Talk:Niven's laws

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[edit] Categories

Due to axing of [[Category:eponymous laws]] this entry is now category-less. I suggest someone familiar with creating deep categories place this in a category named Larry Niven (as is done for Isaac Asimov), allowing the many other entries regarding Niven to also be grouped in the same place. --Belg4mit 01:11, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Copyright

Are we OK with copyright, reproducing these laws verbatim ? -- Beardo 20:09, 28 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sorry, I don't follow.

I understand most of them, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what "Everybody talks first draft" is supposed to mean. Not that I'm missing some sort of deep meaning, but I can't even decide if the sentence is grammatically sound. Is anyone able to clarify, or is it supposed to be some sort of zen koan? - Googling was no help. -- 21:20, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

Niven has said in many places that while he was learning how to write, he had to tell each story out loud to anyone who would listen -- in particular he dedicated something to his brother Mike for listening so patiently. Perhaps "everybody talks first draft" means that every writer must do something similar: work out the structure of the story by talking it to somebody. Rpresser (talk) 23:24, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

It's quite clearly a self-referential phrase indicating that extensive revision is necessary to hone a story to perfection. --Belg4mit (talk) 00:29, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

I can't agree, sorry. I feel it means that when you talk, it's the unedited thoughts that come out - teh first draft. Only when you write do you get a chance to edit your thoughts. chrisboote (talk) 15:09, 21 February 2008 (UTC)