Eva Hunter

I Want You to Look At Sol

In Creative Writing, Literary genre, The Craft of Writing, Writing a Book on July 20, 2011 at 1:16 pm

I’m going to begin a new series in the next issue of PROFESSIONAL WRITING COACH, called “Writing the Perfect Sentence.” So you have some homework while you’re waiting. Find what you think is the perfect sentence. I’m not going to tell you what the elements that make up a perfect sentence are in this column. That’s what you’ll be finding out over the next several months in the new series. But here’s a hint: Often the best sentence in a piece–short or long, fiction or literary nonfiction–is the first sentence. See what you can find. Send your “perfect” sentence in through the comments section below. I’ll use them as examples.

But what’s this about Sol? Am I talking about Mexican beer, an acronym for “shit outta luck,” or–getting closer now–the Spanish word for “sun.” Sol: English Writing in Mexico is the on-line literary magazine published by Professional Writing Coach and a team of talented editors, in conjunction with the San Miguel de Allende Chapter of International PEN. We have a reading series every year, which begin this year with prolific author, Joseph Dispenza , reading from his new book (out in September in hard copy as well as Kindle) Old er Man/Younger Man: A Love Story. The proceeds from the readings, which will be twice monthly, go to scholarship funds for Mexican youth.

Our fourth issue of Sol has just been published. You can find it at   http://www.solliterarymagazine.com

And here’s an easy way to find your perfect first sentence. Choose it from either fiction or nonfiction in the current issue of the magazine!

Here’s an example from the beginning of Deborah  Ken Stein’s nonfiction piece, Saying Goodbye to Miss Spetgang.

The roof of our school was flat as a plank, and covered with a smooth, rubbery substance that gave a little bounce to my feet when I ran.

That’s a really good first sentence, and I’ll tell you why in the next issue. Meanwhile, start checking out the good writing in Sol: English Writing in Mexico and send me some sentences you think are perfect, by clicking on “Comment” below, and writing them in. Remember–not your first sentences, but something you’ve found already published. Identify the source, please.

Here’s how you get to Sol: English Writing in Mexico: www.solliterarymagazine.com

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“Professional Writing Coach” on Getting Published

In Becoming a Writer, Getting Published, Writing a Book on April 16, 2010 at 5:08 pm

Ready, Set, Go!

Making It as a Writer.

What does it take to break in to professional writing? That’s the big question isn’t it? When I ask participants in my writing classes and seminars this question, these are their answers: (a) a good idea; (b) an agent; (c) a “contact” in a big publishing house; (d) perseverance. What would your answer be?

Here’s my answer, and it’s the most important  answer as far as I’m concerned: absolutely perfected, professional writing skills. Writing skills. Let me say that again: Writing skills.

 

That’s what this blog is mostly about. I’ll do other things with it–like give you a book recommendation or a reading list. I’ll even have entries from other people about the business, the craft, and the art of writing. But primarily you’ll be hearing from me about the craft of writing. Stick with me, and you’ll learn everything you need to know about becoming a writer. And by that I mean becoming a published writer.I’ll be writing a weekly column about the craft of writing, and if you miss any, you’ll find them in my “ Becoming A Writer” category. The first column starts now, in the left-hand column. And by the way, I’d pick “perseverance” as a second choice.

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Writing Exercise: Those bad, bad adjectives!

In Becoming a Writer, Creative Writing on July 20, 2011 at 12:49 pm

Huh? What’s wrong with adjectives? Aren’t they the way we tell the reader exactly what we’re trying to tell them? Aren’t adjectives part of “show, don’t tell?”  Well–maybe yes and maybe no. It depends on the quality of the adjective. Unfortunately, most of us tend to use what I call “wimpy adjectives.”  Here are some examples adapted from a recent writing workshop:

1. She drove down the street past  sparkling, elegant  houses.

2. We could not see behind the brightly-colored walls: they ran from one house to the next down the cobbled road.

3. Her house was  beautiful, cozy, comfortable, and welcoming.

So what’s wrong with those sentences, you ask? Is Professional Writing Coach getting entirely too fussy? The adjectives involved are: elegant, sparkling, beautiful, brightly-colored, cobbled, cozy, comfortable, welcoming. Of all of those, “cobbled” is the closest to being a good, descriptive adjective.

But what about the others? We know what “splendid” means, don’t we? We know what “sparklingl”  is. Or do we? Consider that what you might be thinking of when you write “splendid,” may not be the way your reader defines splendid. I may think a restored California Craftsman style house on a shady older neighborhood street is splendid. You may prefer a Mac Mansion in a newer suburban neighborhood. The same goes for “sparkling.” What does that mean? It was after dark, and the lights were on? It was in Arizona and the sun was bright?

In reality wimpy adjectives tell us nothing. They don’t contribute toward the accomplishment of every writer’s task: to take what is in the mind of the writer, transfer it, through the medium of the page, to the mind of the reader–as directly and accurately as possible.

Now look at the other adjectives in the list. Do they paint the picture we are trying to paint? Or do they leave it to the reader to fill in the colors–perhaps not the colors you had in mind, at all.

Consider this selection from Lawrence Durrell’s Justine, the first book in his Alexandria Quartet: Read more…

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WORKSHOPS IN THE AFTERNOON!

In The Craft of Writing, Writers Resouces, Writing Fiction on September 12, 2010 at 9:46 am

With a few exceptions, I’ve switched all my writing workshops to the afternoon–from noon to four p.m. They’re now three-week workshops, rather than four. Why this change? For a couple of reasons: first, three weeks gives my ongoing students  (and me!) a little more resting time between workshops, rather than shaving classes for three months straight. And it gives me the mornings to get my own writing done. Those of you who have been following PROFESSIONAL WRITING COACH know that we’re doing an on-line magazine, sponsoring readings in San Miguel de Allende, about to put the first year of the magazine Sol: English Writing in Mexico out in hard copy as well as Kindle–your writing coach is very busy.

The next available writing class is in January, 2012. Click on “Writing Workshops” on the banner at page-top.

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Call for Submissions–Sol: English Writing in Mexico

In Uncategorized on August 7, 2010 at 9:41 am

If you haven’t seen this sparkling new on-line literary magazine  (soon to go hard copy and kindle) with a July 2011 issue featuring a new fiction excerpt from Tony Cohan, poetry by Halvard Johnson, nonfiction by debut writer John Simonds, take a look now! http://solliterarymagazine.com Past issues have included C.M. Mayo, Christopher Cook, James Cervantes, Carolyn Roberts, and many, many additional  excellent and accomplished writers.

We’re soliciting your writing for the  fifth issue, to come out in November 2011: fiction, nonfiction, poetry. It’s not limited to writing in or about Mexico, so take a look at the magazine, then at the writers’ guidelines, available both in SOL, and at the top of the page here in PROFESSIONAL WRITING COACH.

WE’D LIKE TO SEE YOU IN SOL!

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Looking for a Writing Workshop?

In Getting Published, The Writer's Workshop, Writing a Book, Writing a Novel, Writing Classes, Writing Classes in Mexico, Writing Courses, Writing Workshops on August 7, 2010 at 9:24 am

In Writing Classes in Mexico, Writing Workshops on April 16, 2010 at 5:14 pm

Consider a three-week, or several day writing adventure in beautiful San Miguel de Allende, in Guanajuato, Mexico. Click on WRITING WORKSHOPS above for the PROFESSIONAL WRITING COACH’S schedule for fall 2011. The next available workshop starts in September-–but don’t worry: there  are workshops throughout the fall  and into the winter. THE PROFESSIONAL WRITING COACH’s students get published.

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