Barbara V Evers

Due to travel and some technical issues, An Eclectic Muse will post again on Tuesday, May 2.

Over the last two weeks, I've run a contest on this blog. In the first week , I presented a simple method for adding dimension to your characters and asked readers to submit their rewrites based on the method. In the second wee k , I shared the entries and the readers voted for the one they felt applied the method the best. And the winner is: Option F: Original: She had frizzy, shoulder-length red hair. Rewrite: She had a fright of crinkly red hair that cascaded haphazardly past her face and stopped just short of her shoulders. Congratulations, Bob Strother! As the winner, Bob will receive: Writer's Editing and Critiquing Tips pdf (based on several of my blog posts) 25% discount on a manuscript edit or proofread or a free 50 page edit* An issue of moonShine review featuring my short story, "Just Me" Also, congratulations to Emily Blitstein, the runner up: Option E: Original: "She was alone in a rental car, single, and with one sui...

Last week, this blog offered a contest for the best character development achieved by adding a few extra details to a sentence or two about your character. The Challenge Taking a sentence from one of their works, the writers shared the original sentence, then rewrote the sentence with a few extra details in order to develop the character more. The Entries As you look at the entries below, ask yourself:  Which one does the best job of adding to the development of the character? Please vote by option letter for your favorite rewrite.  To be counted, your vote must be made in the Comments section of this post.  Feel free to share this post and encourage others to vote. Please only vote once. Option A Original: "The sleeves were rolled up to show off the patterned tattoo on my right arm."   Rewrite: "The sleeves were rolled up to show off the tattoo on my right arm, a pair of angel wings sprouting from a cross." Option B (Historical Nov...

Contest! This week's post comes with a giveaway.  Read the post to learn more about it. _______________________________________________ It's All In the Details "I wanted to know what kind of jeans she was wearing." I received this feedback during a workshop I participated in last October. Unlike me, the other participants had MFAs and considered themselves literary writers. I don't consider myself literary, but I do believe I can learn from all genres, so I attended the workshop. At first the question baffled me. Afterall, I'd said she pulled on and old pair of jeans and a T-shirt. To me, that fit the situation--cleaning out a house--and nothing else should matter. So I asked, "Why?" The answer I received made perfect sense Is she wearing Levi's or Lucky or maybe even Wrangler? Each one of these brands tells me something about the character. Lucky jeans imply a level of income and social or fashion status for my character.  W...