Creative, curious writing
Choosing character names is complex. They shape our perceptions and expectations. Would Geoff have been as iconic as Frodo? Names paint a picture of age, personality, and even the era. So, yes, names matter, but maybe not in the way we obsess over them.
Hello. It's been a while but I am trying to get back to doing what I love so bear with me as I resharpen my pencils. In my previous post, I talked about talking to myself. Now let's talk about you. Or at least 'you', if you were me, talking to you. Patterns, rhythms, accents... Continue Reading →
It's been a tough couple of weeks; well, OK a month and a bit. I had an overload and then couldn't restart in any meaningful way. Everything I wrote, I scrapped and then for a few weeks couldn't write anything at all. I had so much to write. The next assignment for my MA, the... Continue Reading →
Derived from Greek, dia(through) + logos(words), the spoken word within your story is critical if readers are to engage in a meaningful way. It somehow has to be true to the tone and style of your story, completely authentic for your character but also move the story along without screaming "Hey look at me, I'm... Continue Reading →
But when you're a writer, where exactly is the beginning? We must start where the story begins (even if it that's not really where it began) and help our readers move forwards through the narrative (even if they have to go backwards). In this way the opening is like the first impression when you meet... Continue Reading →
The late, great Sir Terry Prachett advised writers to take the pressure off and write an ending even if it's not the real or final ending. Writers' HQ (brilliant resource) asks us if we are plotters (writing to a defined plot) or pantsers (pretty much making it up as we go along). Epilogues seem to... Continue Reading →
This week within the MA, we have been encouraged to look at genre-bending or blending. Using existing work; breaking it up, rewriting it and considering it from all angles. As I work through this week's reading and writing activities, I find one question rises to the top over again. What genre do I write in?... Continue Reading →
The choice between first and third person has an impact on the way in which a story is read and often how it is constructed. But how do you decide if you want to be up-close or omniscient? There are many paths through a story but choosing who will be your guide and how reliable... Continue Reading →
Or when something is related to something that is already written. The concept of intertextuality suggests that all works of literature are a derivation of an existing work of literature which in turns suggests that nothing is really new. The original definition of intertextuality was coined by a French semiotician Julia Kristeva in the 1960s.... Continue Reading →
The tone of a novel or story can make or break it. But what is it? And more importantly, how can you get it right? An author's chosen style defines the mood and pace of the story creating the ebb and flow that carries the reader through the narrative. It forms the contract of engagement... Continue Reading →
The Curious Wordsmith 