Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
@evelyn
She can be hard to find on Etsy (and online, sometimes); her shop name is “britsketch.” 🙂 She has both animated art and digital reproductions of original paper cut pieces. The animated pieces really shine at telling the deepest stories!I agree—store-bought baked goods look beautiful but are bland. Oh, wow! Milling your own wheat? I bet that makes your bread deliciously fresh. Yum!
@selah-chelyah
I admire your positivity! God is SO good like that. 🙂I haven’t! Your sister highly recommended them, so I plan to explore them further in the future!
Fiction books turned into writing lessons | www.writefictionwell.com
@selah-chelyah
Hmm. Mental note made for future travel explorations! Oh, I’m sad to hear that! I’ll be praying for your restored health so you can adventure to your heart’s content. 🙂That’s fantastic—the only one you never read! Right?? 🙂 I noticed the paperback cover fits within the general style of her other book covers, so the hardcover was probably an experiment to reach a different audience from her normal target group. Clever!
@evelyn
What great insights! I’m going to explore these poets further to supplement my study! I love how they all have such unique strengths.Your art sounds so lovely! Both imaginative and charming at the same time (of course, I’m sure it depends on the piece). What you are aiming for happens to be some of my favorite types of art—the ones that draw you back time and again. It’s one of the reasons why I love Brittney Lee’s art. Her pieces always tell a story. They come alive!
I haven’t tried collaging for my characters! That might prove useful for a reticent character! When I collage, I tend to focus on how my eye is drawn over the piece. Over the last year, I’ve been casually looking for additional art/photo pieces that draw the eye towards the left as my collage has too many pieces directing the eye towards the right. I’ve yet to find anything just right. It’s one of those “I’ll know it when I see it” situations. 🙂
My favorite things to bake are cookies and then pastry. I really like galettes as you can make them either sweet or savory. It always amazes me how drastically different homemade bread is compared to store bought (even the healthier brands)!
No, I haven’t! The name is familiar though…I think it might be one of the puzzles in a puzzle book I’m looking into.
@ashira
Good to know! I’ll be exploring her other books then! 😉
@red_converse
Hi Miki! I understand—been there, done that (including the summer sessions). One day, it will be all over! The feeling of being DONE is the most wonderful thing ever. Hang in there!Fiction books turned into writing lessons | www.writefictionwell.com
@thewirelessblade
A few things came to mind that I thought I’d share!What do the sequel/reaction units look like in your Scenes*? After your main character’s scene/action goal is thwarted, the sequel/reaction unit is his decision-making process about what to do next. This part helps slow the story down and often takes the form of internal narration but can also be dialogue between characters.
Also, longer sentences slow the reader’s eye down. These are best used in sequel/reaction units and as-appropriate scene/action units. For example, if your scene/action unit was a conversation in a café or some sort of hunting trip, longer sentences may work just fine.
But, if your scene/action unit is an argument or a guns-blazing chase through alleyways, longer sentences tend to counteract the excitement of the whole scenario. It really depends on the subject matter and the effect you want to create.
Also, I wanted to add on to what @ericawordsmith said about just letting it fly! 🙂 As you write, if you realize a certain part should be slower, use brackets to set apart a “note to self” so it can be easily revisited at a later time. This helps keep your current creative inspiration focused. For example, [Flesh out George chopping down the apple tree.].
*The Scene is made of two parts: the scene/action unit and the sequel/reaction unit.
Fiction books turned into writing lessons | www.writefictionwell.com
@seekjustice
Those were reasons I liked Jane too! Oh, I agree–Mr. Rochester wasn’t my favorite either. He had a rather perverted way of showing his feelings for her. But, he became more tolerable once he was taken down a couple pegs. 🙂I understood why Bronte did what she did though—have you looked into the sisters’ lives at all? As I understand it, their brother was a continual source of grief for the family and had their father wrapped around his finger. In light of this, I think the book’s focus is her desire for boundaries with loved ones. What do you think?
What did you think of Agnes Grey? Whenever you read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, I’d love to know your thoughts!
I didn’t realize Australian measurements were different from the British standard! I can imagine coordinating three different systems can be confusing.
What historical periods do you like best? I’ve explored the Tudors and the 1800s (for example, the Oregon Trail, Clara Barton, and Florence Nightingale). Oh, have you ever seen the stage version of The Sound of Music? I’ve always thought that would be fun to see. Does your dog compete? What type of dance do you like best? (As it happens, Dance Academy is on my favorite TV series list.)
@ashira
Do you have favorite historical periods? I read a lot of non-fiction too! Joyce Meyer and John Bevere are two of my favorite authors. What about you?
@evelyn
Oh, thank you! I will definitely explore these further. 🙂 Who are your favorite poets? What draws you to their work?What type of things do you like to paint and sketch (besides the calligraphy)? I haven’t actually—I just Googled it. It looks really neat! The sort of thing my brain would love. I don’t really sketch too much anymore. As I write this, I’m realizing if I had switched to a more abstract approach, I probably would’ve kept with it! Food for thought. That’s probably why I enjoy collaging so much. More free-form and interpretative. I have an assortment of B&W pictures, comicon art, quotes, Scriptures, etc. on the wall framing my computer monitor. It just keeps growing! Learning to paint is actually on my bucket list! I currently don’t have adequate space to store painting supplies, otherwise I’d have given it a go by now.
I enjoy baking while listening to the audio Bible. I just pop my earbuds in and go! The last time I did this, I had two full batches of cookies made before I realized I should stop. (David Suchet’s narration of the NIV is just marvelous!) I enjoy studying kinesiology, which is like physics of the human body. Oh, I like puzzles too—crossword, word fill-in, cryptogram, etc. I’m new to Sudoku and have my eye on a few other Japanese puzzles.
Oh! I finished And Then There Were None. It. Was. Brilliant. I had suspected a few things, like the recording and the red herring but I couldn’t figure out how everything was pulled off. Well done, Agatha Christie, well done!
@selah-chelyah
I remember reading some Depression era his-fic set in the Ozarks. I wish I could remember the title because the descriptions of the area were pretty! Have you been able to go back and visit?Same here! What are some of your favorite his-fic books? Have you read Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare? It’s based on the real life story of a young girl captured by Indians, ransomed to the French, and eventually returned. If you take a look at it, I recommend the hardcover format as the paperback cover doesn’t fit with the overall tone of the book (despite its subject). It really throws you! 🙂
I have the Zondervan NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible and pair it with Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps and Time Lines. Those two provide a solid launching pad if you want to explore further. It’s really fascinating!
I tend to write in sci-fi/fantasy!
Fiction books turned into writing lessons | www.writefictionwell.com
@selah-chelyah
Whoops! Can’t say that’s never happened to me before either! 🙂Thanks for the welcome! Say, we’re state neighbors—I live an hour south of Seattle on the west side of Washington. Your area sounds very pretty; do you like living in the mountains? When I was little, my family drove through Idaho on a road trip to see the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead in South Dakota. I bet we passed through your vicinity!
What types of books do you enjoy?
@evelyn
Yes, exactly so! Have you watched Poirot (the David Suchet version)? I found myself laughing at Poirot’s antics in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which reminded me of Suchet’s spectacular personification.Oooh. I’m excited to see how things progress! While most of the time I spoil books for myself, this one just seemed appropriate to go in blind, you know? How do you prefer to start books? I’ll be certain to let you know what I think of it. 🙂
Thank you—you explained guilds perfectly. Even answered a couple questions I didn’t know I had. I took a look at the guilds—is Rillumen a poetry guild? Could you participate there, too?
Also, do you have any resource recommendations for learning poetry? I’ve always wanted to reexplore poetry as it had never clicked when I was in school. Are you into art as well? Any particular mediums you enjoy best?
@seekjustice
Hello back! Oh, that’s right! You’re approaching winter, yes?What did you like best about Jane? For me, it was her unwavering devotion to the truth—that she refused to compromise or settle in any capacity. I haven’t read anything else by the Brontës! Shameful, I know. I’ve been leery another work might usurp my beloved Jane Eyre’s place (even though Wuthering Heights is on my TBR list). Which ones have you read?
Let’s see. I enjoy kinesiology (the study of human movement), which makes exercising a world more efficient. I like baking because of the science. And, most of my recipes use the metric system. Scaling is the best! I’m also interested in Biblical history and explore that off and on. What about you?
@ashira
Thank you!! I write in sci-fi/fantasy generally. How about you?What type of books do you like to read?
Fiction books turned into writing lessons | www.writefictionwell.com
@the-fledgling-artist Thanks for the welcome! 🙂
Fiction books turned into writing lessons | www.writefictionwell.com
@evelyn I started reading North and South last night! I immediately recognized Margaret’s voice, which I was already familiar with from the BBC adaptation—just goes to show how well they captured her voice for the screen.
As for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, I think Christie pulled it off brilliantly, especially when you reread sections after the fact. As a reader, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped; the constant dialogue wore on me a little. But, as a writer, I enjoyed studying how she executed the story. What did you think of it?
Because I had been aware of what she was doing prior to reading it, I’ve started And Then There Were None intentionally unaware of EVERYTHING about it. I haven’t even read the back cover blurb! (I read somewhere these two were her most difficult to write.)
Hmm. I’m intrigued by Bleak House; it’s been added to my list.
To Evelyn and @the-fledgling-artist: Maybe at a later time! Right now, I’m working on a short story for my blog. I am curious about them, though. What do you like about participating in a guild? And, what does the time commitment look like?
Fiction books turned into writing lessons | www.writefictionwell.com
@evelyn Are classics your favorite genre? I haven’t read any of those actually—though North and South is on my TBR list! I just downloaded it onto my Kindle so I can explore it further. What about Bleak House did you enjoy?
Recently, I’ve read Beauty by Robin McKinley, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, and Airborn by Kenneth Oppel. All different genres and all so brilliant. I actually featured them on my blog, where I label and analyze components of writing craft (e.g., POV, character arcs, plot, etc.) in fiction books.
If you like vivid imagery, I highly recommend the first and third book. Oh, and Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley is especially exquisite!
Fiction books turned into writing lessons | www.writefictionwell.com
Thanks for the warm welcome, Evelyn! My friend happens to have the same name as you. 🙂
It is, actually! Oh, you are in for a real treat! I think it’d be fun to read in July or August–contrasting the blistering heat of summer with its Gothic coolness. Whenever you do happen to read it, I’d love to hear what you thought of it.
You know, it wasn’t until you asked me that question that I realized I haven’t properly read in that genre for some time–even though I really enjoy it. Any recommendations? What are your favorites?
Fiction books turned into writing lessons | www.writefictionwell.com
