Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for July 24, 2023

Proof that it can get worse

Stephen King’s ON WRITING: A Memoir Of The Craft – I’ve heard it’s a really good book on the subject.

Hopefully this will help Luann work on her writing skills.

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Why does Bernice always have to be snarky to Luann??

Bernice is being super-obtuse and forgetful. She was the one who encouraged Luann to write and told her in not uncertain terms that it had to be a story about Luann. Which Luann did write, entered into a contest and won second prize. Increasingly it sounds like Bernice’s mother would have done the world a favor it she had strangled Bernice at birth.

Too harsh? I’ll own it.

And this pivot to Luann leaves Tiffany have a major melt-down over unresolved frustration. Will there even be a resolution to that problem? And did she push one too many of TJ’s buttons and got fired. The Writer wasted a whole week to make one point and never settled anything,

I know misery loves company, but Luann has to take a stand at some point. Bernice is getting carried away.

Yikes!!

Speak of the Devil and Bernice appears!

Okay, let’s stick with this for a while please.

Fish fry Luann.

Looks like it’s going to be more unfinished chatter this week. This time with Luann and Bernice. Whatever came of that wonderful start from last week with Tiffany and her troubles? This is getting very frustrating! 8^ \

Few people endear themselves in quite the same manner as my beloved Bernice. It doesn’t work for those few either.

Meanwhile, Bets and Gun are at the San Diego Comic Con.

Luann’s expression in the second panel tells me that having Bernice as a non-paying tenant in her home is rapidly causing their friendship to deteriorate.

Go away Bernice, you’re annoying!

Reading about writing is like singing about economics.

Let’s go back to Tiff and Kip So much more interesting (⁠☞⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ͡⁠°⁠)⁠☞

Bernice is being her usual snippy self. Luann does not need a friend who brings some attitude with her.

Wait a minute, bring back Hot Luann from the Sunday strip. We’re talking about a teenager’s unguarded libido out to reap the wild wind.

Good come back, Luann. You didn’t let Bernice get to you. Go pet your goldfish, Bern.

That is a very subtle way of saying, Go away, leave me alone or go away, I think!

Luann needs material! Get out of the nest, Lu.

The one thing Luann learnt from readin Stephen King’s book

“From now on when I write, I’m goin by ‘Stephanie King’ "

Writers are readers.

I’d forgotten Mr. King had written as “how to” book on writing. Wikipedia says it’s quite helpful. Here, poor Bern thinks the book is just fiction.

Interesting, when Luann was talking with Tara she knew she could count on her advice and when she spoke to Tiffany, she was happy to be able to listen to her struggles and help her, with a feeling of real friendship between the two. But now that she’s with Bernice, there seems to be just annoyance. Bernice is like a sister to her, one of those with whom you have a conflicting relationship. I’m sure they love each other, but I would have rather continued to see Luann talk to Tara or Tiffany and be treated as a friend instead of Bernice’s constant subtle mocking which could lead to a worsening of Luann’s mood. Nice to see Luann continuing to study. She’s really serious about becoming a writer.

Tara’s example is actually the one to follow. Tara keeps writing. Luann hesitates, contemplates and procrastinates.

Hmmm – let’s personify these created characters a bit too much, shall we? And Greg, your background drawings are unique. They are clearly either an afterthought or you have lived in a very uneven world!

Bernice just loves to make everyone feel inferior and insecure, doesn’t she?

“On Writing” is a great book, and his reading list in the back has been invaluable to me because it has opened to me many other great authors and I’ve read many of his recommended books.

And don’t you have a dog to feed?

That is a nice color for Bernice! I enjoy the back and forth between her an Luann. They might act like quarreling siblings, but Bernice has always watched out for Luann.

It is a great book by the way. Contains a lot of insight and was originally the syllabus for his writing course at University.

I wish Bernice and Nil’s relationship would have gone further; this entire Muse thing has stunted her character.

Looks like a good book; not your run of the mill “how to” affair. The pic of King on the cover shows him actually writing (maybe putting down ideas) with a pen!! I like that.

If you want to learn about writing, at least writing engaging and intelligent stuff, don’t read Stephen King

Bernice; do you feel like you can successfully counsel someone? That they’ll actually take your advice?

I bet Bernice writes research papers without research!

Really though, if you want to hone your creative craft, do like Luann. Get immersed in conversations and theory and technique instead of trying to reinvent everything yourself.

Looks like Bernice has been working on her spiteful side. No wonder she can’t keep a boyfriend.

As a writer who wanted to learn from writing advice books before making a lot of newbie errors that I’d eventually have to iron out: Bernice, shut up and leave Luann alone! Let Luann be creative and try to get better at something rather than taking jabs at her. Everyone writes at their own pace and it can be helpful to get advice about it. We all know Luann needs the writing help and it keeps her from driving Tara crazy by begging Tara to spoon-feed her ideas.

Honestly, I feel like Luann would be better off hanging out with her former enemy Tiffany than her best friend sometimes. I feel like Bernice THRIVES on acting like Luann’s her inferior. This coming from someone who tends to see Luann as Ms. Bump-on-a-log, but Bernice is Ms. Stick-in-the-Mud so her ripping on Luann is clearly something Miss Mademoiselle Muse does to feel like she’s more put together than Lowly Luann.

Did I miss something?! We deserted Tiffany in the middle of her tirade? Luann is good at procrastinating. She’s written stories in the past and helped others with ideas. What happened to Mrs. H and the writing class? Lu should ask her for help.

Bernice can see that Luann is reading and she can also see what book she is reading. She probably meant to ask Why she is reading that book, but Bernice probably knows the answer to that too.

Yes Bernice, it’s called getting ideas.

Grrr… THAT book.

Bonus Gorgeous Ann❤️Eiffel sighting on “Pearls Before Swine”! Trundle along over there and take a gander. P.S. We all ❤️Rat.

Shouldn’t the first comment have been studying

A fish…like a great white shark?

It would be nice if Luann would actually do something with her writing, but she won’t. G&K won’t allow it. Luann has shown talents/abilities in the past. (like stage design for example) but they were never developed because the creators of the strip just want to portray Luann as a dim-witted punching bag. Karen has stated she hates the character, so Luann will never be allowed to progress, mature, or evolve in any way.

Yeah, Bernice!

Actually a better antagonist in “Rose is Rose” is that weird cat.

For aspiring writers I highly recommend two books— both by Lois Duncan HOW TO WRITE AND SELL YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES and CHAPTERS:MY GROWTH AS A WRITER. The first one might be especially useful to Luann in writing her own memoirs. By the way if she’s writing about Tiffany in any way that is not classified as a memoir, as it is not about Luann herself. It might be a more slice of life story. Duncan is especially encouraging to beginners and suggests ways to establish self discipline with regard to your writing and how to use your own experiences coupled with imagination to create worthwhile fiction. I loved her as a writer and as a business woman. She is sorely missed in the YA writing markets.

Bernice and Nancy are BFF.

Gunther and Bets broke their backs to get to t he San Diego Comic Com.And because of the Hollywood strikes; they say it’ll be much duller than usual.

Well,there’s always Death Valley.

FEED MONSTRO!!!

Luann should have upped her game by saying “Go jump in the fish tank!” instead.

Hey, Bern, don’t you have an artist to go muse for?

Bernice is trying to get Luann to quit stalling around, because she will always find something else to do instead of actually writing.

Bernice could, for the most part, disappear, like Ritchie Cunningham’s brother, Chuck, and I would never complain.

That’s a great book on writing…it’s been a help to many people (including me), whether you’re trying to compose fact or fiction

At least Luann finally said something in retort, she’s finally getting tired of Bernice’s crap.

I am done with reading some time ago now writing since 2012.

https://moovians.blogspot.com/2020/04/alternate-alley-oop-chapter-23-alley.html

I’m not buying this! Luann, actually making an effort?! This does not compute.

Meanwhile, go feed your fish, Bernie. Your sarcasm is no help….

The best storyteller in the novel marker – Stephen King. I don’t like horror, but I get hooked on his writing style. He captures my interest in the first page.