I have completed my third review of Siamese Dreams. This chapter follows the tale Morris Little, a travelling salesman who finds he is stuck on a woman with feline grace.
There were 161 modifications made to this 12 page chapter leading to an impressive 56% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, so please feel free to make use of this capability.
I have completed my first review of Chariots of Thunder. This story revolves around a motorcycle stunt driver who was taken after a crash involving the Wall of Death. Explore just what patrons of The Grand will do to keep themselves occupied!
There were 200 modifications made to this 14 page chapter when compared to the initial version. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, so please feel free to make use of this capability.
When looking through old photographs of my daughter, I have trouble reconciling that she was that person. I do remember how small her hands were when she was born and how helpless she was at first.
However, one look at my child as she rides her scooter through the house takes me out of such nostalgia-filled moments. In see her as-is, the talkative, bright-eyed and sassy girl that she is today.
In many ways, this mirrors my own experiences in life. We were all children once and remember key times in our youth. However I tend to view it through my eyes, filtered through a veil of adult experience.
This might explain why children in novels sometimes seem disconnected from reality. Unless you have a three-year old wreaking havoc in the house, you may not realise the unrealistic wisdom in their words or their excellent grasp of grammar.
Not that children that age are incapable of that sort of thing. There have been some golden nuggets of wisdom that my daughter said that threw me for a loop. Still that is a couple of instances over time, not a consistent affair.
The same applies when writing the world through a child’s eyes. When I was roughly my child’s age, I remember spending hours picking hazelnuts from the trees. My parents had a big advantage over me. However, I could find hazelnuts lower in the tree than they could for the same reasons they could not and that was size.
I was reminded of that fact when she asked me for my phone. My daughter wanted to take pictures of the squirrels running about and instead opted for a video.
It astonished me to see how close she was to the ground, how near her feet were and how much bigger the world seemed. Sure it’s all obvious when one thinks about it and I cannot help but wonder how much harder it gets once our own children have flown the nest.
One of my memories as a child was going to my grandparents. I remember a huge hill upon which they built a church and the trek that had to be made to ascend this great peak. When I returned decades later for a funeral, the hill was nowhere to be seen!
Now the church and the house had not moved. What had changed was my height and perspectives in life. In that one moment I was forced to reconcile memories of youth with current perspectives, but such opportunities can be rare.
So let your kids be kids, take plenty of pictures and never pass up the opportunity to see the world through their eyes! Doing so will certainly create more believable children in literature.
I have completed my third review of Into the Fire. In this chapter, a chambermaid’s car breaks down on her way back home. What could possibly go wrong once the sun sets?
There were 96 modifications made to this 8 page chapter leading to an impressive 55% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, so please feel free to make use of this capability.
I am rather negligent when it comes to looking up my book on sites to see if someone has read the book and left a review. While Smashwords had a strong initial trend of views and downloads, it has since slowed down.
That is to be expected, since The Portrait has been out a while and I do not actively push the content. However, it has yielded some reviews over time and I came across this one today!
Any review that says the reader will grab my next book is a great news for me. So I thought it would be nice to share!
I came across an article on the National Post today. Seems language is shifting away from woman and lady due to associated baggage. Instead, girl is used and there are a LOT of novels of late using that term.
Here is a quote from the article:
The word “girl” has become as practical as “guy,” its male equivalent — an all-purpose term that doesn’t carry the baggage of “woman” or “lady.”
While this is likely a marketing ploy now. It is interesting to see how the language has changed in use in a short period of time.
Though I have to ask, what is the baggage associated with woman or lady? Did I miss something?
I have completed my third review of The Virgin Goddess of the Hunt. In this chapter, a group of mobsters decides to lean on the Grand and discover what happens when guests have a chance to play.
There were 177 modifications made to this 17 page chapter leading to an impressive 64% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, so please feel free to make use of this capability.
I have completed my third review of One Flight Over. A story which revolves around Edward Locke and his complicity with the events surrounding the hotel. John also meets up with Eleanor which leaves him baffled yet again.
There were 189 modifications made to this 11 page chapter leading to a 49% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, so please feel free to make use of this capability.
I have completed my third review of The Mad Hatter’s Mirror. A story which focuses on a young man involved a traumatic event then explores the effects on his psyche.
There were 169 modifications made to this 10 page chapter leading to a 50% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, so please feel free to make use of this capability.
A recipe which combines scallops, shrimp and crab meat with béchamel sauce and crêpes to create a tasty wrap. This dish can be prepared in part and assembled quickly.