Black City Saint Title: Black City Saint Author: Richard A. Knaak Opening of Black City Saint First line/s: “The old, black Model T touring car rumbling past the lone street lamp across from her house had seen better days, but it served the needs of the two young, gaily dressed couples heading towards the sounds of jazz in the distance. My client grumbled under her breath in … [Read more...]
Understanding Openings: The Scourge of the Betrayer
The next book in my own going study of the craft of writing a good opening is Jeff Salyards’ dark fantasy The Scourge of the Betrayer. The Scourge of the Betrayer Title: The Scourge of the Betrayer Author: Jeff Salyards Opening of the Scourge of the Betrayer First line/s: “My new patron clambered down the wagon, dark hair slicked back like wet otter fur, eyes roaming the stable yard in … [Read more...]
Best books for writers: My top three
When you ask folks what are the best books for writers, odds are someone's going to mention Stephen King's On Writing, but that modern classic doesn't make my top three. Read on to see what made my top three and why. First, a little background. Everyone has different tastes in books. The books I like may not be the ones that you like. And as writers, we should be spending more time … [Read more...]
Understanding Openings: The Girl with All the Gifts
A little bit of background on why I am working on understanding the opening of The Girl with All the Gifts. In my neverending work to improve the craft of writing and my understanding of storytelling, I’ve been focusing on what makes a good opening for a story. I am trying to figure out what makes a good opening, what is the experience for the reader, and what can I learn as a writer. So, in … [Read more...]
I’m done with being a writer
For years, I've wanted to be a writer. And I've worked at honing my craft. Writing better sentences. Cleaning up my prose. Strengthening my descriptions. But that's not enough. I don't want to be a better writer. I want to be a better story teller. Save Save Save … [Read more...]
Top exercises to counter sitting all day for writers – Part 1
We've all heard the news. Sitting is going to kill us. And as writers, we've all been told that the key to success is to sit your ass down and write. So, are we writing ourselves to death? Problems with sitting too much Sitting too long, or generally doing anything for too long a time, is not good for our health. (Hopefully no one has done any studies on napping.) Some of the … [Read more...]
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