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Random thoughts on why some novels stink #writing
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t review books I don’t like. So let’s talk about why some books are not on my review list: first-draft issues that occasionally find their way into published works. For me as an author, the easiest part of writing is inadvertently slipping a clumsy bit of phrasing into my narrative, having an action scene go hilariously (and impossibly) wrong. I don’t usually…
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#FineArtFriday: Resting in Maremma by Giovanni Fattori ca. 1875
Artist: Giovanni Fattori (1825–1908) Title: Resting in Maremma (Italian: Riposo in Maremma) Description: Resting in Maremma (c.1875), by Giovanni Fattori Date: circa 1875 Medium: oil on canvas Dimension: height: 35 cm (13.7 in); width: 72.5 cm (28.5 in) Collection: Private collection Inscriptions: Signature bottom right: Gio. Fattori What I like about this painting: This is the first work I’ve…
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#writing about grief
Last week I recycled two posts. This was because my husband had passed away, and I was unable to think of what to write about. So today, I want to talk about memories and deep personal emotions and how they color our view of the world. Greg had been suffering from Parkinson’s and for the last year, he’d been in an adult family home. He had been steadily declining and had three hospitalizations…
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#FineArtFriday: a close look at "Worn Out" by H. A. Brendekilde 1889
Artist: H. A. Brendekilde (1857–1942) Title: (English: Worn out) (Danish: Udslidt) Date: 1889 Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: height: 207 cm (81.4 in); width: 270 cm (106.2 in) Inscriptions: Signature and date bottom right: H.A. Brendekilde 89 Collection: Funen’s Art Museum About this painting: Hans Andersen Brendekilde (7 April 1857 – 30 March 1942) was a Danish painter. H.A. Brendekilde was a…
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Scene Framing and Composition #writing
Things went a little sideways here at Casa del Jasperson over the weekend, so today we are revisiting a post from January of 2022. When we’re in the first draft stage, determining a chapter’s length and just what should be included to keep the length reasonable is not our primary goal. However, when we get into the revisions stage, we go deeper and look at each scene and transition. We fine-tune…
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#FineArtFriday: Boats at Anchor by John Singer Sargent 1917
Artist: John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) Title: Boats at Anchor Medium: Watercolor Date: ca. 1917 Location: Worcester Art Museum What I love about this painting: John Singer Sargent is best known for his work done in oils, and they are brilliant. But I really love his seascapes done in the medium of watercolor. Canals, rivers, oceans, or lakes – Sargent painted the sheen of calm water beneath a…
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The Great Artists are Brilliant Storytellers #writing
If you are a follower of this blog, you know that Fridays are “Fine Art Friday” here. I love the art of the past, as well as many modern pieces. I also love examining photographic art. Paintings and photographs offer us a glimpse of a moment in time that may have occurred centuries ago or may not have occurred at all. It is the story of a moment frozen in time and preserved forever for us.…
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#FineArtFriday: An Architectural Fantasy by Jan van der Heyden ca. 1670
Artist: Jan van der Heyden (1637–1712) Title: English: An Architectural Fantasy Genre: landscape painting Date: circa 1670 Medium: oil on panel Dimensions: height: 49.7 cm (19.5 in); width: 70.7 cm (27.8 in) Collection: National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) What I love about this painting: It is classical and very much in the tradition of the Dutch Masters of the 17th century, making use of…
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7 Rules of Construction #writing
My native language is English (although I am fluent in gibberish). But since I wanted to be taken seriously as an author, my job is to understand how grammar works and use it to my advantage. The great authors bend the rules to energize their prose, but they know the rules they are ignoring and are consistent with how they bend them. They are deliberate. Now, I do understand reality. If you are…
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#FineArtFriday: Boat building Near Flatford Mill by John Constable
Artist: John Constable Title: Boat-Building Near Flatford Mill Year: 1815 Type: Oil on canvas, landscape painting Dimensions: 50.8 cm × 61.6 cm (20.0 in × 24.3 in) Current Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, London What I love about this painting: I love Constable’s work, and this painting in particular. The dry dock was owned by Constable’s father. The boat under construction is a barge and…
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The infinity arc, or double-circular story arc #writing
We as writers must resonate with the stories we tell. They have to mean something to us or they won’t mean anything to a reader. Lately, life has been a little hectic, and I’ve been unable to focus on my longer work. But I have been able to write and complete short stories in a variety of genres and lengths. While my longer work is “resting” and going nowhere, there is an upside to this: I’ve had…
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#FineArtFriday: A second look at "Sur la plage, les bains de mer" by François d'Orléans
Artist: François d’Orléans, prince de Joinville (1818-1900) Title: Sur la plage, les bains de mer (English: On the beach sea bathing) Medium: Watercolor Date: before 1900 What I love about this painting: I first featured this painting in July of 2023. The wild sense of humor shown in this portrayal of upper-class Victorian-era people on vacation beside the sea absolutely captivated me. François…
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Dialogue tags, verbal tics, and accents #writing
We who write love our characters and want our written dialogue to sound as natural as a conversation with our best friend. We meet on the street, in the bar, or at a coffee shop. And we talk, talk, talk. And so do my characters. Sometimes they won’t be quiet, and it drives me nuts. Other times, my characters behave like a fourteen-year-old forced to go camping with the family. She owns the…
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#FineArtFriday: The Money Changer and His Wife by Quentin Matsys, 1514
Artist: Quentin Matsys (1456/1466–1530) Title: The Moneylender and his Wife Date: 1514 Medium: oil on panel Dimensions: Height: 70.5 cm (27.7 in) Current location: Louvre Museum Inscriptions: Signature and date The Money Changer and His Wife is a 1514 oil on panel painting by the Flemish renaissance artist Quentin Matsys. What I love about this painting: I first featured this painting in June…
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#Writing Interior Dialogues
I write in several genres, and I read nearly any book I come across. It’s a habit from the years of working two jobs. It was a time when I could only fit one book purchase a month into my meager budget, but I read the books in my favorite genres faster than the library could stock them. My small bit of excess cash was reserved for a $5.99 fantasy paperback and a $2.00 grocery bag of second-hand…
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#FineArtFriday: a closer look at "Children's Games" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder 1560
Title: Children’s Games Artist: Pieter Bruegel the Elder Year: 1560 Type: Oil on panel Dimensions: 118 cm × 161 cm (46 in × 63 in) Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna What I love about this image: I first featured this painting in 2024, and I still love it. Pieter Brugel the Elder was one of my first influences in the world of art appreciation. I love the chaos, the raucous jumble of…
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A few thoughts on the craft of #writing
This week I found myself looking at random notes I had taken when reading. Some were from trade paperbacks and others from cheap eBooks. Only one was a deal breaker. All had one issue or another, but their good points far outweighed the flaw. So, one book made the “Oooh! Gross!” list in my notebook, and it happened to be from a traditionally published author. It contained all of the fatal flaws…
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