Twilight Series [General Discussion Thread]

Well I read Twilight and I thought it was okay. Now I just don't like the books at all because they are so over-hyped and fad-driven that it's not even enjoyable.

 

I started off liking the series, but a combination of other factors really turned me off. Firstly, I felt that Bella and Edward were too much like Mary Sue/Gary Stu. Edwards only character flaw is overprotectivness, which is only barely a flaw? Didn't sit right with me, I was hoping for a darker character.

Second, after the first book the series got really boring. It was cool to find out Jacob was a werewolf in New Moon, but then I felt that nothing happened until the fourth, where too much happened at once.

And the sudden teenage hype and awful film destroyed any remaining fondness I had for the series.

 

my fave is new moon.....team jacob! :P

 

Haha, Team Jacob all the way :]
I've always prefered him over Edward

 

If you asked me about 2 years ago I would have said Eclipse.

Now I don't like any of them. :l

 

Oh, no, Meyer's writing talent has nothing to do with his taste. I'm sure Stephen King can appreciate stories that aren't within his genre--in fact, he does. If you have studied the art of writing, you will see that Meyer is just awful. It has nothing to do with style, but with actually knowing what you're doing. Her "novels" are so full of errors that it's a wonder it was published. She knows nothing about characterization, structure, plot development, continuity, etc...and those are just the basics. To count as a really fantastic writer, you've got to be original and you've got to be bold. Meyer's books are neither, and she writes like the amateur she is.

 

Different fan base. Steven King writes for adults, while Meyer writes for teenagers, so the intelligence level and complexity will obviously be different. None the less, I think he did this because of the madness of popularity for such an overrated book. I don't exactly agree with his judgement in doing this, he should have respect for other artists and act like the experienced one.

 

I laughed my butt off when I saw this quoted it and then put it in my sig.

 

I don't think his judgment was off. All he said was "Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn." That's not bad at all. He was only speaking the truth. It's not like he called her a whore or said he wished she would die. He merely criticized her writing using seven simple words.

 

Well then I guess we should start bashing Dr. Suess too.

 

That's actually off. Just because he's regarded as a great writer, does not give him the right to just say who can and can't write. While I've only read a few pages of twilight(and do not like it), I believe it isn't as bad as they make us believe it is. Sure, it's a pretty amateurish novel, but it's not unreadable.

Plus he didn't criticized her writing. He said she couldn't write(quoting you). If you wrote a novel and feel like you've spent time on it, then comes some smart-ass telling you that your time was a waste, when clearly it is not, because the book sells(perhaps overrated, but that's not the point)

 

As a writer myself, yes, I can say that her writing really is that bad. She said herself it was the first thing she ever wrote, and honestly, the first thing a person ever writes should most certainly not be something they try to publish. Saying she can't write is criticizing her writing, and he could have said much worse. Of course great writers have the right to critique another person's writing. It's their area of expertise. If you're, say, an amazing cook, and you taste something someone else made and notice that two flavors don't complement one another or something, you're going to criticize it. If you're an artist and you observe a flaw in another's work (such as proportions or something), you will say something.

She did not put much effort into writing her "novel". She did not study the craft of writing, she just winged it and ended up crashing and burning in the quality department. As for "some smart-ass telling you your time was a waste", when you put your work out to the public in a professional manner (i.e. publishing your book and putting it in stores), you are risking criticism. That's what professional writers are supposed to do: take criticism and let it help them improve as writers. If Meyer wanted to, she could examine the criticism handed to her and use it to make her writing flourish. That would be wonderful. Criticism is not meant to insult (usually) but to assist the writer.

 

When you say a person "can't write worth a darn." You're saying they can't. Period. Nothing.

And whatever is wrong with publishing something you've written for the first time? Sure she messed up, but she went through with it, and it got to be an actual novel. Sure, not the best, but that's not really the point.

Of course there is critique and sometimes it is harsh, but saying you can't is a very different thing. Sometimes critique can be really destructive, but that's never it's original purpose. Saying one can or can't write is entirely going out from the basis of critique in the first place, since you're not really giving any advice on how to improve or denoting any mistakes.

Besides, expertise would have been denoted if he said something like, "Meyer needs to learn the craft of writing" as opposed to "Meyer can't write worth a darn"

EDIT: By the way...I know we are in the whole heated discussion thing, but...You've gotten your work published and all? And where did you start out and all? Did you start at young age? How do you go about writing stuff? I'm sorry. I'm just kinda looking to better myself and all...

 

Ahh, I see what you're saying. You're right, if King had expanded further, I'm sure he could've given her some valuable criticism, but yes, that is all he said. I have nothing against him for saying that--it's his opinion, after all--but you're right in that that particular criticism did not offer any help by specifying certain problems with her writing, etc.

Of course, if you read King's book on writing (which is literally called On Writing, and I suggest you check it out, it's very good), he states his own opinion on the talent of writers. He thinks there are bad writers, decent writers, good writers, and great writers. It is his belief that you can make decent writers into good ones (he thinks himself to be a good one) but you cannot make good ones into great ones, nor can you make bad ones into good ones. Not saying I completely agree, but that's his philosophy.

When I say I'm a writer, I don't mean a published one (yet)...but I've spent enough time writing (and studying writing) to feel I can call myself a writer. Let's see...I found out I had a talent for it when I was in fourth grade and started working on the craft when I was ten. I've been improving ever since (I'm sixteen now) and have written a novel that I'm trying to get published.

If you want to improve your skill, I suggest reading King's book as well as Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Read as many articles about writing that you can get your hands on, especially if they include learning the basics such as show and don't tell, use your adverbs sparingly (irony intended there), and, in the words of Mark Twain, "employ a simple writing style". Also, the best ways to improve: read a lot (quality books, not crap like Harlequin romance novels or something) and write a lot. Write, and then don't be afraid to pick out the mistakes and fix them.

 

I see. I've started only recently(like when I was 15 or so? can't remember right), and well...I'm trying to get my hands on everything I can to learn. I'm not really into publishing my stuff, but I do like writing, so I wanna keep going at it. Thank for the tips.

 

Meh~

tbh i have to say i didn't like the series that much

but if i had to choose my favourite book would be new moon.

simply because edward's hardly in it xD
he annoyed the **** out of me.

 

Personaly i hold favor with new moon. I guess it just because i adore Jacob Black. It was also, strangely, the first of the twilight novels i read, so i will always love it a little more than the rest.
Although... all of the books are great.

 

In my opinion I say eclipse...don't ask why but if I HAD to choose a fave I know its eclipse

 

I liked them all but my favorites were New Moon and Braking Dawn.​

 

Eclipse, definitely. Breaking Dawn was so... anticlimatic. Plus I love Jacob, so the struggles of book three were my favourite.