NovallTalon
Well-Known Hunter
I received this in my email this morning, she asked that those of us who can to please help get the word out about this. I'm gonna go ahead and post this here because this section of TDH is where 99% of the talk on EU mandos takes place. Anyhow, here is a message from Karen Traviss concerning costumers who have emailed her asking character specific questions to fill in costume gaps:
*** With full permission to copy in its entirety ***
Folks, I'm getting a *lot* of mail from costumers asking for detail
on various characters. This is from all sorts of places, but I
mention it here because some of you have links into costume groups
and might get word out.
I can't give detail that's not in the books. Sorry, I want to help,
but this is causing me all kinds of problems. Nor will I share my
thoughts on what I might do with characters' costumes any longer,
because it's just made a rod for my back. I made a mistake helping
out one or two people in the past, and it's now getting in the way of
the stories - not through volume of mail, but because it's asking me
to pre-empt quite a complex worldbuilding process.
If it's not in the books, inventing it solely to fill in costuming
gaps causes real problems. Remember that long thread we had about
random continuity, inventing detail for the hell of it to "tie up
loose ends" and then finding some time later that it's cut across
some story further down the line? Even small detail can do that. If a
character carries a certain kind of bag, it's not just cosmetic -
they may well have a whole story to go with that about how they got
the bag and what it's made from. Imagine if someone had hassled to me
to find out what kind of gloves Jaing wore, and under pressure, off
the top of my head, I said blue.
Actually, Jaing's gloves ended up being grey, because what they're
made from and how he acquired them is a huge element in the plot of
the RC books.
Do you see my point? This is not actually small detail, however much
it might look like it. Detail has to grow organically from
storytelling. Otherwise it's the tail wagging the dog, and that kills
the books.
I love the costuming community, but I need folks out there to
understand why I can no longer give them any unpublished detail or
suggestions. Any help you can give me in getting word out will be
appreciated.
You may reproduce this message if you need to. In fact, it's probably
better if you use it, because paraphrasing might end up making it
look as if I can't be arsed, when in fact I have a very valid reason
for not providing information that has nothing to do with spoilers.
Thanks!
KT
*** End message ***
*** With full permission to copy in its entirety ***
Folks, I'm getting a *lot* of mail from costumers asking for detail
on various characters. This is from all sorts of places, but I
mention it here because some of you have links into costume groups
and might get word out.
I can't give detail that's not in the books. Sorry, I want to help,
but this is causing me all kinds of problems. Nor will I share my
thoughts on what I might do with characters' costumes any longer,
because it's just made a rod for my back. I made a mistake helping
out one or two people in the past, and it's now getting in the way of
the stories - not through volume of mail, but because it's asking me
to pre-empt quite a complex worldbuilding process.
If it's not in the books, inventing it solely to fill in costuming
gaps causes real problems. Remember that long thread we had about
random continuity, inventing detail for the hell of it to "tie up
loose ends" and then finding some time later that it's cut across
some story further down the line? Even small detail can do that. If a
character carries a certain kind of bag, it's not just cosmetic -
they may well have a whole story to go with that about how they got
the bag and what it's made from. Imagine if someone had hassled to me
to find out what kind of gloves Jaing wore, and under pressure, off
the top of my head, I said blue.
Actually, Jaing's gloves ended up being grey, because what they're
made from and how he acquired them is a huge element in the plot of
the RC books.
Do you see my point? This is not actually small detail, however much
it might look like it. Detail has to grow organically from
storytelling. Otherwise it's the tail wagging the dog, and that kills
the books.
I love the costuming community, but I need folks out there to
understand why I can no longer give them any unpublished detail or
suggestions. Any help you can give me in getting word out will be
appreciated.
You may reproduce this message if you need to. In fact, it's probably
better if you use it, because paraphrasing might end up making it
look as if I can't be arsed, when in fact I have a very valid reason
for not providing information that has nothing to do with spoilers.
Thanks!
KT
*** End message ***