Thursday, October 13, 2011
Forgive the picture, but it's the only picture I had that seemed appropriate for my blog today.
I'm in need of a new book to read. I read fiction and non-fiction, so I'm open to either. I was hoping you all might suggest a good book. Got a favorite?
What are you currently reading? Or what would you read if you had the time? :-)
Labels: fiction, non-fiction, novels
Diann Hunt
posted at
9:25 AM
Comments (19)
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
One of the most important elements that will make a book all your own is voice. But voice isn't talked about a lot because it develops naturally over the course of your writing life. Think of your favorite authors and how strong their voice is -- how they can take a perfectly boring subject and entertain.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
Jane Austen
Jane has it all: humor, social commentary and an indication as to where her story is going. All in one line. That is serious voice.
So how do you find YOUR voice? Well, as I said, it develops naturally, but I wrote many a book before figuring out that my voice was in first-person. My strength is in commentary and the dialogue of humor. To pinpoint your voice, practice this way: Take your protagonist and have them write out their thoughts and views on life. It's separate from your story. This is just for practice.
Is your protagonist's viewpoint strong on setting? Emotion? Angst? Fear? Do the beats of how he/she speaks ring in your ear? Or is it something you see on paper. Look at how your sentences are structured. Are they long? Do you enjoy beautiful prose and metaphors? Are they short and choppy with many beats? This is how you develop voice. Voice takes a simple story to the next level. And no. There's no reason for the Colin Firth picture -- other than do you need a reason for Mr. Darcy, ever? I think not.
Labels: fiction, Voice, writing
Thursday, August 04, 2011
I'm on another writer's loop that occasionally talks about first sentences. That all important grouping of words that hopes to snag the reader and reel them in. I love reading through them. Many of them do pull me in, and I want them to hurry up and write their books so I can read them!
Opening lines can set the tone. Many times it lets you know what sort of genre you're reading (suspense, horror, women's fiction). It can let you know writing style: lighthearted, serious, comedy . . . .
Let's take a look at a first sentence by one of my favorite writers: Snoopy.
"It was a dark and stormy night."
Okay, that's a bit telling instead of showing, but that's a topic for another time. It does, however, conjure up a few things for me. Since it's not a picture book I'm wondering how that dark and stormy night affects the main character (MC). Is she in trouble? Has she locked every door and window in the house but there is one window with a broken hinge that refuses to close entirely? We're not just worried about the rain getting in, but maybe there's someone lurking in the bushes.
Or maybe the MC is happy that it's a dark and stormy night. Dad is a farmer, so the rain forces him inside. Brother can't ride his motorcycle, so he's inside. Mom bakes some goodies because they're all together and as they've done on so many other rainy nights, they have family game night.
See what I mean? That opening line can take you many places and you want to know where it will go.
So if you're a writer, share an opening line. If you're not or if you're too shy to share one of your own, share an opening line from a book that you've read.
Labels: fiction, first sentences, novels, Opening lines, writers
Diann Hunt
posted at
10:33 AM
Comments (8)
Forgive the picture, but it's the only picture I had that seemed appropriate for my blog today.
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