Sunday, March 8, 2009

Writing Tip Tuesday

No, you're not going crazy. It is not Tuesday. But this got published today by mistake, so, oh well...heh!

The best writing tip in the world?

READ.

So....I offer this post as a testament to that.

I'm not a book reviewer and I don't play one on TV....so I wouldn't attempt to review this book.

But I AM gonna say how much I loved The Floating Circus by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer.

First of all - the subject is fascinating: historical fiction about a circus on a boat, based on a real boat, called Floating Palace. Who knew?

But it's the writing that grabbed me with this one.

I mean, how can you not love a book that starts out:

I shoulda listened to my brother. Right follows Zach like a shadow, but wrong wears me like a skin.

I definitely had to lock the highlighters away while reading this library book, because my fingers were just itching to mark all the lovely sentences and phrases. (I suffer from OHD: Obsessive Highlighting Disorder.)

  • It smelled like dirty boys. And dirty boys are mean boys....
  • My family was a pile of rags now - shredded and torn.
  • Still, the corner felt safe and good, like vegetable soup on a rainy day.
  • Anger and fear took turns with me all night, so sleep did not find me until the pale lavender light wedged its way through the open door.
  • I couldn't picture myself in their top-buttoned world anymore. [I love that: top-buttoned world.]

Lovely writing.

5 comments:

Sarah Miller said...

Love that book.

Anonymous said...

I love this book, too!

a brilliant blog said...

those are lovely sentences and phrases.
I am going to Barnes and Noble tomorrow to pick up one of your books.
I promise to turn the others cover out!
great blog.

karmacoy said...

Hi Barbara,

So I'm curious. Do you actually highlight within your own copies of books? I have always had the urge to do this but was taught when I was young that it is not acceptable to "mark up" a perfectly good book. I am an adult now (most days anyways) and I still can't bring myself to break this "rule"... But I want to oh so badly. I am often copying down favourite phrases, and often just not getting around to it and I see how easily this could be overcome if I simply highlighted my favourite text!! Of course many of the books I read are borrowed so this wouldn't work in that situation but....still. I think I'm about to give myself permission to grow up and exercise my Right to Highlight! Thanks

Barbara O'Connor said...

Yes, I DO highlight in my books. I LOVE doing that. I'm such a rebel, huh? Ha!

I think you should give your permission to be a rule breaker and highlight to your heart's content.