Characterize This

So we guess one of the flaws in our writing has been assumption.

[that's a hell of an awkward sentence-ed]

Yeah, well, we wanted to finish with the subject...

We'll explain this assumption thing.

When we write a character who is an older pilot who flew F-4s in 'Nam, we have usually assumed that the reader will fill in all character. Oh, we provide a few hints, he's divorced, he used to chase skirts, etc. But mostly we're expecting the reader to conjure a picture in hisser [hisser? -ed] mind's eye....Ok, older pilot, grizzled, probably never smiles, disgruntled and cynical, got it.

After all, we're not women, are we?

[given your use of 'hisser' whatever that is, some of us are-ed]

We once read a fantasy novel written by a gal and she spent what must have been 500 words describing the morning dew. I mean, Jesus H. Christ.

Or to site another example, do we really need a hundred words describing the aglets on a shoelace?

[You read that somewhere else, and the only reason you know about aglets is because of Phineas and Pherb.]

So we've always stripped down our writing.

In Will Stroock land [the women's clothing is aprons and lingerie] 'The quick, brown fox jumped over the lazy dog' becomes 'the fox jumped over the dog].

We've never been prone to description and prefer brevity.

Just ask our old man. When we got home from school he'd ask, 'How was school?'

We'd respond, 'Fine.'

He'd ask, 'What did you do?'

We'd say, 'Nothing.'

He'd press his luck, 'You have any homework?'

We'd shout, 'I'm sick and tired of all these questions!' and stomp upstairs to listen to some Van Halen or something.

[Now why drag your poor father into this?-ed]

I dunno.

[Jerk-ed]

Yeah....

So we're working on more character development, which is why ANZACs is delayed.