Awesome news! The audio version of Other Than is free if you follow this link.
I’m studying Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway, specifically her chapter on point of view and Tom Jenks’ quote hit me as something true, something I should strive to do.
Here it is–in hopes it speaks to you too. “The use of point of view is to bring the reader into immediate and continuous contact with the heart of the story and sustain him there. Point of view is the proscenium, the transparent window through which the reader views the story” (163).
Burroway, Janet, et al. Writing Fiction: a Guide to Narrative Craft. The University of Chicago Press, 2019.
Every Minute by C.J. Burright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When Adara’s brother dies, her world collapses. Barely living, she isolates herself. All she does is work. She struggles to be the awesome Elementary teacher she was before Joey died. Grief is rapidly killing her. Then Garrett, a very handsome, very charismatic, and all-grown-up violin protégé returns to his hometown. He’s rich and successful—at the top of his game, but he’s lonely and looking for purpose. To spread his love of music, he volunteers to run a music enrichment course at the local school where Adara teaches, and, of course, he gets paired with her. He sees the vital, incredible woman inside her grief-stricken shell, and he’s determined to set her free.
He invites her to live again, asking her out, engaging her in conversation, and even trying to keep pace with her when she jogs around the neighborhood. She won’t have it. They may have to team teach music together, but that’s it. She doesn’t want to live—let alone get involved with anyone, yet his gentle kindness intrigues her. Sparks and witty banter fly… and, if you’re like me, you won’t be able to stop turning pages to find out what will happen next.
Garrett and Adara are interesting likable characters I couldn’t help rooting for. I wanted to see Adara’s healing and just like Adara, I fell for Garrett.
I highly recommend this story for readers that enjoy fun and heartfelt contemporary romances.
Hey Readers, This book is awesome. I’m betting you’ll love it as much as I do, and, right now, it’s only 99 cents! Here’s its back cover blurb.
Doesn’t the blurb sound exciting? Here’s an excerpt to check out the author’s voice.
EXCERPT:
“I have an even better idea.” Ian lowered his voice into a honeyed drawl and his attention again dropped to her lips and stayed there. “We could forgo all bets and mistletoe. No one else is around. You can kiss me now for thirty seconds, a minute, but if you want it to go on longer, we’ll have to retire to your office and shut the door.” His mouth curled into a half-smile. “I promise I won’t tell.”
Gia gasped and lifted a hand to her throat, only half-pretending. “Are you propositioning me, Mr. O’Connor? I’m shocked, not to mention appalled, that you’d go to such sordid lengths to win a bet.”
He eased closer and his heated gaze drifted over her face and along her neck, as if he couldn’t decide where he wanted to start nibbling first. “You have no idea what lengths I’ll go to for you, Ms. Hellman.”
Her breath caught and it had nothing to do with pretending. Her blood raced faster, suddenly too hot, and a tingling invaded her lips, as if he’d already kissed her, hard and hungry, and left her wanting more. Holy crap, the man was a menace. And she couldn’t stop looking at his mouth, couldn’t stop wondering if he could truly deliver on all the decadent, delicious promises in his darkened eyes.
Probably. But she wasn’t willing to lose the bet to find out.
Subtly, as if drawn against her will, she leaned nearer, keeping her attention on his mouth. Even with her four-inch heels, she had to lift her chin to bring her lips closer to his. Gia made her voice soft and sultry. “Mistletoe or not, I won’t be kissing you. Not today, tomorrow or any time on Saturday.” She patted his cheek. “Get used to losing.”
He captured her wrist before she could withdraw her hand, keeping her gently captive. His eyes were blue fire. “I never lose.”
C.J Burright is a native Oregonian and refuses to leave. A member of Romance Writers of America and the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal special interest chapter, while she has worked for years in a law office, she chooses to avoid writing legal thrillers (for now) and instead invades the world of paranormal romance, fantasy, and contemporary romance. C.J. also has her 4th Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and believes a story isn’t complete without at least one fight scene. Her meager spare time is spent working out, refueling with mochas, gardening, gorging on Assassin’s Creed, and rooting on the Seattle Mariners…always with music. She shares life with her husband, daughter, and a devoted cat herd.
You can find C.J. at her website or at Totally Bound Publishing. To stay connected, follow her on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Bookbub, subscribe to her newsletter here and follow her blog here.
Hey, I’m busy with classes and homework, but I want to share another writing tip. Somebody once said that the key to selling a lie is in the details. The same is true in story. It’s the details that will capture your reader will convince her to empathize with the characters and buy into the scene you’ve described. Okay, so you include details, but what kind of details?
William Strunk Jr., author of The Elements of Style, gives us this advice, “the surest way to arouse and hold the reader’s attention is by being specific, definite and concrete. The greatest writers… are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report details that matter” (30-31).
But how do you know if a detail is specific and concrete? In Writing Fiction, Janet Burroway tells us details that are specific are things we can touch, feel, smell, see or hear. In other words, make sure that the details included in your scenes appeal to the senses (23).
Words Cited
Burroway, Janet, and Elizabeth Stuckey-French. Writing Fiction. Pearson/Longman, 2007.
Strunk, William. The Elements of Style. With Revisions, an Introduction., and a New Chapter on Writing by E.B. White. Macmillan, 1969.
Janet Burroway’s Writing Fiction lists many great tips on writing dialogue. I’m sharing some of them on the Wisconsin Romance Writer’s blog at this link.
Opal Yong-ae, a graduate-mage whose spells backfire more often than work, owes the wrong people. She has to find money fast, so she becomes a cleaner, a person who bids on and then empties out foreclosed apartments. The job’s like Storage Wars with magic in the mix. In the past, Opal’s landed lucrative digs; however, in recent months her luck has changed. It’s like she’s cursed. Her most recent bid lands her a sub-basement apartment along with its last tenant—a dead wizard. The mysterious spell-working he’s left behind is different, and possibly priceless. Trouble is the esoteric magic caused his death and will likely take Opal’s life as well. Not that it will explode or anything, but a bunch of bad corporations-slash-villains want it. She should turn it over to city authorities, but she needs the money, so Opal teams up with a spunky AI, and Nickola Kos, a rival cleaner working off his own troubled past. Together, they dodge bullets, cyber-enhanced mercenaries, crackpot wizards, and over-controlling dragons in the Detroit Free Zone, which readers can think of a cyberpunk Wild West with magic, spirits and fantastic creatures.
I loved how complex the characters were, and the crazy twists the plot took, but my favorite part of this story was the world building. I bought this book on through an Audible sale and it was so good, I paid full price for the sequel.
If you like urban fantasy, I’m betting you’ll like this book as much as I did.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so instead of telling you how fun it was to talk writing with friends, I’llb just share a few photos.
I’m pleased to say Other Than will be part of the Red Carpet Fiction’s August Event. You can take part by following this link–www.redcarpetfiction.com)
Currently, I’m attending university in pursuit of M.A. in English, but even before I started the program, I’ve studied writing craft book in hopes of becoming a better writer. And because Facebook is a place where people post events, opinions and things that interest them, I thought I’d share writing tips I come across in my studies in hopes you’ll find them helpful.
Most readers want a story that moves, that has action, so one of the keys to crafting effective dialogue is to make sure it isn’t stagnant, that it has the possibility of affecting the characters and the plot.
“Dialogue is action when it contains the possibility of change…
If in doubt, ask yourself: Can this conversation between characters really change anything? There needs to be an opportunity for change” (Burroway 47).
Works Cited
Burroway, Janet, et al. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft. University of Chicago Press, 2019.
Other Than at Amazon.com
