I've just published my first novel- a middle grade culinary mystery. One of the elements that my writing partner and I drilled down on, was to ensure that we were "showing" and not "telling" in our sentences...to bring the reader into the experience. Your early book, "How Ruthie Ended the War", succeeds in that, in spades. Chapter Two was exhilarating to read and to also learn the many emotions of the characters. The mysterious visit by the soldier and his vivid tale make me want to read on. It's delightful. Thanks for brainstorming sharing this book.
They say, 'the devil is in the details' - and some of the details here are rather delicious. My favorite from this Chapter: "His first love was poetry and since I had often read verse during my travails on the turnip farm, we immediately found that we shared a common passion."
When I read this, I couldn't help thinking (and wondering) - if I had spent time and energy from my formative years in travails on a turnip farm... perhaps poetry would have become my only escape.
And this unlikely combination - poetry and turnip farming - is not what I was expecting from a young soldier-turned-involuntary-midshipman... Not at all.
Good roots - whether of vegetables, plants or characters - run deep. Perhaps it's no accident that turnips are related to another member of the brassica family, rutabagas - which Carl Sandburg spelled 'rootabaga'. Hmmmm....
This story shows a mastery of Victorian tone/style. Lines like: "God, sir, but we felt as if we were the chosen ones that day." feel right out of Dickens/Collins. The soldier's story is nice and tense too. It reminds me of accounts about Shackleton's expedition. The men described the boards of The Endurance snapping as "buckling and groaning, as if gasping for air."
Ahhh I often long for the petulant lowing of errant llamas...
I've just published my first novel- a middle grade culinary mystery. One of the elements that my writing partner and I drilled down on, was to ensure that we were "showing" and not "telling" in our sentences...to bring the reader into the experience. Your early book, "How Ruthie Ended the War", succeeds in that, in spades. Chapter Two was exhilarating to read and to also learn the many emotions of the characters. The mysterious visit by the soldier and his vivid tale make me want to read on. It's delightful. Thanks for brainstorming sharing this book.
They say, 'the devil is in the details' - and some of the details here are rather delicious. My favorite from this Chapter: "His first love was poetry and since I had often read verse during my travails on the turnip farm, we immediately found that we shared a common passion."
When I read this, I couldn't help thinking (and wondering) - if I had spent time and energy from my formative years in travails on a turnip farm... perhaps poetry would have become my only escape.
And this unlikely combination - poetry and turnip farming - is not what I was expecting from a young soldier-turned-involuntary-midshipman... Not at all.
Good roots - whether of vegetables, plants or characters - run deep. Perhaps it's no accident that turnips are related to another member of the brassica family, rutabagas - which Carl Sandburg spelled 'rootabaga'. Hmmmm....
This story shows a mastery of Victorian tone/style. Lines like: "God, sir, but we felt as if we were the chosen ones that day." feel right out of Dickens/Collins. The soldier's story is nice and tense too. It reminds me of accounts about Shackleton's expedition. The men described the boards of The Endurance snapping as "buckling and groaning, as if gasping for air."
Marvelous! Awaiting Chapter Three.
Hooked. 🥶⚓️😍
I loved the first chapter and couldn't wait until today for Chapter 2! I'm loving it!