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Category Archives: Literature
How Monumental Should Fantasy Heroes Be?
Fantasy provides a kind of escapism for young adults (and even some older adults). Characters come from a less technological era, in which a teenager could be considered an adult capable of making all their own decisions. The popular fantasy … Continue reading
Posted in allusions, Characters, Literary devices, mythology, Novels, Trends in books
Tagged Fantasy, mythology, superheros
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Everyday Fantasies
Years ago when I coached teams of graded school-aged children for Odyssey of the Mind, I learned about imagination in the psyche of the preadolescent child. Some children wanted to be conformists and preferred not to suggest ideas that were … Continue reading
Posted in Literature, Novels, Trends in books
Tagged conformity, Fantasy, Tropes, Young adult
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Messrs & Co
Vernacular language can both draw in readers and become a pitfall. When we understand the vernacular, we feel a closeness to the author, having come from the same world and using those same words. Acronyms and abbreviations are no different. … Continue reading
Posted in exclusion, Group psychology, Literature, Nonfiction, Social media
Tagged Abbreviations, Acronyms, vernacular, writing abbreviations
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Writing Like You Speak
When reading an author’s discussion thread, I noted that more than one person assumed the trick to creating a unique writer’s voice was “writing like you talk.” There is some truth to this if you are a good verbal storyteller. … Continue reading
Posted in Ideas for writing, Style and voice, Teaching writing skills, Trends in books
Tagged colloquial, newscaster, venacular
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Story with a View
When intriguing characters with challenging goals appear in my random daydreaming, my mind fastens on them as I imagine their life. I am flooded with decisions to make. Which events from the past formed this character? What frustrates them? What … Continue reading
Posted in Literature, Novels, Writer's resource, Writing trends
Tagged Narrator, point of view
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Comments About Commas
Among literary devices, one of my favorites is polysyndeton. Despite its fancy name this is a plain device and easy to use. Simply repeat “and” after every word in a list. Polysyndeton provides quick and simple emphasis. “While driving through … Continue reading
Posted in Ideas for writing, Literary devices, Literature
Tagged oxford comma, polysyndeton
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Name Dropping
Hamlet is often portrayed as a man dressed in medieval finery with a skull cradled in his hand. Many people assume that Hamlet recited his fateful soliloquy “To be or not to be…” as he stared at the skull. That’s … Continue reading
Posted in allusions, Characters, Drama and movies, Ideas for writing, Literary devices, Nonfiction, Novels, Trends in books
Tagged Bible, Chewbacca, Shakespeare
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Traveling Swan Roads in Books
While reading Beowulf in a modern translation I encountered a person called a breaker of rings. In my mind I could see a burly man hacking gold rings apart, possibly a thief destroying the identity of his latest heist. As … Continue reading
Leaders within the Writing Community
Writing is often a solitary endeavor. Authors spend hours alone working words and ideas into something alive within their own minds. New writers, unused to such dedicated isolation, often seek inspiration for their creativity–new sources for intriguing characters and unique … Continue reading
The Language Quandary
Recently, I was reading a novel in which a young woman spoke English with a lovely French accent. At least that is what the author told me. Her dialogue was written in normal, modern, American English which I could … Continue reading
