You know the nursery rhyme, but do you know the story behind it? Georgie-Porgie, Puddin’ and Pie (King George was a fat glutton) Kissed the girls and made them cry. (He was also a philanderer who used his position to make unwelcome advances on women.) When the boys came out to play (When Parliament was […]
Archives for 2013
The Value of Primary Sources (Part 2)
February 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
So, continuing the discussion of how primary sources can feed our stories … I forgot to mention that spelling and punctuation were not standardized until sometime in the nineteenth century. This can be very jarring for those of us trained to be picky about these things! Just keep in mind as you write that misspellings […]
The Value of Primary Sources (Part 1)
February 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Story research can be intimidating, thrilling, exhausting. When it comes to writing historical rather than contemporary, it’s doubly so. You must consider dress, transportation, location, accessories and weaponry. Then there are manners, customs, modes of speech … and a sometimes-overlooked aspect of writing the past: mindsets and attitudes. People in different time periods often thought […]
Which Comes First: the Chicken or the Egg?
January 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Motivation and Reaction Units (MRUs) comprise the majority of your novel. They are also something writers often struggle to master. The concept is simple. Which comes first, the motivation or the reaction? Motivation is the cause (occurs outside the character) Reaction is the effect (occurs inside the character) The motive must come first. We cannot […]
A Method for Rewriting and Self Editing
January 18, 2013 By 3 Comments
It is tempting, when you see a contest listed on a blog or website, to whip out a story and to send it in promptly. It is tempting, when you hear of a magazine’s or publisher’s call for submissions, to spin off a piece that will suit the theme and to submit it soon before […]
