Results of the First Deliberate Practice

A while back I posted a deliberate practice concerning descriptive writing.  It was inspired by Shannon Hale's great gift.

I'm afraid my own attempts fall short of her mark.  My first attempt to infuse the piece with rich description resulted in overload and confusion.  Fortunately, my critique group caught me on it.  My second attempt was far more successful, for I focused not on changing my style, but on what sensory details to reveal.  I used less common senses of touch and smell in my story, and though I'm no Shannon Hale, I am proud of the result.

You can see the results, a free short story entitled "Lady of Deep Waters," here:

• Wattpad Early Draft of "Lady of Deep Waters" 
• Blog Version of "Lady of Deep Waters"
• Smashwords Version of "Lady of Deep Waters"  
• (More links pending)

Deliberate Practice: Description

Shannon Hale showed exemplar description in the sample of The Goose Girl.  Perhaps she worked hard at it; perhaps description is one of her favorite parts.  No matter what it was, we can use it to inspire our own deliberate practice.

DIR: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (sample)

I love pictures.  They speak volumes, inspire so much, and make me feel so much.  They are more than a painting or snapshot; they are frozen moments of unique expression.  That is the way of great art.

That is the way of great description, too.  In Shannon Hale's The Goose Girl, I noticed such details on the first page of the sample:

DIR Coming Soon: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

For my first DIR post, I will use The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.  I just discovered this one on my Missouri Libraries 2 Go account (great!), but I doubt I can finish it in time before my eloan ends (not so great :-( ).  But that won't stop me from posting about some notable features. 

Until later this week!

Doing It Right Reviews (DIR): Call for Volunteers

A while back on some blog of mine, I tried out a sample review, pointing out what was done well in published speculative fiction (a "positive" critique).  I want to restart this in this blog, but I want to include indies/SPs this time. 

Would anyone be interested in volunteering?

Some caveats:

• I do not guarantee which samples I will work with, but if you provide an email address, I will email you if I have selected yours.  Another reason I cannot guarantee which samples is that I am doing this in the nooks and crannies of my spare time (weekends only).  Finally, it depends on what type of point I want to make in this blog.
• I also may not read the full sample.  Again, it depends on what distinguishing quality I am looking for and what I want to blog about.
• Finally, this blog is just starting, so while I cannot offer much traffic, I am hoping that such analyses will be beneficial to the volunteer and other writers.  But I will include a link to the book or author site.

So, if you are game, please email your fantasy, science fiction, or horror sample link to freelancer AT chiaroscurohouse DOT com. I can read on the Kindle and on the Nook, but if you have it, I really love samples that can be read in Word (they are easier to analyze).  Please also indicate your permission to write about your sample in my blog, including my ability to quote from your work.