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Lizzie Wingfield's avatar

What a beautifully expressed description of the music in writing. How much of the meaning and communication comes from the rhythm, and the shape and the sound and the speed of the words.

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Nov 16
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Lizzie Wingfield's avatar

That absolutely nails it!

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Framing-the-Story w/AK's avatar

Samantha Harvey has got the ear and the eye. A writer's writer.

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Nessa Meshkaty, MD's avatar

I appreciated Samantha’s take on writing. I learned some things.

I usually don’t have structure. If I have one, it is not in my awareness.

Writing and editing are the same process for me. I am usually shocked by how it ends. It was nice to hear someone else’s creative process.

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Michael Mohr's avatar

I'm same.

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Kenneth Rose's avatar

The hint about deciding on a structure is insightful, and I have found it to be true, although, it became clear that I have been doing that only when I read this interview.

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Michael Mohr's avatar

"All writers walk around in a huff thinking their work deserves more respect. This is the writer’s professional shtick. If we thought our work got the respect it deserved then we’d be happy and what would be the use of that?"

Brilliant.

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Robert J. Rei's avatar

The resonance contained within this entire piece sings to me like none other that I have ever encountered in the whole of my lifetime. The signal signature is shimmering, sovereign, and searing—singular in vision, and vibrating with vast intent.”

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Annie Griffiths's avatar

Brava! Samantha, your thoughts on style are a gift to we who adore sentences. Thank you.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

My second post for Samantha Harvey's _Orbital_. Dear Samatha, I have been wanting to write you a fan letter ever since I read _Orbital_, and now I hope that this Substack is the best way to get the message to you. The novel is lyrical prose that shows how much you read and admire the poetic style that I so hold dear. When I read your novel, I felt as if I had Carl Sagan's "blue dot" on the page: the photographic quality, the vulnerability of the astronauts and all you accomplished about seeing Earth from afar astonished! Kudos from heart to yours. ~ Mary

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

_Orbital_ is one of my all-time favorite reads. Almost like Carl Sagan's idea of "the pale blue dot" in lyrical prose! xx to Samantha Harvey!

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Amy Brown's avatar

Enjoyed this very much as I thought Orbital was one of the most stunning books I have read in a long time. I savored it. I did not want to come back down to earth. Hovering above it was endlessly fascinating, with Harvey’s compellingly drawn group of astronauts. I appreciated especially her comments on finding the structure first in order to relax into the writing at the sentence level. I am going to take that on board in my WIP.

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