Independent Body Parts

[CiaoSteve]

Okay, one for you authors out there. If a publisher talks about independent body parts in reference to a multi-chapter story, is he referring to...

1) Body parts having a life of their own, e.g. hands moving without being connected to a person?
2) The chapters being related but independent of each other?

I am assuming the former, but would welcome an opinion.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Needs more context. It could be an editorial critique of a narrative oddity, or it could be a comment on chaptering. What are the words around the comment? Surely they'll clarify the meaning?

 

[CiaoSteve]

It was still quite vague

Beyond that, there are basic editing issues such as IBPs (independent body parts), head-hopping (which is changes of point of view in the same scene, and other general punctuation issues. If the story were exactly right for us, we'd work through those types of things with you or have to you some pre-editing, but as mentioned, that isn't the case.

 

[SimonDoom]

I think of King Missile's song Detachable Penis.

Maybe it's just me.

 

[ElectricBlue]

It was still quite vague

Beyond that, there are basic editing issues such as IBPs (independent body parts), head-hopping (which is changes of point of view in the same scene, and other general punctuation issues. If the story were exactly right for us, we'd work through those types of things with you or have to you some pre-editing, but as mentioned, that isn't the case.

If they're talking about those things, I'd say the problem is in the description of limbs acting without apparent connection to the limb owner - but they're also saying (in the last sentence) that they're not interested in the story anyway.

 

[Voboy]

If they're talking about those things, I'd say the problem is in the description of limbs acting without apparent connection to the limb owner - but they're also saying (in the last sentence) that they're not interested in the story anyway.

This. ALL of this.

 

[CiaoSteve]

If they're talking about those things, I'd say the problem is in the description of limbs acting without apparent connection to the limb owner - but they're also saying (in the last sentence) that they're not interested in the story anyway.

Yep, I know they're not interested, but I wanted to understand the feedback anyway

 

[Bramblethorn]

If they're talking about those things, I'd say the problem is in the description of limbs acting without apparent connection to the limb owner - but they're also saying (in the last sentence) that they're not interested in the story anyway.

Yeah, this. It'd be things like "my eyes watched him, my tongue licked her".

In small doses it can work as an affectation, or when the action is genuinely involuntary. But in larger doses it becomes a problem, unless you're writing something like Barker's The Body Politic.

 

[nice90sguy]

https://www.chalkthesun.co.uk/blog/writing-action-those-pesky-independent-body-parts/

 

[stickygirl]

https://www.chalkthesun.co.uk/blog/writing-action-those-pesky-independent-body-parts/

That's handy and yes, my fingers have typed that kind of nonsense before.

 

[CiaoSteve]

https://www.chalkthesun.co.uk/blog/writing-action-those-pesky-independent-body-parts/

Cool... I've read your link with my eyes, and will try to remember in my mind, when I next type out a story with my fingers. Thank you so much... nice one

 

[nice90sguy]

Cool... I've read your link with my eyes, and will try to remember in my mind, when I next type out a story with my fingers. Thank you so much... nice one

I loved that post with my heart so much I nearly came out of my penis.