As they say, one man’s meat is another man’s poisson. Or to put it another way, humour is in the ear of the beholder.
Author Archives: boundsgreen
Openings – First Paragraphs
So, assuming that your first sentence has fully grabbed the attention of the reader, your first paragraph (Introduction) must accomplish some basic objectives.
Openings – First Sentences
If you want someone to read your book, you must ‘hook’ them by your first paragraph—ideally, by your first sentence. Potential publishers or agents may ask you for your first 3 chapters, but in practice they often read only the first paragraph before rejecting you.
Write Natural Dialogue
The biggest mistake I see is sentences that begin with ‘You know…’ It is not natural for people to say things the other person already knows. Ask yourself—which bits of the speaker’s conversation are new news to the other person, the interlocutor?
Against ‘and’
It’s usually not good writing to use the construction ‘x and y’. It’s indecisive. You are trying to convey something to the reader, so make up your mind what is it you’re trying to convey. x or y? This is one place where Less is More.
Against clichés and purple prose
Watch out for adverbs or adjectives that seem inextricably glued to your noun or verb like a Homeric epithet. In the Odyssey, dawn must be ‘rosy-fingered’; Zeus must be ‘far-seeing’; the sea must be ‘wine-dark’. But you are not Homer. Not all halts are ‘screeching’. Not all hot days are ‘scorching’.
More thoughts on writing historical fiction
Whether you’re writing about real historical characters or invented historical characters, your goal is still going to be the same as it is for all fiction writing. You need to address the elements: character, dialogue, setting, theme, plot, conflict, and world building.
Historical fiction: Die, Die, Die
Continuing our historical fiction theme, in this week’s instalment, an ancient Briton fights the Roman invaders.
Historical fiction: The Jews’ Garden
Continuing our theme of historical fiction, we’ve been trying our hands at writing our own. First up, Elaine Graham-Leigh on young love in a time of medieval antisemitism.
Historical fiction: Bringing the past to life, seeing the world through your protagonist’s eyes
‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ So said Lao Tzu 1450 years ago, and the experience of every novelist since then has illustrated it.
Bounds Green Book Writers 