It was Saturday night. Ben pulled on his t-shirt then finished arranging his hair before he picked up the phone and called Bill. “Woohoo. There’s only one word for it, woohoo. We need to go out. I’m really excited, Bill.” “I keep telling you, don’t call me Bill. That’s too old. I’m William. Will…I…am.” Ben […]
Author / Graham Dinton
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Other_Leisure_Activi_g229-Plant__p30268.html I’m a new author. I’ve never completed a novel, though I have started many. I’ve written and published dozens of short stories, but a novel, well that is hard work. Why is it so different? Well, I think it is down to plot and structure. Short stories have characters, good characterisation, dialogue, descriptive passages, […]
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2280 It’s spring, the daffodils are starting to peek and golf is in the air. I have dusted off my golf clubs and given them a clean, paying particular attention to the seldom-used sweet spots. I’m not a good golfer, but it gets me out the house and is sociable. I play about a dozen […]
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2280 “Hello, is that Mary?” “I can only just about hear you, Mary. The line’s not good and there’s a lot of noise here.” “I’m at the station. Yes, that’s right, overnight. We all have to leave in the morning on the troop train. It’s taking us across to the coast, there’s a big army […]
Continuing my Friday theme of posting fiction writing techniques, here is some more about the art and science of dialogue. 1. Dialogue is the first thing readers look for.When I am browsing in a bookstore and pick up a novel I am considering, I flick through the pages and see the pattern and density on […]
“How much is it?” “A dollar fifty each.” Charlie pulled the three dollars from his pocket and passed them through a narrow slot in the window of the museum’s ticket office. It was the first time that he and Kate had visited and he’d spent days preparing, studying the guidebooks and reading up about the […]
I’ve been studying dialogue. There are certain techniques that really help that I will explore over the next couple of blogs. Just to recap, Friday is all about writing skills and the Tuesday posts are short-stories derived from popular song lyrics. So, this Friday and for the next couple of Fridays(I think), I will focus […]
http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/widde2-fair.htm Tom Pearce. Tom Pearce, lend me your grey mare, All along, down along, out along lee, For I want for to go to Widdecombe Fair, Wi’ Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney, Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk, old uncle Tom Cobley and all, old Uncle Tom Cobley and all. And when shall I see again my grey mare? All […]
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2280 When I started this blog at the beginning of January, I was a little sceptical. Yes, it may be good for writing practice, but if no-one else is reading it, then what’s the point? Is it possible to be a writer without a reader? Well, of course it is, but I don’t want to […]