Search found 12 matches
- March 13th, 2011, 7:57 am
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Your first Pargraph!
- Replies: 80
- Views: 42702
Re: Your first Pargraph!
I'll give it a try! I should mention, this is non fiction, a travel memoir: I was there to meet a prince. It was surprising even before you considered I was from a country that didn’t have a monarchy . The palace guard looked as skeptical about it as I was, and didn’t hide a snicker as he eyed my p...
- March 12th, 2011, 8:11 am
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Writing in a *done* genre
- Replies: 53
- Views: 19807
Re: Writing in a *done* genre
I'm a writer, and an editor, not a fault-finding critic. . I have to disagree *shrug* I believe that we, as writers, are naturally fault finders. If we do not pursue perfection- and by perfection we include the recognition of imperfection- how are we expected to improve? If we see problems and know...
- March 11th, 2011, 7:41 am
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Writing in a *done* genre
- Replies: 53
- Views: 19807
Re: Writing in a *done* genre
I long for the day when a great writer, who has written a great book, is venerated on posts like these. I'm afraid I couldn't stomach much of Meyer. To recognise bad writing is fundamental to our own development as writers. What is just as important is recognising the obfuscatory nature success brin...
- March 10th, 2011, 12:41 pm
- Forum: Books
- Topic: What genre do you read the most?
- Replies: 39
- Views: 13038
Re: What genre do you read the most?
(I also like chick lit. I'll read cozy mysteries, very occasionally thrillers like Grisham and Brown, and never literary fiction, if I can help it, it makes me very sad). I don't understand this. By literary fiction I presume you mean Steinbeck, Kingsley Amis, Kafka etc..? By not reading these you a...
- February 28th, 2011, 6:51 am
- Forum: Finding An Agent
- Topic: Rejection and Recovery
- Replies: 10
- Views: 5703
Re: Rejection and Recovery
Good advice, there can be nothing worse than knowing in order to succeed you must first fail. It's like invasive surgery- you have to be cut to get better. I try to be as realistic as possible one piece of advice I cling to is this: In order to make progress you have to show progress. When I get a f...
- February 28th, 2011, 5:36 am
- Forum: Excerpts
- Topic: Opening of Short Story 'Treasure'
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3444
Re: Opening of Short Story 'Treasure'
Agreed about the confusion in relation to timeframe. It was meant as a yearly visit, and he had just returned from a quick break for lunch. I reckon that could be made clearer. Cheers
- February 28th, 2011, 5:27 am
- Forum: Books
- Topic: Connecting With Characters
- Replies: 13
- Views: 8607
Re: Connecting With Characters
I think in order to identify and be gripped by characters I need to feel emotional investment. The author has to speak to me through their trials and tribulations, but: I don't want slapped on OTT emotional fluff. William Trevor is a master of revealing investment in increments. Tiny slices of human...
- February 28th, 2011, 5:15 am
- Forum: Books
- Topic: China Mieville THE CITY AND THE CITY
- Replies: 13
- Views: 14077
Re: China Mieville THE CITY AND THE CITY
I'm definitely not a fan with regards to Mieville. Perdido street station held me for 150 painful pages of info dumping, two dimensional characters with the same voice and little interest. His imagination is wonderful, but his writing I believe lets him down. Perdido is thick on mediocre telling and...
- February 28th, 2011, 4:25 am
- Forum: Writing
- Topic: Show Versus Tell
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2248
Re: Show Versus Tell
Helpful links there, However I believe a caveat should be added: 'Show don't tell' is a rule quickly thrown at all writers when you begin. The problem is complex, yet the rule is easy to rip off and paste onto every piece of work. Truly great telling is just as valid (if not more so ) than great sho...
- February 26th, 2011, 11:32 pm
- Forum: Excerpts
- Topic: Opening of Short Story 'Treasure'
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3444
Opening of Short Story 'Treasure'
Opening to a short story of mine I have got to first draft stage. I'm interested to find out if people enjoy the characters or not. Let me know either way. When he returned, the shadow of the church had shortened. The grave was as he’d left it, flowers bowed in solemn repose and the half dug mound o...
- February 26th, 2011, 11:22 pm
- Forum: Excerpts
- Topic: Historical Fiction - IN THE SHADOW OF THE KINGDOM
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3556
Re: Historical Fiction - IN THE SHADOW OF THE KINGDOM
Hey there; Whilst I appreciate this is not your opening, I believe you are focussing too much on setting the scene. You dilute your writing and the scene by adding unecessary words fibrous-bulbous swelling (swelling is fine here no need for the former) When writing about the sea, I don't believe mos...
- February 26th, 2011, 9:15 am
- Forum: Nominate Your Query or First Page for a Critique on the Blog
- Topic: Nominate Your First Page for a Critique on the Blog
- Replies: 720
- Views: 451843
Re: Nominate Your First Page for a Critique on the Blog
Title: Pianos and Swallows Genre: Literary The coffee was served lukewarm, each sip stole what little heat remained until halfway down I decided enough. I set it beside the crumbs of a forgettable breakfast. The paper was stale, the news cold. Two Britons dead and underneath- in insultingly small ty...