Did you know Sir Author Conan Doyle introduced Sherlock Holmes to the world in 1887? Nearly 130 years after the publication of A Study In Scarlet, authors like Neil Gaiman find ways to keep the spirit of Sherlock alive in his intriguing story A Study in Emerald. Not to mention the many screen portrayals of… Continue reading Why Sherlock Holmes lives on
One of my Hollins classes, taught by author Nancy Ruth Patterson, covered Newbery Award winning books. We had to critique each book based on the criteria the panels use to select the winners. The class taught me a great deal about the process of the selection and what it takes to create an award-winning book.… Continue reading Review of Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
I have learned the value of reading craft books to strengthen my writing. The following exercise is taken from the book Writing for the Senses by Olivia Aragon. Aragon guides the reader to understand how to use all of the senses in their writing. She provides 365 exercises for a year-long journey in sharpening those… Continue reading Exercise for Senses
Have you ever heard Luciano Pavarotti sing Nessun Dorma? It’s breath-taking. Click here for a YouTube link to listen before you go any further. We called my dad’s mother Mita. She was a short woman, but a force to be reckoned with. She is pictured here dancing on stage in Puerto Rico around 18 years… Continue reading Nessun Dorma
Hello and welcome to my author and blog site. I plan to post a new blog on Sundays for now, possibly picking up speed later as I gather more followers and material. My name is Donna Patterson. I have written stories since I was old enough to string a sentence together. Reading and writing are… Continue reading Introduction