Marissa De Luna's Blog, page 11
December 4, 2012
Learning to be more observant...
Learning to be more observant…
So I was reading The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing and I came across a really good chapter- written by Donna Levin about, what she calls Killer Diller details.
Basically in a nutshell the advice was to write down 5 observations at the end of every day. Because as a writer you have to be observant – when you describe a suit for example (and here is showing not telling) say its chalk stripped and double breasted she says – don’t just say it’s a suit- if it’s a...
So I was reading The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing and I came across a really good chapter- written by Donna Levin about, what she calls Killer Diller details.
Basically in a nutshell the advice was to write down 5 observations at the end of every day. Because as a writer you have to be observant – when you describe a suit for example (and here is showing not telling) say its chalk stripped and double breasted she says – don’t just say it’s a suit- if it’s a...
December 3, 2012
I have been successful...
I have been successful probably because I have always realised that I knew nothing about writing and have merely tried to tell an interesting story entertainingly. - Edgar Rice Burroughs
It has been a while. I hope you enjoyed the Next Big Writer Blog tour and have found some new and interesting up and coming authors. It has been a busy couple of months for me...and now I have an agent!
Yes it has all happened so fast. I wont bore you with the details but the gist of it is this: I got a respo...
It has been a while. I hope you enjoyed the Next Big Writer Blog tour and have found some new and interesting up and coming authors. It has been a busy couple of months for me...and now I have an agent!
Yes it has all happened so fast. I wont bore you with the details but the gist of it is this: I got a respo...
November 28, 2012
The Next Big Thing Blog Tour
As you may well know the 'Next Big Thing' blog tour is well under way and thanks to Gabrielle Aquilina it has made a stop here. If you haven’t visited Gabby’s blog – take a look- it’s a brilliant read. Gabby was one of the founder’s of Abingdon Writers and you can read the answers about her book, Rock-a-Lillie, here.
What is the working title of your book?
The Bittersweet Vine.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I love reading psychological thrillers and as a result I see story...
November 13, 2012
Words can be like X-rays...
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
I think I made a breakthrough with commas this week. And it's only Tuesday. For my whole existance, up until now, comma's have evaded me. I drew a mental blank - but not anymore.
I hope you will notice that my punctuation has improved. As usual I am still always in a rush so maybe I wont check so much. But I now know I must take the time to do so. Maybe...
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
I think I made a breakthrough with commas this week. And it's only Tuesday. For my whole existance, up until now, comma's have evaded me. I drew a mental blank - but not anymore.
I hope you will notice that my punctuation has improved. As usual I am still always in a rush so maybe I wont check so much. But I now know I must take the time to do so. Maybe...
November 5, 2012
Even grown-ups need Crayons
Even grown-ups need crayons
November, November!!! Well I have now hit my target and sold over 1000 copies of Goa Traffic. 1091 to be exact. I am happy. If you told me to define success for Goa Traffic at the start of this whole process I would have said – when I sell 1000 copies- I probably said it somewhere on this blog. It seemed like it would never happen. The paper copy sales have not been great – but decent – so I cant complain – I would have estimated hitting 1000 copies in 10 years time. With...
November, November!!! Well I have now hit my target and sold over 1000 copies of Goa Traffic. 1091 to be exact. I am happy. If you told me to define success for Goa Traffic at the start of this whole process I would have said – when I sell 1000 copies- I probably said it somewhere on this blog. It seemed like it would never happen. The paper copy sales have not been great – but decent – so I cant complain – I would have estimated hitting 1000 copies in 10 years time. With...
October 29, 2012
No one says a novel has to be one thing.
“No one says a novel has to be one thing. It can be anything it wants to be, a vaudeville show, the six o’clock news, the mumblings of wild men saddled by demons.”
― Ishmael Reed,
So last night I finished reading Barbara and Allan Pease's book The definitive guide to body language. It was well worth the £6.99 or whatever it was on Amazon. Hopefully this will allow me to add a further dimension to my characters with their subtle changes in body language. When you read a book like this...
― Ishmael Reed,
So last night I finished reading Barbara and Allan Pease's book The definitive guide to body language. It was well worth the £6.99 or whatever it was on Amazon. Hopefully this will allow me to add a further dimension to my characters with their subtle changes in body language. When you read a book like this...
October 22, 2012
The beautiful part of writing is that...
“The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon." Robert Cormier
That is what is such an amazing thing about writing. Its always a learning curve. The beauty of it these days is that people share their mistakes and learning with the rest of the world - after all it makes us more human - thank you social media.
Anyway I logged on to www.selfpublishingreview.com last week and I was reading an interesting article on reac...
That is what is such an amazing thing about writing. Its always a learning curve. The beauty of it these days is that people share their mistakes and learning with the rest of the world - after all it makes us more human - thank you social media.
Anyway I logged on to www.selfpublishingreview.com last week and I was reading an interesting article on reac...
October 18, 2012
A story is a letter that the author writes to himself
“A story is a letter that the author writes to himself, to tell himself things that he would be unable to discover otherwise.” Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind
The shadow of the Wind is one of my all time favourite books - so why not open with a quote from it. So I now have some free time after quitting the gym- bad idea - I have put on loads of weight and now have to re-join the gym- bad times. Shifting weight is so hard - but not as hard as editing your manuscript- that's the worst...
The shadow of the Wind is one of my all time favourite books - so why not open with a quote from it. So I now have some free time after quitting the gym- bad idea - I have put on loads of weight and now have to re-join the gym- bad times. Shifting weight is so hard - but not as hard as editing your manuscript- that's the worst...
October 16, 2012
If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live...
“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.” - Issac Assimov
Where do I begin? Well not much has happened since I last blogged but I have some time to my self for the first time in ages and that feels good.
I completed the edit of The Bittersweet and H has edited the first three chapters as well. He has a talent for this which is good. At first I was a little worried as The Bittersweet is probably only the 4th book he will have read-bu...
Where do I begin? Well not much has happened since I last blogged but I have some time to my self for the first time in ages and that feels good.
I completed the edit of The Bittersweet and H has edited the first three chapters as well. He has a talent for this which is good. At first I was a little worried as The Bittersweet is probably only the 4th book he will have read-bu...
October 4, 2012
A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer...
“A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
― Maya Angelou
So I am nearly there- 4 more chapters to go. The last couple are always the hardest because the revelations and the twist need to be accurately and passionately executed.
I am also loving The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Its such a good book - why did I wait so long to read it. I have also started compiling a list of books that I want to read - like Dorian Grey and The Book Thief, The Help and...
― Maya Angelou
So I am nearly there- 4 more chapters to go. The last couple are always the hardest because the revelations and the twist need to be accurately and passionately executed.
I am also loving The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Its such a good book - why did I wait so long to read it. I have also started compiling a list of books that I want to read - like Dorian Grey and The Book Thief, The Help and...
