NEW THREAD SATURDAY MORNING
I guess that's a way to start a new thread...? New day?
Whatever. I willl be here mostly on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings.
E5 is right about Piers Anthony. Terrible writing. I suppose he gets published because he fills a niche --has the right plot and content. I don't know who publishes him. I could look on Amazon.
But as far imitating your favorite writers, I will say again, you can certainly learn from them. Take note of what they do and how they do it.
For instance I learned a lot from Dickens as far as description goes.
He nevetrs describes anything but what it is in movement. It makes description lively.
If he describes someone entering an inn, for instance. There is an old woman and a cat in front of the fire, and a kettle on the fire.
The old woman is always mumbling, the cat is lashing its tail, the kettle is boiling over.
You are right about Dickens. Movement in the description. I never noticed it before.
I have been reading Tom Clancy lately. He's a guy who is in desperate need of an editor. If I am told that Pat Foley is a cowgirl one more time I am going to scream. Not just once in each novel (that I can see) but everytime she is introduced (practically).
I am now going to check out my manuscrip and see how much movement I can put in my descriptions without going overboard.
I read a lot of Dickens (and homeschool my sons with it) and I never noticed that before. Description by movement. It IS fascinating.