July 8, 2024
This is NOT another dry old textbook.
The difference is reading a telephone book and seeing a technicolour movie.
It is NOT simply another rant on all forms of bad writing, what not to do or criticism of other writers.
The Baker’s Dozen is a comprehensive and comprehensible encouragement to write and believe in yourself. It is easy to use as a reference manual because of the organization and title, subtitles and size. And, as in the meaning of a baker’s dozen, gives more than expected. Gratuitously. There are plenty of examples that demonstrate a variety of techniques, cautions and different ways of looking at old subjects.
Pat shows you how to draw on your own experiences and emotions to turn your uninspired characters into believable, alluring people. How to fix plot dead-ends, un-useful actions, farfetched scenarios, unnecessary words – in Pat’s words, when your book “flatlines” – with simple treatments rather than bailing on your novel completely.
The best, I believe, is the proof showing that one size does not fit all authors and all stories. There are many, many ways to evoke in the reader a desire to continue. Rules do have value. But they can and should be broken when the reason is valuable, progresses the story, causes intrigue or surprise. When telling is a good thing. “Use dialogue to show rather than tell.” How to look behind your own words for the subtle innuendos the reader will pick up on. “I speak two languages, Body and English,” Pat amusingly quotes Mae West. She ‘shows’ us how to take your reader where you want him to be and how you want him to feel about it.
Above all, this writer’s companion respects individual voices and abilities. Did you know you can create original words, a new meaning, a new twist, a new symbol? That’s how languages develop – the lowly writer. Not to worry. You will get clarification on when and when not to listen to new trends, condemnations of old practices, and the proper place for fear and courage. Pat will also teach you how and when to trust your readers to get your story, to get YOU.
And it is a fun read.