Ellis Vidler's Blog, page 31

This Time It's Banana Bread

I blame Jennifer Crusie for this. Andromeda, the heroine in Maybe This Time , made banana bread almost daily. So of course I had to have some too. My grandmother made the best in world. She tried to write down her recipe for me, but she was a little-of-this, pinch-of-that kind of cook and even though this is very good, it's never exactly like hers was. I don't think my bananas were quiet ripe enough this time. Patience is not among my virtues.
If you want to see the recipe, click here .
Here's ...

Movie: Junebug

In many ways Junebug was a good movie. I found it thought-provoking and interesting but too slow in places. It's like a book where the author stops the story and goes on for several paragraphs describing a still, isolated landscape or object—and it's not Pat Conroy. The camera spent a minute or more on insects flying over grass, and several times it showed a still view of some woods—the same view at the same time of day—by the third time it began to look like a stock photo they'd plugged in a...

"Stop!" she cried.

Attributions and tags are the verbs that indicate speech, such as said, yelled, retorted, and so on. Said is a perfectly good, unobtrusive little word; some of its more colorful counterparts can be distracting. Strong dialogue often makes tags redundant.
Diane Lane"Stop or I'll shoot!" she cried.
The dialogue shows that she's upset and loud. Cried is unnecessary. Remember: Moderation in all things.
Beats are the actions that accompany dialogue and show how the speaker is feeling or reacting. ...

Food and Eating Scenes

Okay, I got this idea from Stacy Juba. She and Norma Rhuss have posted excerpts of food/cooking scenes from their books and included the recipes. Their books sound like fun reads and the recipes look good. I like food in books. It can show a lot about the character and what's happening. Remember the movie Tom Jones (youtube link)? Wow.
Do you have an interesting eating scene? Want to share?
So, here's one from The Peeper , where Kay takes pity on hungry Sam. The tea, of course, is iced—this is

Current Read

Today I'm reading Maybe This Time , by Jennifer Crusie. I'm already a Crusie fan, so I expect to enjoy this. I'm in a mood to feel good, so I put aside two other books to read this one. Ms. Crusie's characters always appeal to me. They're people I'd like to know and be friends with. Andie, the protagonist in Maybe This Time, is going to be another one—besides, she bakes banana bread. I wish she lived next door. Maybe she'd share.

Crusie thanks Henry James and Truman Capote, who were there befor...

Rejections, Revisions

We've all read about successful authors who racked up 100, 200, or more rejections before they were published. Some of those rejected books went on to become best sellers or even win prizes. What I've wondered is how different the book the first five agents rejected is from the version that finally sold. How much revision do you do, and when?

If you send ten query letters without a bite, what do you do? Revise your query? That makes sense if no one has even seen the first chapter of your manu...

Scents

Some of my orchids have bloom spikes this year. This summer's rain and extra feedings have revived them, and during the night, the angraecum opened. The plant isn't very interesting but the flower is graceful, waxy white with a fragrance that calls you back. I brought it inside for just that reason. Every time I walk by, I have to lean closer to enjoy more of it. The effect perfume should have.

Describing this particular scent isn't too hard. It's light, flowery, and sweet—common adjectives we...

Powerful Influences – Does what you're reading affect your writing?

For me, it absolutely does. Strong voices creep into my head and lodge there. I'm reading Daniel Woodrell's Winter's Bone and realized my own writing has taken a major detour from my usual path. His words and images are powerful. They stick with me. Phrases and descriptions swirl though my head; the problem is, they aren't me. Neither am I channeling Mr. Woodrell particularly well—double whammy. Since this is such an interesting book, I'll concentrate on reading and hold off on writing for a ...

My Current Read

This is my day-late teaser for Should Be Reading's Tuesday Teaser. MizB asks readers to post two sentences from their current read. I learned about it from VR Barkowski's blog. It's interesting and you can get a taste of some good books. Go on over and check out some of the teasers. Here's mine.
She stood tall in combat boots, scarce at the waist but plenty through the arms and shoulders, a body made for loping after needs. She smelled the frosty wet in the looming clouds, thought of her...

Writing with a Partner

Have you ever considered writing with a friend? Or even someone you respect but don't know well? It can be a challenge. I did, and it turned out to be a great experience, but it doesn't always have a happy ending. We're all egotists in some way and used to having total control over our writing. It's normally a solitary endeavor, and sharing responsibilities and control is a new concept. You have to be willing to set aside your ego, at least most of the time. This is my experience.

First...