In a well-crafted novel, every character and every scene has to serve the master players: plot, theme or setting. Best if they serve more than one.
Ellipse. . . How I Loved. . . Thee. . .
You would think I would have learned after book four, when I mentioned with admiration a celebrity who turned out to be a double murderer, that pop culture references are usually not essential to my kind of storytelling.
It’s About Passion
The reason these two stories work so well together is that they are both about the pursuit of joy through passion.
You Have an Opinion and It Matters
When I suggest writing reviews, the statement I hear back is “But I don’t know how to do that!” Yes, you do. You bought the book. You read the book. You have an opinion and it matters.
Thinking for a Living – and Thankful
I can blow an entire year’s worth of interesting thoughts in one chapter of a book, which could literally be one day in a character’s life. That means I have to sponge up other people’s interesting thoughts. Fortunately, there are lots of other people. Some of them are even friends.