Julie Barrett is a freelance writer and photographer based in Plano, TX.

Banging head to desk...

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Saturday, September 26, 2009


I picked up a book on story structure today in hopes of getting a little help with a stalled plot. There's something in the structure that's brought this thing to a screeching halt, and perhaps I'm too close to the story to see it.

So far, I have been vastly disappointed. Neither the author or the editor caught the "peak/pique" homophone early on. Sorry, but a book on writing shouldn't commit such gaffes. Most of what I've read so far seems to be culled from web sites (though the author gets props for citing sources), and the research seems to be lacking. Just a small hint: Regency Romances involve the Regency period. They're not novels about royalty. Yeesh.

Perhaps when the author gets down to the nuts and bolts of plot structure and away from the ground laying material, these sins can be forgiven. But it's going to be difficult for me to get much further given the lack of attention to detail early on.

Sigh. I hate to judge an entire book on a few pages, so I'll press on.

What's the title? I'll mention it later. If it turns out to be a useful book after all, then I'll be doing the author a disservice by mentioning the title in a ranty post.

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