writing – Page 27

This story is a humorous and satisfying read for both sexes. In my opinion, when you strip away the genre, there are three types of fiction: bad, good, and believable. Heather Hill has created here one of the most believable, funny and heart-warming tales I’ve read in a long time.

As a writer, I read a wide range of genre, and I am critical of various aspects of the writing. In this uplifting tale, the reader is treated to good imagery, natural dialogue, superb characterisation, sense of place, and a plot that will make many honest men and women do some soul-searching.

We get to know the main character Bernice through excellent first-person point of view narrative. She is attractive, but isn’t gorgeous, and she is witty, but doesn’t do a stand-up routine. She is a mother. She is honest to a fault and has hang-ups about her personality and body as she goes into her 40’s.

It’s natural to think of characters like ‘Shirley Valentine’ and ‘Bridget Jones’, but Bernice is a combination of those two – on a particularly good day.

I use email and telephone calls for added depth in my own work, so for me, the inclusion of Facebook entries was insightful, and they are hilarious. Although porn is the poison in the relationship, it is dealt with tastefully – no pun intended.

Bernice’s love for her husband knows no bounds – or does it? That is the question posed early on, but through great writing, it isn’t answered until the end.

For me, this tale ticked all the boxes, and I rate it five-star.

Yes, it says zodiac ‘types’, not zodiac ‘signs’.

Many astrology books are aimed at giving a little information on each of the signs, but I came across a pocket-sized book that is worth owning. My tiny volume is in the Collins gem series and is titled ‘Zodiac Types’. The strapline is ‘from your looks to your friends, all is revealed’.

Okay, so you don’t believe in astrology, but this isn’t about how accurate the information is – it’s about how comprehensive it is.

Whether you are a reader or a writer, all fictional characters should have a certain appeal, which invariably comes about by them being well ‘drawn’ as ’rounded’ characters. No, it doesn’t mean they are overweight, it means they are more than cardboard cut-outs.

A rounded character comes to life for reader or writer. For the reader it provides credibility in the character and the story. For the writer it provides credibility for their craft and gives their completed work a greater degree of acceptance. In short, if a writer cannot produce rounded characters, those characters, the plot and the writer will all lose credibility.

What does ‘Zodiac Types’ provide?

First of all it provides the date groups for the star signs, which is a simple, but nice little touch in certain stories. There are also passages on favourites things: colours, numbers, places, occupations, etc. Moving on, we have character traits, physical attributes, likes and dislikes.

We don’t expect to see every detail about a character in one large paragraph, but it’s good to read snippets as the story continues. In this way a few small details help to give the character more substance and become more real.

Personally, I write a bio for all main characters when I’m writing. Once beyond the physical appearance and age, it can get a bit tedious, but a book full of ideas for the other aspects of the human being is an absolute delight to use.

Whether you’re a reader or writer, or both, think about your favourite character and ask yourself what you liked or disliked about them. The chances are, it won’t be their appearance or age. I’ll leave you with that thought.