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How Do You Say . . .
The English language has a vast vocabulary, more than anyone–well, me–can fully comprehend. Do we need a dozen words to describe shoes? Yes, if we have a dozen pairs–heels, loafers, sneakers, stilettos, slippers, boots, etc. This variety lets us be specific. I know that I have to wear shoes today to visit the museum, but…
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The Writing Body Eclectic
Henry James dictated. Hemingway wrote standing up. Tom Wolfe writes his prodigious novels longhand on yellow legal pads. Bodies in motion, eclectic because various. Let’s think about the need to respect the needs of the body that writes. We think, our minds make up stories, poems, ideas worth sharing, but unless we have the physical…
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BETA READERS APPLY HERE
I’ve been on a mini sabbatical, letting the ms in progress marinate in its own juices. Tomorrow I’ll do a blitz read through to mark the places that need attention. I think there’s plenty of work left to do. Then I’ll put the book into readable form and start looking for beta readers. If you’re…
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How to Build a Novel
A novel is a house you invite the reader to rent or to buy. How many rooms does it have, and is it welcoming? Are there clear passageways from room to room? How big is the garden? My six-book study shows me drastically different buildings by various contractors/builders/designers. I think of Neverhome as a vast open-air…
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Says Who?
Going back to the list of novels I’m analyzing (flip back to last week’s blog if you need to see the list), I had a breakthrough idea, or so it is for me. Maybe everyone else in the writing business has known this and hidden it from me. Shh, she has to figure this out…
Karen Douglass, Author 