First Word

  I am focused on writing right now. I had a discussion with a fellow writer about writing and rewriting. She mentioned that authors like James Patterson focus on the rewrites to find the genius in the work. I’m not a Patterson reader so I can’t speak to his work. I mostly get it down in a single draft, which is different from others. I’m naturally not opposed to rewriting, and in some cases, I do revisions. However, for the most part I seem to get it down in the first draft. In another discussion, one of my friends asked how I managed to get it right the first time. I acknowledged I don’t always get it down, but I would say at least 85 percent of it. As a professional writer, I am the same with my magazine articles. I get a first draft down pretty easily.   How do I do it? (And Friend-Os, adopt your own style and what’s right for you.) When I worked in corporate, I almost felt guilty for sitting idle just to think. I am a doer and work hard. So, I don’t like...

  Today’s topic is about using the point of view and the feelings of the character to apply it in how your descriptions unfold. In writing One Little Lie , I am writing in the first person. I chose the first-person narrative so I could convey the depth of the character’s feelings, but also to allow the prose to unfold from that person’s perspective. You have to remember that if you decide to use the first person narrative, you will be restricted to the knowledge of that person. You’re up in the narrator’s head, and the narrator only observes and hears from the other characters.   I’ve used several types of techniques. I decided to use first person in One Little Lie , because it’s a deeply personal and emotional tale. The story revolves around one character’s story of transformation, from open naivete and hopeful trust to the rude awakening of a narcissistic liar’s duplicity. You go through the experience of her transformation with her and see it unfold throu...

  Today’s topic is about narrative and novels. I’ve been listening to what is a 36-hour audio book titled The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante . I’m a huge fan of autobiographies and biographies, and I love reading about other female authors. The narrator Elena Grecco tells one of the most shocking and compelling stories about her life in Naples.   In discussing this book’s narrative with my friend, he asked me, “Why is it so shocking when she reveals important plot points. You just don’t see it coming.” Ferrante is gifted at telling a story through what I called “immediacy,” which means she tells the story exactly as it unfolded to her. In real life, we don’t have foreshadowing and little breadcrumbs that get dropped when something major is about to happen. We might see hints in a character’s behavior, but that’s all the hints we get in this kind of narrative.   As a result, Ferrante’s life experiences – and many are indeed dramatic and shock...