Once upon a time, a writing tutor called Dorothea Brande sat down and wrote a book to help people become writers. She did this because she believed there was a ‘sort of writer’s magic’ and that it was teachable. The book she wrote was called Becoming a Writer and was short and conversational in style. It became a must-have classic.
Becoming a Writer is not designed to be a comprehensive how-to-write manual. Dorothea doesn’t talk about style, or grammar, or structure, or plotting, or dialogue, or how to create great characters. No. This book is intended for those ‘who hope to write’.
Dorothea believes you have to get certain things right first. The technical instruction of writing must come later.
Hamlet seems weird – being basically about a man driven mad by a ghost’s accusations. The plots and characters in the current crop of Vampire books appear far more believable.
Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.comI am reading Hamlet for the Drama module of my Birkbeck course.
In fact, I should have finished reading this play before the term started – along with the other pre-term reading; Uncle Vanya, Private Lives and Top Girls. I enjoyed reading the other plays – especially Private Lives and Top Girls.
But Hamlet? Well, I am still ploughing through it.
Of course, I could take the easy option and just watch the 1996 film. Actually, I have never seen Hamlet performed either as a play or film. But I am determined to read the damn thing first.
I keep measuring the pages left to go against the pages I have actually read. I reckon I am half way through. When I try to read it in the evening, I fall asleep. When I read it today – as I did on the train – I fell asleep again and almost missed my station stop.
Hamlet seems weird – being basically about a man driven mad by a ghost’s accusations. The plots and characters in the current crop of Vampire books appear far more believable.
(Actually, it is well worth a visit to Stephenie Meyer’s website to find out how she was inspired by a dream and sat down to write the best-selling novel, Twilight. I went there in the name of research for this blog piece and Wikipedia is currently ‘down’ as a protest against proposed new legislation – but I digress and will get back on track in moment.)
So, confession time: I hated Shakespeare at school and haven’t recovered from being forced to read Twelfth Night in class – very slowly over the course of a whole year. Of course I didn’t understand much of the language and I still don’t. In my informed opinion, as a fifteen year old, twelfth Night had the most ridiculous plot ever and generated slightly less excitement than watching snooker on an old black and white TV.
And now, having managed to offend most Shakespeare lovers – and all snooker fans – I will shut up.
Who would believe a book on punctuation could be so amusing? If you have ever been stumped by the apostrophe, confused by the colon, or dithered over the humble dash – this book is for you
Just finished reading Lynne Truss’s wonderful book: Eats, Shoots and Leaves.
Who would believe a book on punctuation could be so amusing?
I wish my English teacher had the same entertaining style and ease of expression. If you have ever been stumped by the apostrophe, confused by the colon, or bewildered by the humble dash – this book is for you. Continue reading “Punctuation made simple (and funny….)”
My journey through the furrows of a book, where literary gems lie strewn amid the tumbled weeds of a partially ploughed landscape, strewn with half collected crops of obtuse words, overworked adjectives and obfuscated prose ….
Can’t see the wood for the trees.
The use and abuse of metaphors
Just read a book of short stories (Dr Mukti and other tales of woe by Will Self) and found myself drowning in a sea of muddling metaphors, distracting similes and obscuring adjectives.
Here is an example of a metaphor used in the book: ‘this was only the lull before the storm hit the frail vessel of his foundering career’. This is not the greatest of metaphors but, compared to some in the book, it is reasonable in the context of the story. Why is this a reasonable metaphor? Because it conjures up a useful image for the reader and adds an element of suspense. From this metaphor, we are aware that the character is in difficulty at work and we are waiting, in anticipation, for the storm to strike. Continue reading “Metaphors – can you can have too many?”
I laughed and laughed at this post (see below). Actually, I don’t find this cover particularly offensive. Just rather silly.
Has anyone got any suggestions as to what the story might be about?
– a woman who turns into a shark at full moon?
– an alien woman who keeps a shark as a pet?
– a man meets an alien woman who bites and scratches …. (perhaps I better stop there!)
I nominate the cover of Michael G. Coney's The Jaws That Bite, The Claws That Catch (1975) as the worst I've ever seen. I've submitted it to Good Show Sir so hopefully it gets posted on that hilarious website soon. Kelly Freas is considered one of the best sci-fi artists of all time — but this, is there an explanation for this pathetic/sexist piece of ___? Perhaps if I knew what the book is about (the internet doesn't give me any clues) — I m … Read More
Once upon a time, a writing tutor called Dorothea Brande sat down and wrote a book to help people become writers. She did this because she believed there was a ‘sort of writer’s magic’ and that it was teachable. The book she wrote was called Becoming a Writer and was short and conversational in style. It became a must-have classic.
Ruth Livingstone 