For a writer it isn’t just enough to have a good plot. You have to be able to craft the story so readers keep turning the page. The good thing about writing craft is that it can be learnt. And like anything, the more you practice, the better you get at telling your story. Need…
Craft
Extreme writing research: Biometrics
In 2016 I enrolled in a year of tertiary study to help my writing. Not unusual, but I didn’t do a traditional “writing 101” type course. Uhuh. Not me. I studied biometrics. This course (Certificate IV in Biometric Technologies) provided practical training in biometric recognition. Biometrics are biological or behavioural characteristics that can be used…
Opening sentence
I was talking about the opening sentence of my novel with a writing friend recently. The conversation reminded me of an old post I wrote. It’s been a few years, but here it is: Thursday, March 17th, I spent the morning in anxiety, the afternoon in ecstasy, and the evening unconscious. “Risk” by Dick Francis…
Adjectives go like this…
Did you know that adjectives have to go in a specific order in the English language or they just sound plain weird? In 2016 a paragraph from a book “The Elements of Eloquence” by Mark Forsyth went viral: Adjectives in English absolutely have to be in this order: opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun. So you can have a…
Ablaut Reduplication
Until recently I’d never heard of “ablaut reduplication”, but I have unknowingly been applying it my whole life…and so have you! Ablaut reduplication is when you repeat a word that has a similar sound or spelling. The following examples are from ProEdit: Chitchat Crisscross Dillydally Ding-dong Kitty cat Knickknack Mishmash Ping-pong Pitter-patter Riffraff Singsong Splish-splash…