That depends. If I'm satisfied, I surrender to the author. If I'm not, I
start writing the story as I would have done it myself.
The answer to the last paragraph of this question is that I really don't
know. I think the answer is no, though.
=Edgar Young=: I am unable to put myself in the mood of a casual reader,
but watch closely how another man works, although a real artist can make
me forget my critical attitude and sway me so that I feel the emotions
he expresses. When I am really interested I am unable to say which of
the five senses is most affected. A reaction from another writer is not
a normal reaction.
Can easily call up mental pictures of places I have seen with most of
the main and many of the smaller details distinct.
Solid geometry never bothered me much. I ate it alive.
My responses are mainly governed by verisimilitude. I have been so many
places that when a place is out of gear with the real place, a character
not a character of the place he is supposed to be--just a few paragraphs
and I am in the "where in hell do you get that stuff" mood and end up by
roundly swearing at the poor fellow who wrote the story. Imagine a
rubber worker in Brazil using the words of Handsome Harry of Old Diamond
Dick fame (actual words), a Mexican using Barcelona Spanish, a Peruvian
speaking of things by Mexican names, a Central American reckoning in old
Spanish coins, a Brazilian speaking Spanish and local Rio de Janeiro all
balled up. How would you like to read one about some place you knew
intimately and find it all mixed up?