Writing Lessons from Shakespeare: Insults

Hi folks. I'm continuing my series of writing lessons from Shakespeare. He was the master of the put down. I think you would agree his ability  to cast the insults is unparalleled. The Bard's work continues to breathe and live because of the richness and density of language. We live in an age where cursing is ubiquitous. Originality in the insult is at an all time low. I think taking a few minutes and really absorbing the Bard's insulting craft will help you with your craft. Do you best when casting out your put downs.

Here's an insult I like from All's Well that Ends Well: "A most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality." Coward, liar, promise breaker, and low born. How do these ideas transfer into our society today?  Who is the coward of today? The liar? The promise breaker? Who is low born? Also note that you have to pile on the insults for effect and you have to modify the insult with adjectives. Simple but, oh, so powerful.

I think peeking at Shakespeare's insults may help you sharpen your insulting skills. Here is a link to the Shakespearean Insulter for fun. This will toss an insult at you randomly.  Here is a Shakespeare insulter kit, basically three lists to build your own insults. Enjoy. I will be back next week!

Here is a doodle.  Sunflower.

Here is a quote for your pocket:

You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian! I’ll tickle your catastrophe!

Shakespeare

PLUMB CRAZY will be out as paperback soon. I ask you to support my work -- buy a copy, share the news, request the book at your library, ask me to blog for you. I'm open. Thank you.

Watch here! I will have a giveaway beginning on July 28th. The entry period will be until August 28th.  Fun times ahead.

To buy the ebook: Here for a copy from Amazon US. Here is Amazon UK. Here is Amazon Australia.Here is Amazon Canada. Try here for a copy for your B&N Nook .

Also consider participating in my upcoming book tour. Here is the link.

Writing Lessons from Shakespeare: Players

It's going to a 100 F today. I want to go to the pool. This month I wandering with the Bard. Why? I've been trekking off and on to Shakespeare at Winedale for over 30 years and thought I might do some wandering here, over my back fence.

The Bard taught me one of the big writing lessons: all characters must count. This lesson leaps off the pages of his plays. I'm going to chat about that today.

Shakespeare knew how to cast a play: Foolish suitors, faithful servants, long-lost relatives, evil noblemen, wicked kings, betrayed best friends, quarreling pals, drunk dignitaries, saucy spinsters, war weary soldiers, fresh young things, demanding queens, trying tricksters, etc. He mixed dynamic characters, stereotypes, and foils to create a potent mix. I love to write stories with complex casts and using every member to great effect. I love that Shakespeare will give a great line to any one of his characters.

And now for some play. Shh, the Bard and I are backstage and he's sharing his secrets. Here is a little of that conversation.

The Bard whispers in my ear, "Every character counts. Use that."

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts

I whisper back, "OK."

He whispers in my ear, "Everyone does stupid things. Leverage that."

Lord, what fools these mortals be!

I whisper back, "OK."

He whispers in my ear. "Rattle your characters until they roll."

He would drown the stage with tears,
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech,
Make mad the guilty, and appall the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed
The very faculties of eyes and ears.

I whisper back, "OK."

You might consider going backstage with the Bard and seeing what he tells you. I will be back next week with another lesson from Shakespeare. 

Oh, yeah, the doodle! "Backyard Tree."

A quote for your pocket too! 

Soule of the Age!
The applause! delight! The wonder of our stage!
Ben Jonson

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Now PLUMB CRAZY news: I have a guest blog at the Dragon Blog about my fan fiction roots. Check it out.

PLUMB CRAZY will be out as paperback soon. I ask you to support my work -- buy a copy, share the news, request the book at your library, ask me to blog for you. I'm open. Thank you.

To buy the ebook: Here for a copy from Amazon US. Here is Amazon UK. Here is Amazon Australia. Here is Amazon Canada. Try here for a copy for your B&N Nook .

Also consider participating in my upcoming book tour. Here is the link.



Posted by MollyMom103 at 4:38 PM

Writing Lessons from Shakespeare: Spirit Plot Guide

We have reached the hot days of summer in Texas. I've been trekking off and on to Shakespeare at Winedale for over 30 years. You might be surprised to find that every time I write a book I think about the Bard's plays long and hard. I lean toward his comedies. I think about the plots. I read passages. I watch and read the plays. It helps me find my novel. It's a thing for me.

Currently I'm thinking about the next book I'm going to write. Long before I write a book, I spend time thinking about it. Often times a Shakespearean play pokes at me, and that is true right now. The play that is in my head is Much Ado About Nothing. I'm turning its plot over and over.  This play is serving as the spirit plot guide for my new book.

These are the kinds of thoughts I have as my spirit plot guide leads me: I love the the Benedick/Beatrice relationship. I love the idea of two characters in a "merry war", who become lovers. I love they both have strong opinions about serious relationships. I like that they are both damaged. I love that their friends conspire to bring them together. Nice. I like that Benedick is asked to defend Beatrice's cousin Hero's honor. This act reveals depth to his love. I turn the plot points of the play and I ask myself, can I use any of this. Of course, I can and will.

The spirit plot guide causes me to question the path  too.  The whole mistaking Hero for a skank whore is good, but the when she falls over pretend dead, it's just, you know, fake. I also don't like that it's Beatrice's best friend and cousin who is called a skank whore. It seems like it would be better if Beatrice would be called a skank whore falsely. That's just my feeling about it. I think that it would be cool if Benedick were Beatrice's most staunch supporter through a direct attack on her honor. I let keep letting the ideas roll around in my head.

Once I have a slew of plot points, ideas, etc. I start the translation process and will eventually write a random lists of ideas. I'll sift through these and pick the best ones. I will build a plot for my new book from there. So here I am all wrapped up in a play from 1623 -- a well-worn path is influencing a new one. I hope that you seek spirit plot guides for your work. I believe your work will thank me.

More lessons from Shakespeare next week.

Here is the doodle for the week: Birds.

A quote for your pocket:  

....for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion.William Shakespeare. 

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Now PLUMB CRAZY news: I have an interview on KBTX Brazos Valley Magazine that you may wish to check out. I chat with host Sharon Colson about digital pubbing and Plumb Crazy. July 5 (6PM) & 6(5PM). http://ow.ly/yfk8c.

There is also the ebook giveaway that is still running for a couple of more days: Go here. 

The ebook version of PLUMB CRAZY from Swoon Romance but will be out as paperback soon. I ask you to consider supporting my work -- buy a copy, share the news, request the book at your library, ask me to blog for you. I'm open. Thank you.

 To buy a copy: Here for a copy from Amazon US. Here is Amazon UK. Here is Amazon Australia. Here is Amazon Canada. Try here for a copy for your B&N Nook .

Also consider participating in my upcoming book tour. Here is the link.