Category: details in writing

Adjectives

Adjectives

Nouns share people, places and things important to a story. Verbs show action. Together they form the foundation of any story. Now, think your adjectives. They are like the petals of a flower; they enhance the core of your story by describing the nouns. Too many will drag down the flow of words, make the story droop with their weight; too few will leave a story petal-less, lacking details that allow the reader to paint their own picture and “see” what and where and to whom events are happening. Striking a balance means you share the best descriptive words you...

A Writing Obstacle Course: Race to the End

A Writing Obstacle Course: Race to the End

Writing a story is a lot like running an obstacle course. It can’t be a straight line. To hold the attention and interest of readers it needs obstacles and problems to be dealt with along the way. Those problems need to build, creating an escalating reasons for a reader to finish the story/book. Recently I spoke with a person who read my novel,Tasman-An Innocent Convict’s Struggle for Freedom, in one sitting. She said she got so engaged that she couldn’t stop until she discovered Ean’s fate. Her comments had me floating for days. It verified that I’d created an obstacle...

The ABC’s of Student Writing Topics

The ABC’s of Student Writing Topics

Somewetimes students need a bit of inspiration to find a writing topic that interests them. Creating a potential list of topics for students is as simple as ABC: Feel free to add to or alter the list to match your needs. It’s always fun to play with words and topics to keep writing time fresh.

Quotes Worth a Look

Quotes Worth a Look

When I read, I often find author’s have exquisite sentences. I save them in a special notebook. Here are a few I’ve sincerely appreciated. She maneuvered through the cranky traffic…tempers caught fire as easily as backyards. Kristin Hannah in Magic Hour Perhaps there is a secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society  bby Mary Ann Shaffer & Anne Barrows As they crossed the street, the moon, at half-phase, spread creamy light over the world, trannsforming the sidewalk to pale ribbons and putting thick shadows beneath the trees… LaVyrle...