by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Aug 25, 2012 | craft of writing, first novels, memory, shapes |
Christine Schutt Florida debut novel Harcourt/A Harvest Book paperback 2004 On structure echoing content: Nothing then, nothing held its shape but blew away. (52) Dear Alice, you don’t have to tell the whole story. (79) On the structure: 4 parts with 52 short...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jun 27, 2012 | craft of writing, details, novels |
Ann Patchett State of Wonder Harper hardback 2011 . On beginnings: “The news of Anders Eckman’s death came by way of Aerogram, a piece of bright blue airmail paper that served as both the stationery and, when folded over and sealed along the edges, the...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jun 21, 2012 | novels, reading |
I bought May Sarton’s THE EDUCATION OF HARRIET HATFIELD at Black Sheep Books in Montpelier, VT. I chose this book because I love May Sarton’s writing but had never read any of her fiction. Writing this post, I discovered that this volunteer-run community...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Mar 20, 2012 | craft of writing, novels, truth |
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid’s Tale Anchor paperback 1998 (1st pub 1985) On moving in and out of the present action: Frowning, she tears out three tokens and hands them to me. [13 paragraphs of backstory and interior monologue] I take the tokens from...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Feb 22, 2012 | craft of writing, details, novels |
Really? you might be thinking. More on The Forgotten Waltz? Yes, there’s more. Consider the following: …there was no doubt that we felt easier about the world, for the fact that our father was no longer in it. We loved him, of course, but we both knew that...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Feb 18, 2012 | craft of writing, novels |
Anne Enright The Forgotten Waltz Norton hardback 2011 On chronology: Still, I can’t be too bothered here, with chronology. The idea that if you tell it, one thing after another, then everything will make sense. (55) On how to write it so you see it: Aileen set...
