Month: February 2020

Writing is an Art

Writing is an art that gets better when you practice good writing. It is an important form of expression. Writing utilizes the imagination and creates work that can be entertaining as well as informative. People who take the time to learn the craft are the ones who become great writers. Good luck and happy writing

Book Review

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel by [Honeyman, Gail]

This book is amazingly interesting. From the moment I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. I found Eleanor so refreshingly different. She is quirky, honest, naive and witty and she says whatever is on her mind. The story is told in a vivid manner it is almost as if you are right there. Loved it. If you are looking for something that is entertaining and different, I would recommend this book.

Be Open to Critique

Image result for image of woman reading a novel

 

As a writer have to develop a thick skin and be open to criticism. If you are a great writer people will love your book. However you have to accept that not everyone will love what you write. Some readers can be harsh with their reviews, so you must be prepared for this. Critique is not always bad because it may help you to be a better writer. Good luck and happy writing.

Strong Black Woman

As Black History Month draws to a close I would like to pay tribute to all women of color. I wrote the poems some years back and I want to share it with you. To every black woman who has gone through life believing she is not good enough; just know that you are enough!

Strong Black Woman

They told her she couldn’t do it,                          Image result for image of beautiful black woman

But she proved them all wrong.

Poor, bare foot country girl

Wanting to be doctor?

“Must be crazy,” they told her.

But she knew she was sane,

A doctor she wanted to be,

And for that goal she did aim.

 

They looked in awe and wonder,

Said she made them proud.

Yet they didn’t think her good enough,

For they told her she couldn’t have him,

Asked if she had lost her mind,

Doctor or not he wouldn’t marry her,

Her family was too poor,

And she was just too black.

 

She pitied their ignorance,

Felt ashamed for their own

lack of self-esteem.

She knew what she wanted

She knew together they would make a good team.

So she married him,

and stupid people that they were,

They wondered did he really love her or did she cast a spell?

 

Still enslaved by mental slavery,

They find it hard to understand,

That it is not the color of your skin,

Or the family you are from,

That defines you as a man or a woman.

 

 

Should You Write the Way You Speak

Should you write the way you speak? The answer to this varies depending on who you ask. Effective communication is an important part of writing. The reader must be able to understand what you are saying. Not everyone use proper grammar when speaking. This is usually not acceptable in writing. However it is also important not to have writing that comes off too formal or stiff. Don’t fill your writing with a lot of complex words when simpler words could convey the same message. A few is fine but don’t over do it. Your reader wants to keep turning the pages, not constantly consulting a dictionary to understand what you are saying.  Good luck and happy writing.

The Use of Comma and Full Stop in Dialogue

Where you put the comma or full stop is important because it can change the meaning of a sentence. It does not happen often but I have come across writings where improper punctuation is used when writing dialogue, and full stop is used where a comma should be. Below are some examples.

  1. “I will have a soda with my sandwich.” Said Jane.  If you notice the first sentence ends at sandwich. What follows is an incomplete sentence. The correct punctuation should be, “I will have a soda with my sandwich,” said Jane.
  2. “Wait, I am coming.” Natalie said, as she hurried towards me.  In this case the first sentence ends at coming, and what follows is an incomplete sentence. The correct punctuation should be, “Wait, I am coming,” Natalie said, as she hurried towards me. 

Always read through what you have written to ensure you have complete sentences. Good luck and happy writing. 

 

 

Imagery in Writing

 

It is important to write in a way that readers can visualize what you are writing about. Write about what you see, hear, smell, taste and feel. These imagery create a vivid picture that makes the reader get caught up in the story. For example if you are writing a hospital scene you could describe the smell of disinfectant in the air, doctors and nurses busily attending to patients, or rushing to a particular room as a code blue alert sounds on the intercom. Long, spotless corridors, porters transporting patients on stretchers… create that hospital scene. Keep your stories alive with the use of imagery. Good luck and happy writing.

Black History Month

maya angelo

As we celebrate black history month let us pay tribute to Maya Angelou for her contribution to the literary world. Today I share one of her poems with you.

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

As a Writer it is Important to Read

Woman Sitting by the Table

There is more to writing than just setting down words on paper. You have to learn the craft and writing techniques that will make your book appeal to readers. Reading is a good way of developing your writing skills.

Read books in the genre you choose to write in. Look at the techniques the writers use. Research best selling books in your genre. This will give you an insight into the type of stories readers are interested in reading.

The more you read, the more you learn about what makes a great book great. Most successful writers, are readers, themselves. Develop the habit of reading. Good luck and happy writing.