A small selection of posts I have enjoyed in the last few days that I hope you will head over to enjoy.. thanks Sally.
In the first post Craig Boyack explores how to build humour into your stories.. including when it has a life of its own.
Expansion Pack: Comedy wrap up
Hi, Gang. Craig with you once more. This time I want to wrap up the mini-series about writing comedy. In the previous two posts, we gave a list of common situations you can use, or modify into your own work. Read those posts here and here.
I’m sure there are many more situations that work as plotted elements for your stories. I’m known for living documents, and those notes came from one of my documents.
This wrap is about the other kind of comedy. Those things that just come to you on the fly while drafting your story. For this to work, you have to keep an open mind.
I’ve had some wonderful things come to me on the fly. Many times it comes after I know my characters a bit better. There’s always one who’s prone to make a smart remark. At those times, I write them into his/her dialog. Sometimes, I take them right back out, occasionally they remain. This works well in buddy stories where the main characters can banter a little.
A prime example is the root monsters. These are some of my most popular characters from my pirate fantasy. It all started when a witch doctor joined the cast. I was writing this one on a slower path, and I decided I needed something for a witch doctor to do. It wasn’t enough to just stick the label on him and leave it at that. Readers deserved a little taste. At the end of my writing weekend, he’d grown these four creatures in a pot to serve as camp guardians during the night. I fully expected them to wither and die the following day.
Head over to read how to develop humor in your writing: Humour in writing C.S. Boyack Story Empire.
The second post is from A Bit About Britain and Mike Biles hosts author Darlene Foster as she shares memories and pays tribute to the city of York.
A Bit About Britain is delighted to welcome author and traveller Darlene Foster, as a guest writer explaining her affection for the city of York.
The charming city of York in North East England is steeped in over two thousand years of history, harbouring many stories within its ancient walls.
Forty-four years ago, my first airplane trip took me from my home in Alberta, Canada to York, England to marry my Yorkshire hubby. I fell in love with the city, walked the medieval walls, visited the fascinating museums and enjoyed tea and cream cakes at the many teashops. At the end of my month-long stay, I gave friends from Felixstowe a guided tour of my favourite city. I have returned several times and it never disappoints.
Eboracum, the name the Romans gave the city, was the capital of the Northern part of what we know as England, two thousand years ago. Parts of the sturdy walls built by the industrious Romans still stand. I love walking the medieval walls that surround the old part of the city, offering fabulous views and photo ops. I believe anytime is a good time to visit, but my favourite time is in the spring when cheerful daffodils grow along these ancient walls.
Head over to enjoy Darlene’s lovely tribute post to the city of York: Guest Darlene Foster – York – A Bit About Britain
The next post is from Jan Sikes who offers some strategies to deal with negative reviews and criticism of our work as writers.
Guess what Authors – Not everyone is going to love your book!
I heard you gasp. But I also saw you nodding your heads. We all know this, right?
We’ve all had it happen – that moment when a scathing review shows up. Famous mainstream authors like Tom Clancy and James Patterson get one-star reviews. Stephen King’s novel, The Stand has almost 5,000 reviews and yes, some of those are one-star ratings. That is proof that not everyone is going to like your book.
We spend days, weeks, months and sometimes years toiling over a story. Then with great enthusiasm we send it out into the world. I often compare it to giving birth. That baby is the most precious and wonderful thing to its mother. That baby is beautiful.
Not everyone is going to love your book.. head over to read the post in full: Dealing with negative reviews by Jan Sikes
And now Sue Vincent with the news that the three books of the Triad of Albion in paperback and Kindle are now live on Amazon…
In these first three books, Don and Wen stumble across mysteries in the landscape, following the flight of birds along prehistoric pathways to find strange stories hidden in plain sight upon the walls of mediaeval churches. Doors open through time and vision as the two friends find themselves walking the Living Land with people from the far-distant past.
These books do not fit neatly into any genre. The stories they hold are true, although they are told in a fictional manner, by fictional characters… who just happen to resemble the writers.
Head over to discover more about the background to the trilogy: Sue Vincent new release information
Thanks very much for dropping and I hope you will head over to read these posts in full.. thanks Sally.
Smorgasbord Blog Magazine 