Riva Pomerantz - Diamond Dust

I happen to have fainted twice in my life. Maybe they can write a novel about me?

Silver Member Joined: Nov 04 2010 Posts: 896

I just fainted last week. Some people are prone to fainting, while others will never faint in their lives. Just because you never faint doesn't mean it never happens.

What I do find overdone, is the hysteria surrounding the fainting. When I faint, I put my head at the same level as my heart, drink some orange juice and I'm good to go. No hatzalah necessary.

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

...especially since RC already had a fainting episode, from a different character, a couple of months ago.

I know fainting does happen in real life, but in some literary contexts it just appears to be a cheap way to stir up some drama as if you don't think your story is already interesting or compelling enough. And if that is indeed the case, you can try improving on your character development and significant plots rather than trying to think of something easy and alarming to leave the readers with over the week.

But back to Diamond Dust. It's interesting, I couldn't decide if Tzvi was being assertive or aggressive. I think it's good if he's being assertive because 1. it's about time someone gets a young couple communicating seriously and openly in the early stages, and 2. Yalli did need a good grab-and-shake to get her dealing with her issues, so maybe he's a good candidate for the job.

I hope Yalli's parents come around sometime soon. I think they can have their tragic flaws without being complete brats about it; they could potentially have been such nice, likable characters. I favor subtle messages, not demonization.

Moderator Joined: Jun 05 2011 Posts: 3376

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

T&P, it doesn't always happen suddenly, often you can feel it coming and prevent it by putting your head down etc. I've never actually fainted but I've felt pretty close a couple of times and that's what I'm told! I wonder how common it is, scientifically, for people to just pass out like that. Though to be fair, in these particular serials it wasn't so sudden; Yalli certainly had some aura before of not feeling well... Naama (RC) not so sure but she was all agitated so maybe she felt something but just didn't tune into it.

Moderator Joined: Jun 05 2011 Posts: 3376

Thanks for explaining that, seeker.

Btw, I cannot keep track of who is who in RC. By now I know that Naama has an eating disorder and Malky's son got married, but for future reference: 3 main characters should be the maximum in a weekly serial!

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

I know, I also have a hard time keeping track of them! There have been some serials with even more tangled messes of characters, though. 4 seems manageable though it's a little confusing with them switching off, and the timing is a little interesting too (is it just me or did Malky's son's engagement go rather quickly?), that little box at the top SHOULD be helpful but it needs to say more salient details, like "Malky is the one whose son got married and who upset the others by using them for her thesis" rather than "As of last week, Malky is in a bad mood."

Platinum Member Joined: Feb 20 2009 Posts: 7663

Yeah, I can't really follow RC either. By the time I get through the chapter I usually have it straight, but I tend to lose track of the who's who and what's what from week to week. I'm really not feeling that story, or any of its characters.

Diamond Member Joined: Oct 26 2009 Posts: 2512

Speaking of fainting, didn't Alisa also faint a few times in the Hamodia inyan serial, Changing Faces? I seem to remember she did, or maybe she almost fainted and was very weak. I guess it is a pretty common thing in frum serials.

Don't get me wrong though, I am enjoying that story a lot.

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

Yeah but at least in Changing Faces that's actually part of the plot, that she has some kind of condition (whether it's actually fibromyalgia or some kind of anxiety/panic disorder, I don't know, but at least her fainting spells have some broader context besides just a play for instant drama)

Diamond Member Joined: Feb 20 2007 Posts: 4464

That was funny, reading Diamond Dust and then RC. I started to wonder if the authors synchronized something.

And now for the following, which must be prefaced by apologies to Riva Pomerantz and Chaya Daniels. I love your serials actually, really Very Happy

RP: "My character faints this week."
CD: "No! Mine faints this week. Yours fainted last week."
RP: "But didn't you already have a character faint?"
CD: "Well why did you think I chose 4 main characters? This way I can have at least 4 fainting spells in there."

Platinum Member Joined: Nov 17 2008 Posts: 5050

Executive Member Joined: Apr 09 2008 Posts: 400

�Reality check� had absolutely nothing happening until recently� no plot. Well, the action just started (finally)!

I�m trying to figure out how it was going on week after week for 6 months (approximately) with nothing happening.

I do remember the characters (that little box on the right hand corner helps), but I don�t feel for them. She doesn�t delve into them too deeply.

I personally think that when the characters are described in detail, we get all involved� That�s Riva�s strong point, I think her stories are so compelling because she writes in such detail.

Platinum Member Joined: Mar 12 2009 Posts: 13198

[quote="married21"]�Reality check� had absolutely nothing happening until recently� no plot. Well, the action just started (finally)!

I�m trying to figure out how it was going on week after week for 6 months (approximately) with nothing happening.

I do remember the characters (that little box on the right hand corner helps), but I don�t feel for them. She doesn�t delve into them too deeply.
/quote]

Yes, that corner box does help.
And T & P, why 4 and not 3? Check out most of the Jewish chick lit books. (Let's come up with a name for the genre.) There's always four friends. One for each of the directions? I don't know.
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The righteous praise and honor people for every good quality that is found in them while the wicked seek out faults in others to pull them down, even if they repented those deeds. (Rabbeinu Yonah, from Partners in Kindness)

4 Imahos.
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Executive Member Joined: May 02 2012 Posts: 280

That 4 friend thing always rubs me the wrong way. IME (two different high schools, camp, and seminary) groups of 3 are much more common than 4. It's the classic relationship triangle and it's a shame that more of the writers don't stick with that because the dynamic is much more real.

Moderator Joined: Jun 05 2011 Posts: 3376

I hope Yalli doesn't have a panic attack in the middle of her wedding next week!

Diamond Member Joined: Sep 17 2009 Posts: 3981

T&P why don't we see if she makes it to the wedding next week. Knowing the ways the stories usually go chances are next week will be all getting dressed, hair and makeup.

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

Yeah I keep taking bets against myself on whether that'll happen... frankly, realistically speaking I think it's much more likely to happen before or after. During your own wedding you're kind of kept busy enough going through the motions that you don't need to deal with difficult thoughts/emotions. The panic attack thing is an ok enough side plot but I kind of want to get past the wedding without one, keep the story moving without excess theatrical posturing, yknow? RIVA ARE YOU LISTENING? lol

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

Happy18, good point, I was kind of thrown because we got pretty suddenly from mid-engagement type angst to night before the wedding... but now that we did a bit of fast forward we could spend a few weeks on the big event Rolling Eyes