Are you sure you're passive?

First of all, I'm not a fan of reading novels full of passive sentences. However, a passives sentence thrown in once in a while doesn't bother me. Sometimes, though, what we think of as passive sentences are actually active.

Take this example:

One day, a boy was walking to the store and a ball hit him in the face. He bent down and picked up the ball. Before he could reach it, the ball was taken away by Steven.

Now, before we dissect this paragraph we need to understand what is a subject and what is an object and what is a verb. And what makes a sentence passive. Notice the boxes below:

Do you notice what all the passive sentences have in common?

1) All sentences will have a form of the verb - to be: is, was, has been, will be, can be, is being, was being, had been, will have been, would be, would have been.

2) You could have the word BY in the sentence. I say 'could' because this sentence: "A letter was written." does not have the word by but it is passive. When you read the sentence, in your head you could add the word 'by' when continuing.

3) Object comes before the subject.

Now, lets dissect those sentences.

Object Subject TO BE verb BY

(Active) 1) One day, a boy was walking to the store (Most people would think this is a passive sentence but it isn't. Though it has a TO BE verb, the subject still comes before the object and there is no BY required.)

(Active) 2) and a ball hit him in the face.

(Active) 3) He bent down and picked up the ball.

(Active) 4) Before he could reach it,

(Passive) 5) the ball was taken away by Steven. (This is a passive sentence. The object comes before the subject, the TO BE verb is there and so is the word BY.)

Source: here

Author Spotlight: Agatha Christie

I've decided to feature a writer or author each week. I won't limit it to famous or dead writers but even alive newcomers. I may even throw in a few unpublished but hardworking writers out there.

My first choice is easy. She's one of my favorite writers of all time and her name is...

(Agatha Christie)

Not everyone liked her. American novelist Raymond Chandler and American literary critic Edmund Wilson are included in the mix. However, I believe that Agatha Christie was truly the Queen of Crime. No one, in my opinion, can call themselves a true mystery lover without having read at least one of her books and she wrote over 80 plays and novels.

Born: Dame Agatha Christie was born September 15, 1890 in Torquay, Devon, England.
Died: She died on January 12, 1976 (the year I was born).

Start of her writing career: A.C. published her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, at the age of thirty in 1920.

A real mystery: In late 1926, Agatha's husband Archie revealed that he was in love with another woman, Nancy Neele, and wanted a divorce. On 8 December 1926, the couple quarrelled, and Archie Christie left their house. That same evening Agatha disappeared from her home, leaving behind a letter for her secretary saying that she was going to Yorkshire. Her disappearance caused an outcry from the public, many of whom were admirers of Agatha Christie's novels. Despite a massive manhunt, there were no results until eleven days later.
Eleven days after her disappearance, Christie was identified as a guest at the Swan Hydropathic Hotel in Harrogate, Yorkshire where she was registered as 'Mrs Teresa Neele' from Cape Town. Christie gave no account of her disappearance. Although two doctors had diagnosed her as suffering from amnesia, opinion remains divided as to the reasons for her disappearance. One suggestion is that she had suffered a nervous breakdown brought about by a natural propensity for depression, exacerbated by her mother's death earlier that year, and the discovery of her husband's infidelity. Public reaction at the time was largely negative with many believing it was all just a publicity stunt, whilst others speculated she was trying to make the police think her husband killed her as revenge for his affair.

Where did she get her ideas? In 1930, Christie married archaeologist Max Mallowan after joining him in an archaeological dig. Christie's travels with Mallowan contributed background to several of her novels set in the Middle East.

During the Second World War, Christie worked in the pharmacy at University College Hospital of University College, London, where she acquired a knowledge of poisons that she put to good use in her post-war crime novels.

Did you know? So accurate was her description of thallium poisoning that on at least one occasion it helped solve a case that was baffling doctors.

She became knighted: In the 1971 New Year Honours she was promoted Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire,three years after her husband had been knighted for his archeological work in 1968. They were one of the few married couples where both partners were honoured in their own right.

Did you know? Her stage play The Mousetrap holds the record for the longest initial run in the world: it opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in London on 25 November 1952 and as of 2010 is still running after more than 23,000 performances.

Sources: Wikipedia
Official Website: http://www.agathachristie.com

Showing Vs. Telling - The psychology behind it

Occasionally, I will edit manuscripts for people and currently, I'm halfway through one. This morning, the writer, after correcting some suggested changes, wanted to know what I thought of the characters. I guess I had said the book wasn't drawing me in like it should - I didn't relate to the characters. The next question was, of course - why?

I sat pondering the question for a while because I didn't have the answer. And then it hit me. I believe it was the way he told the story. He did more telling and less showing and that ruined it for me.

You may be asking, why does that make a difference? Well, consider how we communicate, we often decide whether we like or trust someone by tone of voice and body language. In fact, up to 80% of our communication is done this way. That's why were often lost as to the emotional meaning behind text messages, email and IM. Don't write your book as if your emailing.

If the writer only tells the reader how the character feels, the reader may not trust what the narrator or character's say until they see the words backed up by actions. (Sadly even internal dialog can be lies the character tells him or herself.) If a writer constantly tells the reader things rather than shows it, it pushes the reader away. It's almost like the writer knows an 'inside' joke and hasn't let the reader in on it.

I believe the writer will make a deeper impression by showing a character loving someone (perhaps rescuing them from a burning building or something less heroic) rather than just uttering the words.

Show how a character is lost without someone rather than have the writer say it. A writer should not forget the other part of communication.

One Last Breath by Stephen Booth

Genre: Psychological Suspense Mystery
How I read it: Kindle for PC

What attracted me to the book: This series of books has been on my list for awhile. I first came across the series in a book store in Saskatoon, SK, Canada and have been wishing for the books ever since. I finally bought my first book on Kindle. Finally.

Who should read this book: If you're into books by Val McDermid or Ian Rankin, you may like this book

Summary (from amazon): British author Booth's fifth crime novel (after Blind to the Bones) is as dark and winding as the labyrinth of caves below its Derbyshire setting. In 1990, Det. Constable Ben Cooper's father arrests Mansell Quinn for the brutal murder of his lover. Thirteen years later, Quinn disappears upon his release from prison, his ex-wife is immediately slain, and another murder soon follows. Convinced they're facing a revenge spree, the police mount a manhunt, probing physical clues and the messy web of relationships that Quinn has not quite left behind. The deeper Cooper and his colleagues probe, the more convinced Cooper becomes that Quinn was innocent of the original crime, a belief that deepens his sense that as the son of the arresting officer, he's personally at risk. Though the pace and focus falter slightly toward the end, this is intelligent, suspenseful reading that should continue to build Booth's U.S. audience. A master of psychological suspense, Booth hauntingly evokes the ambiguities of place and the enduring complexity of human relationships.

My thoughts: This book scared me at times because of the many scenes in the cave. I'm terribly claustrophobic. Even now, just the thought of some of the scenes sends shivers down my spine. In the book, there is a very haunting story told - it's not true (or so I hope...) but, it will stay with me for months.

Now, about the main characters: Detective Constable Ben Cooper and Detective Sergeant Diane Fry. Though, I related more to Cooper than Fry, I wanted to love Fry. I wanted Cooper and Fry to fall in love, I wanted them to express that love but I closed the book not quite understanding Diane. That could be an annoying point for some but I think it has to be that way or the series might not go on.

The plot, I think, was the weakest point. I think the writer tried to focus on two cases in the book and both didn't seem to resolve well enough for me. We think we know what happened but you're left with doubts. The first chapter opened in such a thrilling manor, I guess I was expecting that momentum to last to the last page. Not saying that the story didn't have great moment - it did - but I wanted more from the end.

Visit the author's blog: here

Poetry Pursuit: How to write a Haiku

I'm a novel writer and occasionally, when prompted, I'll write a short story. However, when people ask me about poetry, I draw a blank. So, what do I do when I doesn't know how to do something? It's called Google.

Here's what I've learned about the Haiku:

1) Decide what you want to write about. Normally the Haiku poems are based on nature. Keep it simple.

• Winter usually makes us think of burden, cold, sadness, hunger, tranquility or peace. Ideas about winter can be invited with words like "snow," "ice," "dead tree," "leafless," etc.
• Summer brings about feelings of warmth, vibrancy, love, anger, and many others. General summer phrases include references to the sky, beaches, heat, and romance.
• Autumn brings to mind a very wide range of ideas: decay, belief in the supernatural, jealousy, saying goodbye, loss, regret, and mystery to name a few. Falling leaves, shadows, and autumn colors are common implementations.
• Spring, like summer, can make one think of love, but it is usually more a sense of infatuation. Also common are themes like innocence, youth, passion, and fickleness. Blossoms, new plants, or warm rains can imply spring.

2) Break your haiku into three lines, the first with five syllables, the second line with seven syllables and the third line with five syllables.

3) There should be a cutting word. This cuts the poem into two parts. (See examples)

4) Use primarily objective sensory description. Haiku are based on the five senses. They are about things you can experience, not your interpretation or analysis of those things. To do this effectively, it is good to rely on sensory description, and to use mostly objective rather than subjective words.

So, here goes. This is my first attempt at a Haiku.

light cuts through darkness

crack and rumble soon to come

neighbor's car alarm

Sources: Wikihow and eHow and Some Examples
Have fun. What are some Haiku poems you've written?

Grammar Guide: Who Versus Whom

Before you can understand WHO and WHOM, you need to understand what is an OBJECT and what is a SUBJECT of a sentence. The subject of the sentence is the person doing something, and the object of the sentence is having something done to them. (See the pictures below, you can click it to enlarge.)

Now that we understand the object and the subject, we need to know the difference between WHO and WHOM. Refer to the chart below.

Source: Grammar Girl

Grammar Guide: Lie Versus Lay

One of the grammatical problems I have is knowing when to use 'lay' or 'lie'. I don't think I'm the only one. So, I've done research (hence the table above) and the best advice is: memorize the six words in the table. Or, when writing, refer to the table. Write the words at the top of the page if you have to.

Now, which is which, you need to know the difference between the two words. The difference is the direct object. Lay requires you have a direct object (book, paper, keys, rock) and lie does not. Remember, there is LIE in recLInE.

In present tense: You lie down on the sofa, and you lay down a book. It's easy: you lay something down, people lie down by themselves.

However in past tense, things go crazy. Here's how to conjugate these two verbs:

The past tense of lie is lay, so

Last week, Steve lay down on the floor.
The cat lay in the mud after it rained yesterday.

The past tense of lay is laid, so

Last week, I laid the TPS report on your desk.
Mary forcefully laid her ring on the table.

The past participle of lie is lain, so

Steve has lain on the floor for days.
The cat has lain in the mud for hours.

The past participle of lay is laid, so

I have laid the TPS report on your desk.
Mary has forcefully laid her ring on the table.

Writing: Back-story

One common way to tell the difference between a new and an experienced writer is their use of back-story.

We're told to know our characters, so, for many new writers, that means we must let everyone else know what the voices told us about them... all of it in chapter one.

Well... okay, that's one way to do it.

That's like going to a party and being introduced to someone who then tells you their whole life's story. All you wanted to know was their name... and if they're cute, perhaps their phone number.

Sam chased the killer into the basement. The lights didn't turn on when he flicked the switch. He stood at the top of the stairs and waited for his eyes to adjust and cursed his bad eyesight. His father had bad eyesight, in fact, so did his grandfather. In the war, his grandfather survived because, when it was time to storm the beach, he couldn't find his glasses. A sad day for his family, history one never lived down.

This is an extreme and short example but hopefully the point comes across. The reader, all excited the main character is chasing the killer, is stopped dead in his tracts to read background information that has nothing to do with the story.

How can we add NEEDED backstory without irritating the reader? Imagine your backstory is medicine in an eyedropper, it only comes out in small doses and you only take what's needed.

Or, imagine it's like an onion, peel back a layer one at a time.

Book Review: Howards End by EM Forster

Summary: "Only Connect," Forster's key aphorism, informs this novel about an English country house, Howards End, and its influence on the lives of the wealthy and materialistic Wilcoxes; the cultured, idealistic Schlegel sisters; and the poor bank clerk Leonard Bast. Bringing together people from different classes and nations by way of sympathetic insight and understanding, Howards End eloquently addresses the question "Who shall inherit England?"

You may be saying to yourself: sounds more like a commentary than a novel. Well, I have to say, it reads more like one too. It was one of the most difficult books to get through... I considered scrapping the read many times.

I think the problem lies in that it's told (sometimes subtly, sometimes not), not from any character's POV but from the author's. And boy, did he have a message to get across.

Now, I'm not saying his message isn't important, but why not do what Mary Wollstonecraft did in her novel: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. She had a message but it was clear in the novel that it's purpose was to use the story as a case in point. I knew that up front when I started the book. (BTW, it's a good book. Also, it's short.)

I have to be fair... there were bits in the book I liked:

Margaret could not bear being bored. She grew inattentive, played with the photograph frame, dropped it, smashed Dolly's glass, apologized, was pardoned, cut her finger thereon, was pitied, and finally said she must be going -

I believe we shall come to care about people less and less, Helen. The more people one knows, the easier it becomes to replace them. It's one of the curses of London. I quite expect to end my life caring most for a place.

Now that is my honest take from this book. Perhaps you pick up this classic and grow to love it. Perhaps before I die, I may read it again with more knowledge. Perhaps I may someday write my own commentary novel. All I know is... I need another cup of coffee.

Book Review: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Genre: Literary Classic
How I read it: I own the book

What attracted me to the book: Have you looked at the cover? It's brilliant. I love the 1920s fashion.

Summary (from amazon): This brilliant novel explores the hidden springs of thought and action in one day of a woman's life. Direct and vivid in her account of the details of Clarissa Dalloway's preparations for a party she is to give that evening,Woolf ultimately managed to reveal much more; for it is the feeling behind these daily events that gives Mrs. Dalloway its texture and richness and makes it so memorable.

Why is it such a difficult read? It's the POV really. Woolf writes in a highly poetic, highly mobile third-person narrator, not merely "expressing" the character's thoughts but "mirroring" how the character perceives him or herself as seen by others. Often you will wonder who's talking or acting from one paragraph to the next. Also, she loves long sentences and even longer paragraphs.

My thoughts: This book is considered one of the most important and revolutionary artworks of the 20th century. And I agree. For that reason - and the fact I believe literary classics should be read no matter what their difficultly level is - you should read it.
In my opinion, this was Virginia Woolf's way of understanding the world. When I read that she committed suicide, I began to understand the novel more. In this book she took men and women from all walks of life - rich, poor, sad, apparently happy, those who did a great deal with their life and those who didn't - and examined one day of their life.
Is the nun who sacrificed marriage more happy than the woman who married for love? Is life worth living? I believe perhaps she was trying to find the answers herself.

Here's how you should read it:
a) plan to spend many months on this novel (you will not be able to read it in one sitting) Besides, this isn't a book that should be gobbled down with tea but digested with dentures.
b) read it alone without distractions and read it aloud. I think that's the most important ... like poetry, read this book aloud.

Why Listen to the Voices

One requirement of all fiction novel writers, I believe, is the voices in your head. Writers know what I'm talking about. In fact, I would go as far as to say, don't even start writing a novel until they begin talking to you.

You'll know when that happens: The urge to write becomes undeniable, you become distracted by real life because the imaginary worlds you've created in your head are just as lifelike.

Once the voices arrive, the ability to set aside writing as a career becomes difficult. You begin to realize that writing is not an option but a way to make the voices leave you alone. You take on the task of writing their stories. And you love it.
Picture Source: here

Let me introduce myself...

My name is Clarissa Draper and I am a writer. I work hard at this profession and believe it's a craft that constantly must be improved upon. It's not work that you can ever truly perfect - and that's the way I like it.

So, this blog will be about writing, reading (vital to improving your craft), books, poetry and about listening to the voices that prompt you to write. Please enjoy and I hope you comment lots.