The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers by Elizabeth Benedict (50)
Hm. I mostly read this because of the fact that I am frequently worried about writing sex scenes, because I know my mom will read them. Also other people's moms. Like my step-daughter's friends' moms.
Well, the book didn't solve that, but it did have some good pointers, like avoid the stupid euphemisms. Like "himself" instead of "his penis" (or your word du jour). And "don't write a sex manual" (good advice I'd like to give a number of authors). Make sure the sex advances the plot or characterization. All good advice. Advice I wasn't completely in need of. "Himself." Teehee.
The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries: Bringing Jane Austen's Novel to Film by Emma Thompson (49)
Hilarious. The diaries, I mean. It was interesting to read a movie script, which I largely did because I am having creative visions of adapting one of the Bronte's lesser-known books to film at some point. Not that it's at all the same (Bronte v. Austen), but it was a beginning. The diaries were just the complete icing on the cake. I want to make movies with Ang Lee and Emma Thompson! Well, who doesn't...
Writing Short Stories: The Most Practical Guide by William H. Phillips (48)
Well, as guides go, yeah, it's helpful. The most practical guide? We'll see.
I had the idea of scene cards before I read this, but it did give me some pointers on how to use them. The "what if?" game is cleary outlined. There's a "short story" checklist, that covers such mundania as "Use a verb instead? have a feeling ----> think; had a tendancy ----> tended" through to such ephemera as "What does your story show in general about human behavior?"
I'm not rushing out to buy it, but I may keep my library copy a little while longer.
London's Perfect Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch (47)
I wasn't sure how I felt about this until the heroine locked the hero away in a dungeon. From that point on, I read it while cooking waffles, I was so intrigued. Hilarious. There was a good bit with the hesitancy/romancy kind of stuff I adore. I hold it up as a model, that one scene.
I broke my vow (as you can see) about not reading any more romances this year. Alas.