Homeric Values
What can we learn about age-old struggles or heroes from Homer? No, not Homer Simpson, Homer, author of the Greek epics ( short for really-really -really long) poem, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Skip the next several sentences if you remember reading these. A SUPER...Seasons in Literature
There is a season…write, write, write—what? That’s not the song’s lyrics? Before you write that plot, stop and think about season! ( Even Southern California has seasons–sort of). The symbolism found in seasons has deep roots in...Themes for Novels
You wrote a novel! Yeah! Now you have to pitch your fab story to an agent and/or write the dreaded query. In addition to crafting the one-line “elevator” pitch, it is also important to convey the essence or theme of your story. A theme is the recurring...Sex in Literature
Intercourse. Coupling. Hanky panky. Horizontal mambo. Lovemaking. Copulation. Fornication. Coitus. Carnal Knowledge. To know. Relations. That’s a small sampling of synonyms–each eliciting a different reaction by virtue of its connotation. Well…as you...More archetypes
Archetypes are useful when writing a novel. Just don’t confuse them with hackneyed tropes. Archetypes also help readers understand something about themselves. Remember, archetypes evolved with time, rising from ideas, actions, and images experienced by all...Tales of Terror
Single Sentence Stories of a Scribbler’s Sinister Situations! 1. You pitch to an agent at a conference for the first time! Gulp! 2. You pitch a series at a conference so effectively the agent asks for the 6-book series synopsis, but you have only one book...Female Heroes
Nothin’ better than a WOMAN hero! Literature, movies, myths, legends, and real life are full of them! This is part 2 of the Archetype blogs. Here’s a list of 8 female hero archetypes. Remember an archetype is defined as a consistent pattern, model or...Hero archetypes
Archetypes! What are they? Archetypes are defined as a consistent pattern, model or image that recurs so often in life and literature, it is deemed universal ! Steven Fox, PH.D says archetypes are, “Patterns of thought that are handed down through generations...POV
Point of View! It’s an important decision for a writer because it impacts EVERYTHING an author writes. Quick true story: At a writers conference, a man told me about the murder/mystery he was writing. “What’s the POV ?” I asked, pretending to...Dining & Feasting
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times! Oh, the drama of the family meal! People eating and drinking together is tasty with yummy symbolism. Why is that, you ask? In ancient times, sharing one’s meal symbolized hospitality and goodwill. Certain foods,...Getting Wet
WATER is symbolic! You know that! We use water to bless, baptize, cleanse, and purify. Authors use a dunk under water to indicate a character’s spiritual change or spiritual rebirth! A character might: dance in the rain, indicating joy at their new lease on...Location location location
“Ain’t no river wide enough…ain’t no mountain high enough…to keep you away from me, babe.” We know it’s not a real river or mountain but a symbolic obstacle to overcome. Geography is more than just the setting of your novel!...Stormy Weather
Weather is more than just the change of atmospheric conditions! It’s fraught with symbolism—especially bad weather. Need to portend a change? Use weather! A few quick examples: The crack of thunder after a character’s ominous OR foreboding OR creepy...Character Violence
BaM! SmAcK! POW! Violence! We love it! And in many genres it’s 100% necessary! Most of us include some type of violence in our novels. In literature, violence can be: thematic: Think Fight Club or The Old Testament or Heart of Darkness or The Things They...
Review excerpt from SHADE TREE BOOK REVIEWS: recommend Merkabah as a must read, especially for the para-normal, ancient history, thriller seeker, audience, and anyone who wants a novel that seems to turn the pages for you as you dive between the covers and into the thick of the story with Daphne and S.J.
Review excerpt from SHADE TREE BOOK REVIEWS: As with any great first novel in a series, it left me panting and begging for more. The second novel in the series, The Merkabah Deception utilized The Recruit as a diving platform to send me deep into the muck and mire of the ancient gods and demons ongoing battle of the spiritual world.
Review excerpt from SHADE TREE BOOK REVIEWS: The story between Daphne, the introverted doctoral candidate/college professor, and S. J., the demi-god/Nephilim heats to a boil as the “Watchers” seem to become more involved in the love affair between a human and a Watcher. This is only the sideline to the action-filled storyline as Daphne’s powers as a Merkabah continue to increase and she continues to fight the demons that are co-habiting earth with us mere earthlings.
