“The world is nothing but my perception of it. I see only through myself. I hear only through the filter of my story.” – Byron Katie “The well bred contradict other people. The wise contradict themselves.” – Oscar Wilde Jill, the protagonist in my novel, Norman in the Picture, lives by the above quote. It’s […]
Collaborative Story Dock One
(Collaborative Story Dock One continued from previous posts.) The throb in Marian’s right temple pulled her from her sleep, the outline of a man in a chair brought her back to the reality of the dead man on the pier and the ride through Paris with Gen. The instinct to bolt took hold of her, […]
Smiles in Sophie Littlefield’s The Missing Place
I’m reading Sophie Littlefield’s latest novel, The Missing Place. Colleen and Shay, the mothers whose two sons are missing, have frequent disagreements due to their different backgrounds. Littlefield contrasts these characters in a realistic, sometimes humorous, way. On page 69, they argue outside about how to proceed with searching for their sons. Shay gives in […]
The Sagging Middle in Novels
Sagging middles in writing novels can be a mess. Often everything gets thrown into the middle while the plot goes around in circles. New characters or too many characters flounder, back story info dumps create road blocks, tension disappears, dialogue goes on and on by characters who are in their heads instead of taking action, […]
Using the Sense of Taste in Writing
Using the five senses in writing helps the reader experience the scene. Sight, smell, sounds, and touch are easy to add. Taste is often forgotten unless there are several scenes with food in them. However, your character’s lover could be tasting her berry chapstick. At the beach, the character could lick her lips and taste […]
Your Characters’ Smiles
Can you tell the difference between a fake smile and a natural smile? A genuine smile includes wrinkles around the eyes, the mouth muscles move, the cheeks rise, and eyebrows dip slightly. Research has shown that an apology given with a smile in a courtroom, produces a lesser penalty than an apology without a smile. […]
Write with the Monitor Off
Gary, one of the members in my Dublin writing class also is taking an on-line course with Jessica Barksdale, who was one of my instructors when I started writing years ago. I continue to go on her retreats in summer and she is still an inspiration. Jessica’s assignment that Gary shared with me was to […]