MY FAVORITE SENTENCES
May 25, 2023 by Kidd Wadsworth in category Infused with Meaning by Kidd Wadsworth tagged as favorite sentences, kidd wadsworth, Motivation, reading, writing
MY FAVORITE SENTENCES
by Kidd Wadsworth
These are my goto gems, the sentences that keep me writing, that whisper, “you can do better.”
From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling:
Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.
Until I read that sentence, I never considered using the length of a character’s neck to reveal their social-climbing snobbery.
From Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis:
Here we go again. I felt like I was walking in my sleep as I followed Jerry back to the room where all the boys’ beds were jim-jammed together. This was the third foster home I was going to, and I’m used to packing up and leaving, but it still surprises me that there are always a few seconds, right after they tell you you’ve got to go, when my nose gets all runny and my throat gets all choky and my eyes get all sting-y. But the tears coming out doesn’t happen to me anymore, I don’t know when it first happened, but it seems like my eyes don’t cry no more.
Whenever I want to write with the voice of a child, I read Bud, Not Buddy. The last phrase, my eyes don’t cry no more, is pivotal. This little boy has been injured and wearied by a world full of uncaring adults who see him as nothing more than something to be packed up and shipped off. He could have been a frozen ham steak.
From Holes by Louis Sachar:
If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy.
I almost stopped reading Holes when I read that sentence. It crushed me.
I think this next sentence by Jane Austen will forever take the prize as the best first sentence of any novel ever written. Not only is it funny, but it also completely captures the essence of Pride and Prejudice:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
From The Road by Cormac McCarthy:
When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he’d reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him. Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before. Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world.
What continues to fascinate me about these sentences are how they weave together two images: the first of a dying world and the second of a father desperately trying to save his son. Notice that you feel the love of the father for the boy after you read the first sentence, but it only as you read the next two sentences that the father’s desperation slams into you.
This next one I have added, although I don’t know who wrote it, simply because I love it.
I am, perhaps, stalling.
Finally, here is one of my own from a short story set in the Caribbean.
About her came the sounds nocturnal, some cooing, some clicking, the sea softly crashing, and pressing in the sticky night, so different from her air conditioned life.
Please comment with your favorite sentence. I’d love to read them.
Kidd Watsworth’s Books
INCIDENT AT SAN MIGUEL BY A.J. SIDRANSKY—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
May 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as A.J. Sidranksy, book review, Incident at San Miguel, Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
Incident at San Miguel
By A.J. Sidransky
Black Opal Books 2023
ISBN 978-1-953434-96-8
1950s Cuba, the pearl of the Caribbean, is the idyllic home of the Cohen family whose ancestors found refuge in Cuba after being exiled from Poland during World War II and the Nazi regime. The two Cohen brothers, Aaron and Moises, are up and coming young men ready to make their mark on the world.
Aaron, a bank lawyer, enjoys the relaxing nonchalance of the tropics and is eagerly hoping for a promotion, and planning his wedding.
Moises, somber and studious, and at odds with his family over his political stance, spends his time engrossed in Marxism, grappling with what he sees as the corruption inherent in the current society.
The relaxing nonchalance of the island paradise is thrown into an uproar by the fire of revolution, and the eventual overthrow of the government by Fidel Castro and his brother Raul.
Moises, enraptured by the revolution, determines to fight against “the cathedral of capitalism and its den of thieves.”
When property and businesses are confiscated, the young men’s parents find themselves living their own parents’ nightmares of having to flee their native country.
Marked an enemy of the working class, Aaron the banker, is sidelined and must now kowtow to former aides. Attempting to obtain visas out of the country for his family, he finds himself trapped in a cruel game of cat and mouse.
Desperate to save his family, Aaron seeks out his brother Moises for help. But he’s part of Fidel’s group. Will he help? Can he trust him?
How strong will family ties prove for two brothers on the opposite sides of revolution and history?
Destructive alliances, family ties, and the uplifting power of faith, culture, and love make Incident at San Miguel a compelling and engrossing read.
For more of Alan Sidransky’s books, in which he writes about ordinary people faced with extraordinary events and situations, check out his website at www.ajsidransky.com. You can also read my reviews on this blog of some of his other titles.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on June 22nd.
Other Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
Alina K. Field May Featured Author
May 21, 2023 by Alina K. Field in category Featured Author, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Alina K. Field, Featured Author of the Month, Regency Romances
Award winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but her true passion is the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwest, after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California where she shares a midcentury home with two furry four-legged girls and keeps a dependable stash of lollipops for the munchkins in her life.
She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!
Books by Alina K. Field
Using Your Characters’ Emotional Wounds for Character Development
May 19, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Ages 2 Perfection Online Class, Online Classes tagged as creating backstory, Deborah bailey, Developing Characters, discovering conflict
Presented by: Deborah Bailey
Date: June 12 – 23, 2023 (two weeks)
Registration Closes: June 20, 2023
Pricing: A2P Member fee: $15
Non-A2P Member fee: $25
About the Workshop:
Develop your characters and create backstory using emotional wounds and inner conflicts. Discover the inner conflicts that might be inspiring protagonists and antagonists in your story. We’ll cover topics such as: how to determine the wounds that make sense for your characters, how to raise the stakes by using triggers to push your characters forward, aligning backstory with character wounds and traumas, developing strong character goals and motivations.
About the Presenter:
Deborah A Bailey’s Romantic Fantasy, Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance novels include suspense, a bit of mystery and a lot of romantic heat. Her short stories have won awards from the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference and have been published in US1 Magazine and the Sun and are included in, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales.
In addition to her fiction work, she’s published non-fiction books and articles for online publications.
She’s presented workshops to organizations including the Sayreville Public Library, the Carteret Public Library, Piscataway Public Library and SavvyAuthors.com.
https://AuthorDebBailey.com
Writing Sex Scenes
May 17, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Ages 2 Perfection Online Class, Online Classes tagged as jennifer D. Bokal, romance writing, Sex scenes, writing
Presented by: Jennifer Bokal
Date: June 1 – 30, 2023 (one month)
Registration Closes: June 16, 2023
Pricing: A2P Member fee: $20
Non-A2P Member fee: $30
About the Workshop:
From First Blush to Climax: Writing Sex Scenes
A well-crafted sex scene can move a story from mundane to unforgettable, while a badly written sex scene can ruin an entire book. Beginning with the premise that sex scene is at the most basic level an action scene, we will explore ways to effectively use a sex scene in any story. Topics covered will range from pacing, to character arcs, plotting, heat levels and more. Due to the adult content of this workshop no one under 18 will be allowed to take the class.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this workshops, participants will:
~Identify the heat level of their work in progress.
~Understand personal comfort with chosen heat level.
~Determine how to combine action, narrative, and emotion to create a compelling sex scene.
~Explore and define the terms scene, pacing, time manipulation, dialogue, description and setting as well as how they are used in writing sex scenes.
About the Presenter:
Jennifer D. Bokal penned her first book at age eight. An early lover of the written word, she decided to follow her passion and become a full-time writer. From then on, she didn’t look back. She earned a Master of Arts in creative writing from Wilkes University and became a member of Romance Writers of America and International Thriller Writers.
Jennifer is the author of author of several books, including the Harlequin Romantic Suspense series, Rocky Mountain Justice, the connected series, Wyoming Nights, and several books that are part of the Colton continuity. The first book in her upcoming Texas Law series, Texas Law Undercover Justice will be released in December 2022.
Happily married to her own alpha male for more twenty-five years, she enjoys writing stories that explore the wonders of love. Jen and her manly husband live in upstate New York. They have three beautiful grown daughters, two very spoiled dogs, and a cat who runs the house.
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