everywhere, his stories would likely never have seen the light of day. His writing is atrocious, his story is exremely derivative of half a dozen well known and well liked stories (identical to Star Wars with a little Pern, LotR, and a couple lesser knowns thrown in for good measure), and his characters lacking in depth.

And, btw, I have a four book fantasy series coming out from a traditional publisher (not self-published as CP was originally) with the first book due out in January 2008 and the rest every six months after. I understand that not everyone will like my stories. It's part of putting your work out in the public. If you don't like criticism, you don't show others your work. Also, in workshops you crit each other's works to help you improve--by seeing mistakes in other's work you find it easier in your own.
*getting off the soapbox now*

Yes, some people take the criticism of books too far. But if you don't like it, don't read the comments.

When the green brick comes out, which I've heard on a few forums is expected to be called Empire in being consistent with the "E" title theme, I expect it to be as poorly written and highly predictable as the others. Inheritance is the name of the trilogy overall with each individual book having its own title, btw.

 

[Melanie Nilles]

Actually the bleach is for one's brain. You'll hear such comments from editors, agents, and critique forums more than anywhere. It means you need to wash away the sludge of bad writing/story from your brain. I've read more than a few books that made me want to bleach my brain :O

 

[The Upright Man]

those forums are so sad, you think people would have better things to do with their time that try to pick up every littlest mistake in a book. seriously, people like that need to get a life. If you didn't enjoy the book, don't read any more! And you keep slagging off Chris Paolini

i do have better things to do with my time, i also have time To come on here and have a discussion about what books i like to read, so what if all we are doing is "slagging off Chris Paolini", it's our choice to do so.

i have learnt from past mistakes in taking what is said on here too seriously, but if these forums are so sad...WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?..you must be sad slagging us off for slagging good ole CP off on these forums.

Also it is upto fans too pick out the nitty gritty stuff like typo's and obvious plot similarities, if we didn't who would? his parents don't or his publisher! it's upto us to slag him off...I happen to love the books but i still find major problems with it, i'm also a relative noob to pure fantasy (i'm more of a trekker and potter fan, with dashes off Artemis Fowl) so am not that good at reconising them, but he's copied a lot of people, and there are far more people who love the books and nit-pick, than those who love it for its "originality" and "outstanding plots and can't find fault in it"

If you do not like forums like these the simple answer is get out and stay out!!

It's not that hard to do. He sets himself up for it. Ever know someone who had a particular quirk that other people poked fun at? We all have. CP is just like that. And he commits a ton of writing errors in his books that stand out like glaring little gremlins calling "Here I am!" THAT is what stands out and why people pick it apart. Then again, it is those of us who have done all we could to learn to write well who notice the mistakes the most. For people who don't know any better, usually those who aren't widely read in the fantasy genre, his work is great. Personally, I'm glad they enjoy it.

*standing on soapbox*
Keep in mind that mummy and daddy published him and he just lucked out to get noticed by a relative of one of the Knopf editors (says it right in his acknowledgements!). Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have made his millions.

Most writers and author hopefuls hate him because he makes out being published to be a walk in the park--if he had to go through the standard editing, querying, rewriting, requerying process as the thousands of stories that are submitted every month to agents and publishers everywhere, his stories would likely never have seen the light of day. His writing is atrocious, his story is exremely derivative of half a dozen well known and well liked stories (identical to Star Wars with a little Pern, LotR, and a couple lesser knowns thrown in for good measure), and his characters lacking in depth.

And, btw, I have a four book fantasy series coming out from a traditional publisher (not self-published as CP was originally) with the first book due out in January 2008 and the rest every six months after. I understand that not everyone will like my stories. It's part of putting your work out in the public. If you don't like criticism, you don't show others your work. Also, in workshops you crit each other's works to help you improve--by seeing mistakes in other's work you find it easier in your own.
*getting off the soapbox now*

Yes, some people take the criticism of books too far. But if you don't like it, don't read the comments.

When the green brick comes out, which I've heard on a few forums is expected to be called Empire in being consistent with the "E" title theme, I expect it to be as poorly written and highly predictable as the others. Inheritance is the name of the trilogy overall with each individual book having its own title, btw.

here here, good on you getting a book out, will it be available world-wide i'd love to read it.

to you like my above rant?? lool

 

[Melanie Nilles]

here here, good on you getting a book out, will it be available world-wide i'd love to read it.

to you like my above rant?? lool

For info on my upcoming books check out my website in my profile--nothing fancy, but I'm too busy to make it purty.

Yeah, you really ranted, worse than me, if you don't mind my saying so.

Oh, and love the little blurb under you forum name. Yes, 42 does explain everything

 

[The Upright Man]

i dont mind i like rant from time to time i got a point tho

 

[Revelation]

Two quotes from Paolini.

From his book review of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Book Review | Entertainment Weekly

"One of the great pleasures of these novels has been watching Rowling's storytelling skills develop. And she certainly spreads her wings in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

And from some interview

"In my writing, I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf"

Who the hell does he think he is?

 

[Pyan]

"In my writing, I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf"

Excuse me while I go and lie down in a dark room - I may be some time......

 

[Melanie Nilles]

Who the hell does he think he is?

God's gift to fantasy?

 

[Sathai]

As a young writer, I think he did a decent job.

So do you think he'll improve as he gains more experience?

 

[Marvolo]

God's gift to fantasy?

You see, what gets me about Paolini isn't that a hack achieved great success, it is the fact that he truly believes he did all this on his own merit. Rowling achieved her success on merit; she was turned down by over a dozen publishers and her first book run was something around 5000 copies I believe. Paolini is a hack. His family pushed his book out for him. It was marketed as the great messiah of fantasy novels, and he bought into his own press. That is what gets me. He believes all the praise he recieves.

He's like a miniature Terry Goodkind.

 

[Majimaune]

Sorry if this post is a bit messy...

"In my writing, I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf"

Who the hell does he think he is?

Tolkien at his BEST??? He doesnt even reach Tolkien at his worst.

God's gift to fantasy?

He wishes. He is Satins gift to fantasy...CRAP!!!

As a young writer, I think he did a decent job.

So do you think he'll improve as he gains more experience?

As a young writer I was insulted. He might get better as he goes but you have to do well with the first stuff to get people to read other stuff.

You see, what gets me about Paolini isn't that a hack achieved great success, it is the fact that he truly believes he did all this on his own merit. Rowling achieved her success on merit; she was turned down by over a dozen publishers and her first book run was something around 5000 copies I believe. Paolini is a hack. His family pushed his book out for him. It was marketed as the great messiah of fantasy novels, and he bought into his own press. That is what gets me. He believes all the praise he recieves.

He's like a miniature Terry Goodkind.

Agreed...agreed...agreed...agreed...agreed...thats all I can agree to I think.

What did Goodkind write?

 

[Triceratops]

(From my blog)




Publishing Fraud.
Monday, May 7, 2007


We have to go no futher than the three examples below to understand how single-minded and obscene the publishing industry can get, when all it has in its sights is gimmickry, fraud, hype and greed. These cases represent but a small fraction of what is taking place in the industry today. It's irrefutable evidence that where there is no talent or celebrity status, you have only to create it, label it, ship it and cram it down the (unsuspecting) gullible throat of the reading populace. Though these incidents took place some time ago, they will forever remain fresh and seared upon my mind as if by a branding iron. I will never get over the negative impact they have had upon my own career.

Sweet, marketable, young, beautiful and born out of a foreign heritage, Kaavya Viswanthan burst on the scene as a teen queen of chic lit, with How Opal Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life. Alloy Entertainment figured they could package this girl (I said girl--not book), and sell her to Little Brown for a hefty $500,000 advance. The advance was all BS by the way--it was much smaller. Film rights went instantly to Dreamworks (those farking fools), who bought the film rights for a book that wasn't even out yet. The conclusion found was that the book was a fraud, plagerized to the hilt, almost line by line in dozens of passages, including the plot and theme. I resent the fact that an 18-year-old girl nearly got millions for a book (or two) that was her VERY FIRST attempt at writing genre fiction. She paid no dues, suffered no rejections, and certainly had not honed her craft to deserve such accolades.

James Frey's A Million Little Pieces was also found to be hype, lies and exageration. He fooled the NYTs bestseller list for 44 weeks, and Oprah Winfrey, when she made it a # 1 book club selection. Proof once again that sensationalism sells--the more outrageous, the better. Sorry. It just ended up too good to be true for its own damn good. They canceled production and pulled it from the racks. Strangely enough, Frey has gone on to sign more contracts with different publishers and has landed on the bestseller list once again. I'll be damned. If you lie and cause great controversy--you can obtain one hell of a writing vocation and end up an A-list celebrity. That's how it's done.

Christopher Paolini's Eragon is another such hunk of hack squat--totally derived, unoriginal, borrowed, and pitfully boring. They sold the "kid" Christopher, hoping that America would embrace this child prodigy and, unfortunately, the entire world took the bait. Recent estimates are that the book has sold about 8 million copies. This kid has nothing on Terry Brooks, or for that matter, any one of the very capable epic fantasy writers in my Absolutewrite writer's group or the Chronicles forumn.

I'm nearly at the point where I don't trust BIG publishing anymore. I think their marketing departments (the bean-counters) ought to relinquish custody of talent and purchasing power right back to where it used to be--with the editors.
Rant over...for now.

I'm not personally dissing these authors as much as I am blaming those stinking wheels that put them in motion. I not only want, but I demand integrity in this industry. We work too hard and long not to be afforded some measure of grace and fair play.

Tri

 

[The Upright Man]

christ this does seem to be a topic for long windiness dont it

 

[the_faery_queen]

i don't think the kid will get any better. i don't think he has any reason to. many writers seem to improve, until they get successful, and then they seem to loose whatever skill they had to begin with, or perhaps run out of ideas. for me, jordan, hobb, williams, are evidence of that. they started well, their first (or in hobb's case, middle) series were all great (jordan his first books were great) but they just got worse as things went on. and usually that was after they found success.
this kid already has success. why would he need or try to get better? he has nothing to work towards, no reason to improve and he's already SO arogant that he probably doesn't think he needs to improve. i think he will get worse. i think he really is a mini goodkind, full of his own hype and he will just churn out rubbish that people will buy because they believe the hype.

i too am kind of tired with mainstream publishing. i don't really buy books anymore, not unless it's by an author i've enjoyed before. im kinda tired of seeing the same old thing on the shelves because it's commerical, not because it's new or interesting. im sure there is new and interesting stuff out there but im too jaded to care anymore *shrug*

 

[Melanie Nilles]

All the original stuff is being put out by the small presses. Since signing with one of the more reputable ones, I've paid more attention. The big publishers work on either hype or a gimmick as Triceratops stated or churn out formulaic stories because they worked for them in the past. They're afraid to try something outside of the small box into which they've placed themselves because of the accountants.

Many of the now bigger publishers or the smaller ones swallowed up by the big ones started out with editors who published what they loved rather than what they expected to be the next bestseller.

I hope the new small presses can succeed with good stories that fill the niche that the big publishers are no longer fulfilling.

 

[the_faery_queen]

i hope so, but i've heard a lot of stories about bigger publishers trying to screw the smaller ones. and my own one ran out of cash and may have gone under (they haven't said they have, but they haven't said anything at all, so i have no idea! im looking elsewhere now) and that's the problem, i guess. they are fairly easy to set up, there are so many of them, that they're all in compeittion, and to survive, i imagine the small ones may well go the way of the bigger ones, printing what's commerical over what's interesting, just to try and stay afloat. but as long as they print the odd original, new thing, we will be better off