Lisa See says, “Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river.” How many of you have read her Snow Flower and the Secret Fan or my favorite, Peony in Love? I met her at the San Francisco Writers Conference a few years ago. She’s friendly and talked about how she frequently […]
When Characters Take Over the Story
If we imagine a boxing ring with our antagonist in one corner and the protagonist in the other corner, who is the referee? The writer is. Lani Longshore, co-author of Death by Chenille and When Chenille is Not Enough (science fiction genre about quilters saving the world from aliens disguised as bolts of beige fabric), […]
Charles Dickens Quote
Charles Dickens said, “An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.” I find that my characters need to be spoken to a little before they reveal themselves. Do you talk to your characters?
National Reading Group Month Event October 11, 2014
A National Reading Group Month event is on October 11, 2014 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Books, Inc., Opera Plaza, 601 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. It’s co-sponsored by Women’s National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter, and Litquake. Three award-winning authors will discuss their new novels over wine and hors d’oeuvres. Katie Crouch discusses […]
Author Quotes about Writing a Novel
How do authors write their novels? I’ve included some examples. Who are plotters and who are pantsers? Katherine Anne Porter said, “If I didn’t know the ending of a story, I wouldn’t begin…I always write my last line, my last paragraphs, my last page first.” “I start at the beginning, go on to the […]
The Protagonist’s Role in the Climax
The beginning of a novel establishes a question. For example in Norman in the Painting, the question is, will Jill be able to help Norman remain in 3D? More questions follow, since it’s a romance, will Jill and Norman develop a relationship? The story involves mystery as well. Who is committing the murders in town? […]
Cause and Effect in Writing
Novels today are tighter than Nineteenth-century novels, for example. With busy lifestyles readers now want the writer to stick to the point instead of going off on tangents and filling pages with descriptions and conversations that may be well-written but aren’t relevant to the plot. Writers are expected to use every item, every conversation, every […]