Pen, Spoon & Dagger

One sure way to improve your writing is to learn from the best. And while we may not be able to agree on who is best , there are plenty of lists of there if you're willing to bend to general consensus. Pick a list of Top 100 books, and see how many you've read.  I chose the BBC's list since it was the first one Google brought up.  Since I'm writing a traditional mystery, I find myself drawn to that genre more than any other type of fiction, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover how many of the 100 books I have actually read: forty-eight (*)! Conversely, I'm amazed by the number of classics I haven't read. And even more ashamed that I've never even heard of a couple. *1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen 2. The Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. Tolkien *3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte *4. Harry Potter series – J. K. Rowling (I’ve read all of them!) *5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee *6. The Bible (parts, at least) *7. Wuthering Heights *8. Ninet...

May 4 th marks Audrey Hepburn’s birthday.   Obviously Hepburn is famous for her work in films and with Unicef, but in my mind, she will eternally be associated with the LBD – the Little Black Dress. Hepburn wore iconic LBDs in both Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany's . The "little black dress" from Breakfast at Tiffany's , designed by Givenchy, was sold at a Christie's auction on 5 December 2006 for £467,200 (approximately $920,000 at that time). Every woman needs at least one LBD. Personally, I have one for each season.   It’s an absolute essential in any woman's wardrobe. But that's not really the point. As a writer, I look at an empty page in my WIP in much the same way as I contemplate my LBD: a blank slate to accessorize, up or down as necessary, for the occasion.   I might add dialog or a red herring to the page, just as I’d add a scarf or a string of pearls.   Then it’s time to stand back, examine the result and judge the effect. Does it work...