"Shut up," I explained.Writer's Cave
"Shut up," I explained.
-One of my favorite lines from the late Robert Parker. Parker died January 18th at his desk.
I'm not much for talking about writing. It seems to me we learn more about how to write well by reading great writers. Parker wrote detective novels, not my usual fare, and I have my father to thank. I'm sad to think they'll be no new Spencer-isms to make me giggle.
I do think that in simply reading this one line, so much of what's tough about writing gets easier. Know your characters well enough so they barge through even in the dialogue tags. Let the weird lines sleep over for a night before deciding if they should stay. Listen to the rhythm.
If you've never read Parker's Spencer series, I recommend starting with Looking for Rachel Wallace, available on the Shopping Page.
My self-published booklet on novel query letters is available on the Shopping Page. It's rather analytical and not for everyone, but it's a process that worked for the cold query for my first novel.
The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler
The only writing book I've found helpful enough to study and read and mark up. Also on the Shopping Page.
Iza Assignment
Every so often my eight-year-old niece, Iza, gives me a writing assignment. I attempt to quote them verbatium. Try it.
March
"I think you should write the kind of book with a world you'd like to be inside of. So I feel like I'm in the story and the lives are meaningful."
February
"Aunt Cindy, I think you should write a lot about how what you hear and how that makes you see things."
Reader's Cave