Articles and Essays – Page 10

Of Sword Fights, The Himalayas, And so on… And so on…

Have you ever watched a scene from a movie where two sword fighters are going at it?

And then they begin to move up the stairs, one sword fighter, moving in reverse up the incline of the steps, danger closing in, his back against the wall of conflict?

Remember how you felt? Your chest growing tighter, you engaged with what was happening rooting for one or the other swordsmen.

It goes the same with writing fiction.

Of Sword Fights, The Himalayas, And so on… And so on… Read More »

Of Pacing, Tension and the All-Important Artistry of Holding the Reader’s Attention…a

Author, Ken Follett, writes, “There is a rule which says that the story should turn about every four to six pages. A story turn is anything that changes the basic dramatic situation. It can change it in a little way or change it in a big way. …You can’t go longer than about six pages without a story turn, otherwise the reader will get bored. … Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, follows the same rule. In Dickens it’s the same; something happens about every four to six pages.”

The author of at least 20 novels, many of which are thrillers that have achieved international success, this list includes Follett’s well-received historical works, The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, the latter of which made the New York Times Best Seller List.

Adapted for film, The Pillars of the Earth debuted July 23, 2010 on Starz as a mini-series.

When it comes to pacing, Follett’s admonishments are well taken. But what is he really talking about?

Pacing. Read the rest of this entry…

Of Pacing, Tension and the All-Important Artistry of Holding the Reader’s Attention…a Read More »

Of “Android Karenina,” Content, and the Ability to Imagine…

2 Comments / ... anjuellefloyd ..., Articles and Essays / Anjuelle Floyd

“Imitate form, not content. The tendency to imitate form and not content seems to relate directly to talent.”

–Peter Selgin, 179 Ways to Save a Novel: Matters of Vital Concern to Fiction Writers

The present world of fiction sees many young writers interweaving the works of previous writers into the young author’s new creation.

I recently read an article about a young German writer who won an award for her work that had used large excerpts of a previous writer’s work in young novelist’s creation.

Of “Android Karenina,” Content, and the Ability to Imagine… Read More »

Of Writing, Cinema, and What Only Books Can Provide…

... anjuellefloyd ..., Articles and Essays / Anjuelle Floyd

Hay-on-Wye Cinema Bookshop “If books merely convey plots and characters why in the age of cinema read a book? What can books give us that movies can’t? In two words: beautiful writing?“ —Peter Selgin, 179 Ways to Save a Novel: Matters of Vital Concern to Fiction Writers I diligently pondered this question while working my

Of Writing, Cinema, and What Only Books Can Provide… Read More »

Of Reversals, Plausible Endings and the Artistry of Thwarting Expectations…

Leave a Comment / ... anjuellefloyd ..., Articles and Essays / Anjuelle Floyd

“A successful resolution thwart the our expectation; it doesn’t (fully) satisfy them.”—-Peter Selgin, 179 Ways to Save a Novel: Matters of Vital Concern to Fiction Writers

Reversals sit at the heart of a successful resolution. And since novels consist of a continual list of crises fostered by a string of obstacles, both physical and human writers must embed our stories with a minefield of reversals.

But what is the true nature of a reversal?

Of Reversals, Plausible Endings and the Artistry of Thwarting Expectations… Read More »

Of Writing, Integrity and The Company We Keep…

Leave a Comment / Articles and Essays / Anjuelle Floyd

“When we set out to judge—ridicule pillory, condemn, sneer at or…impugn our characters–we fail at our objective. Instead of making our characters look bad we make ourselves suspect.”
—-Peter Selgin, 179 Ways to Save a Novel: Matters of Vital Concern to Fiction Writers

We are known by the company we keep. In the case of a writer, that company consists of our characters and our attitude towards them.

Simply put, what kind of person would choose to writer 60,000 words, or there about, centered on a person or persons our words demonstrate that we dislike, hold little or no respect for, or even loathe?

Would you as a reader trust anything this writer has to say?

Of Writing, Integrity and The Company We Keep… Read More »

Of Plot, Authenticity, and Knowing Who We Are…

Leave a Comment / Articles and Essays / Anjuelle Floyd

“A story should generate it’s own actions and emotions organically…A story should be authentic…made of stuff that has never been appropriated from other forms of narrative art…other stories…movies or television. Or it has it should be sufficiently re-processed through the author’s unique sensibilities so the resulting work has its own authenticity.”

–Peter Selgin, 179 Ways to Save a Novel: Matters of Vital Concern to Fiction Writers

A story should have it’s own unique characters and plot.

Well if this be the case why are writers encouraged to read for more than the experience of learning writing technique?

Of Plot, Authenticity, and Knowing Who We Are… Read More »