Category: writing

Book Review: The Night Following by Morag Joss

This one was an impulse buy; I hadn’t read a book in a while (smacked wrists), so I picked up The Night Following when it showed up in one of those marketing email shots. Definitely a case of expecting one thing and getting something else entirely.
I’m tempted to say that it’s one story told from three viewpoints, but it’s much more than that. It’s three separate stories that are loosely intertwined, so much so that the writing style changes as you move from character to character.

I don’t want to give too much away, but it starts with a road accident, a hit-and-run, and spirals outward from there, weaving the story in the past and the present.
It’s beautifully written, as close to literary fiction as you can get with a novel like this, though I did think that the characterisations perhaps lacked a bit of dimension. I wasn’t too sure about the ending, but endings are very subjective things.

Still, even if this isn’t your usual sort of thing, the book is an excellent study in writing style, especially if you’re looking to blend them in the same novel. I actually enjoyed, and I’ll pick up another Morag Joss in the future.

Marks? Mmmm . . . Eight out of ten.

An Unwanted Claryism

‘So, how’s the new book going?’ Richard asked over beer and a large Americano by the river.
‘Slowly.’ I said. ‘The story’s going great, but I’m getting a little bogged down in the erotic scenes.’
‘Really? What’s the problem?’
‘Nipples,’ I said. ‘They seem to become engorged like clockwork: every fifty pages or so. I think I’ll have to ban them.’
‘Nipples?’
‘Words; the one’s that seem to crop up all the time. No more engorging, gasping, sliding or sudden moistening.’
Richard said that was probably very wise. ‘So you’re going pretty far with this erotica stuff then.’
‘Oh, I’ve decided that as long as it works then I can go as far as I like. But no more engorged nipples.’
‘Good plan.’
It was an interesting question though: How far should one go? Where should you draw the line in pursuit of art?
‘I would never ghost write for Kerry Katona,’ I said. ‘That’s a line I will not cross.
‘Fair enough.’
‘What about you?’
‘Well, I’m an actor; I’ll do pretty much anything.’
‘Commercials?’
‘I have no problem doing ads, but there are some companies I wouldn’t want to be associated with.’
‘Nude scenes?’
‘Yup.’
‘And how about gay roles; there’s a lot of work for gay roles these days.’
‘I have no problem playing a gay man, none at all.’
‘Fair dos,’ I said. ‘And I reckon playing a homosexual will probably stretch you.’
Richard arched a sympathetic eyebrow, and I realised I’d run headlong into an unwanted Claryism.
‘Ah,’ I said.
‘Hm,’ he replied, then he salvaged the evening by asking for the bill.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a martyr to the unintended double-entendre. I don’t know what is it; maybe my brains wanders, no idea, but it’s one of the things I look out for when I’m reading through, and another good reason why someone else should be checking your work.