As writers we have to put our main character in tight spots where decisions have to be made. We make the decision harder when there are no right answers. The character has to weigh what is better between two actions where neither one is guaranteed to turn out right. The deep tension, which is more […]
Mysteries at Opera Plaza Event for October National Reading Group Month
Mysteries at Opera Plaza held in San Francisco on October 11th was a huge success. There were 70 attendees at Books, Inc. The three mystery writers, Katie Crouch author of Abroad, Alice LaPlante, author of Circle of Wives, and Sophie Littlefield author of The Missing Place discussed their books. Tracy Guzeman, author of The Gravity […]
Writing Body Language with Gestures
When writers describe body language, it’s often done with one simple sentence, such as Viv furrowed her brow. The meaning can be misleading without supportive evidence in how she’s feeling. Is she confused? Is she angry with what was said? Or is she in pain? Gesture clusters reveal more accurate information. For instance in this […]
Quotes About Reader Emotions in Writing
Jerry Cleaver in his book, Immediate Fiction, said, “It’s not just about giving the reader an experience. It’s about having it yourself, as you create. Character, reader, author—they’re all having the experience, the emotion. Without emotion, nobody’s having anything.” Cleaver also said, “The first thing to realize is that the world is emotionally determined. Passion, […]
Rhetorical Device Polysyndeton
The rhetorical device, polysyndeton, is the opposite of asyndeton, the term I explained in my last post. Asyndeton omits conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses. Polysyndeton adds several conjunctions in close succession between each word, phrase, or clause without commas. It makes the sentence slower and the items more emphatic than in asyndeton. The repetition […]
Asyndeton, a Rhetorical Device
Rhetorical Devices attract and hold attention with words. Asyndeton is one in which conjunctions are omitted deliberately from a series. Julius Caesar eliminated “and” when he said, “I came. I saw. I conquered.” Asyndeton produces a hurried rhythm in a sentence. It creates a concise, dramatic effect. Abraham Lincoln used asyndeton when he said, “of […]
Writer Interview with Jan Davies
Jan Davies has a short story, “Saving Sheena”, and a memoir essay, “A February Christmas” in my anthology, Written Across the Genres (available on Amazon). Jan is an independent business lady, President of the WiMe Group, Inc., who has always loved to write; poetry, journals, short and long stories and memoir. Her passions are family, […]