writerpatty | June 22, 2009
In part one of my gems series on editing, we discussed macro edit which can be compare to cleaving, the first process that a diamond goes through after it is mined. Blocking, faceting and polishing are the next steps. The cut determines the brilliance and sparkle that the diamond has as light reflects off the [...]
writerpatty | June 2, 2009
We have explored tense, point of view and imagery. In this article, we will discuss good sentences and how to make them work together to create narration that flows. While you are writing your rough draft, I suggest that you do not concern yourself with sentence structure, but with getting the story down as you [...]
writerpatty | May 20, 2009
How does a jeweler view his gemstones? He uses a jeweler’s loupe. It’s through that lens that he inspects the gem. Point of view is the writer’s loupe and like the jeweler’s loupe, the writer’s lens can be of different magnifications. How the writer sees the story and puts it down [...]
writerpatty | May 10, 2009
Good dialogue is essential to a great work of fiction. With it, an author can reveal to the reader who the characters are without having to tell them. We can give characters unique ways of talking, certain phrases they like to repeat and have the characters interacting with one another. Like the moonstone, dialogue should be smooth and should reveal important information that furthers the plot.
