Will you — or your editor — know to pick the right word?
The sentence in a recently written Sherlock Holmes story stopped me cold.
“There were besides some more mundane elements: drafting tables laden with dusty blueprints, labels and vices and tools, chains for heavy lifting suspended from the ceiling.”
Did one word jump out at you?
At first I was … Continue reading
Like an infant, a manuscript needs further work.
Five months after my newest granddaughter was born, her parents continue to nurture her. Though she’s recently learned to roll over and is working on sitting, Mom and Dad know she has further potential—as do their three-year-old and almost seven-year-old.
That’s not to say … Continue reading
Readers don’t always need specific descriptions.
by Andy Scheer
In my most recent fiction critique, I told the author he sometimes provided descriptions that were too detailed.
What was wrong with them? They provided information a reader could supply on her own.
Unlike films, books have the opportunity to enlist readers as an active participant. Authors offer enough to trigger a reader’s imagination, and she fills in … Continue reading