Writing by Rose Marie Dunphy

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Rose Marie Dunphy
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Rose Marie Dunphy

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  • View or purchase THAT FIRST BITE by Rose Marie Dunphy
  • Rental House in Weston Vermont

Blog Archive

  • ►  2018 (3)
    • ►  September (2)
    • ►  August (1)
  • ►  2017 (1)
    • ►  July (1)
  • ►  2016 (3)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (2)
  • ►  2015 (15)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  September (4)
    • ►  April (2)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (4)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2014 (20)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (3)
    • ►  June (3)
    • ►  May (4)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (2)
  • ▼  2013 (27)
    • ▼  November (7)
      • How to Write a Compelling Novel
      • Point #9 How to Write a Compelling Novel
      • Happy Birthday
      • Point #8 on How to Write a Compelling Novel.
      • Point #7 How to Write a Compelling Novel
      • Thank you to the Center for Italian Studies at Sto...
      • Point #6 on How to Write a Compelling Novel.
    • ►  October (3)
      • Valentino and Me
      • Point #5 How to Write a Compelling Novel
      • 5th National Day of Writing
    • ►  September (1)
      • HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING NOVEL continued...
    • ►  August (3)
      • HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING NOVEL continued...
      • HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING NOVEL continued...
      • HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING NOVEL
    • ►  July (4)
      • An excerpt from ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES was ...
      • Author Talk Montauk Library Sun. Aug. 4, 2013, 3:3...
      • ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES now on Barnes & Noble
    • ►  June (3)
      • ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES Book Talk Dates
      • Book Talk July 30, 2013 7:30 PM Side Street Books
      • ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES Now in major book st...
    • ►  May (1)
      • ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES in BookHampton, Cani...
    • ►  April (1)
      • MEET THE AUTHOR MAY 11th 2 P.M. Patchogue Library
    • ►  March (1)
      • I just got finished reading Defending Jacob.  Whil...
    • ►  February (3)
      • Join me for another book talk and signing at the P...
      • Check out my interview with ViviCastellaneta.  It...
      • ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES  is now on Kindle. ...
  • ►  2012 (3)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  September (1)
  • ►  2008 (6)
    • ►  July (6)

November 24, 2013

How to Write a Compelling Novel

How to Write a Compelling Novel
by Rose Marie Dunphy, author of ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES
1.       Write in Scenes.  This satisfies Writing’s Cardinal Rule, which is, “Show.  Don’t Tell.”  Think of each chapter as a play composed of scenes.  You are a spectator or eye witness of the scene.  Then record the action, which is what happens; the dialogue, which is what each person says; description, what the people look like; location, where the scenes take place.
2.       Like a journalist, you’re providing the 5 Ws, Who, What, Where When and How.
3.       Write about something you know, something you’re familiar with.  It comes across as more authentic.  There isn’t much you can say about what you don’t know.  You need to research what you don’t know and once you do that, you know it, so it’s still writing about what you know.
4.       Write about something you love or hate.  It has to be a strong emotion so your passion comes through.
5.       Let the conflict of the book show its face early in the first two pages.
6.       End each chapter with something that needs to be resolved.  Unfinished business.  The reader will want to turn the page and if he or she doesn’t have the time to continue reading, they’ll be itching to get to the book as soon as possible.
7.       Write your first draft of each scene furiously, from your heart.  Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, great character development of anything else.  Get you your story down.
8.       Create characters with flaws as well as redeeming qualities.   Make them human, not saints and devils.
9.       Use strong verbs to describe the action and limit adjectives and adverbs.  Your verbs should carry the story forward.
10.    Use all your senses or as many as you can to write a scene.  Think of the reader as a blind person next to you and you are taking them on a journey providing the world they can’t see.
11.    Bridge your scenes or connect them with prepositional phrases so that they flow, for example, “in the meantime, whereas, on the other hand, not so for John.”
12.    Try to have two or three parallel themes or stories going in your book. Orange Peels is about Marietta’s need to come to terms with her past but it’s also a love story between John and her.
13.    Revise many times.  Once you have all or a good deal of writing done, revise, revise, revise.
14.    Choose an apt title, preferably unusual, so that it will pique the reader’s curiosity and an interesting cover design.  It acts as the readers’ first impression, how they get introduced to your book.
15.    You need ass glue.  What this means is that you must sit in your chair and write even when you don’t feel like it or are stymied.  You have to stay there, keep at it until you break through and make some ground.
16.    Write every day, preferably at the same place and the same time of day.  The routine will help you stay glued to your chair.
17.    Read, read, read other authors.  Copy how they describe a character, a location, an action.  Write a scene using your favorite author’s style.  It will come out differently because you are not copying his or her words but their style.
18.    Read books about writing to learn and perfect the craft.  There are tons out there.  Some of the best are Stephen King’s book “On Writing”, Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing Down the Bones”, Ann LaMott, etc.
19.    Join a writing group and bring in your writing for critique and input regularly.  Others see what you don’t.  Remember, they’re like your readers and will pick out things you’re not even aware of or they will confirm your personal intuitions that something isn’t quite right in the development of the story.
20.    Believe in yourself.  If you don’t, no one else will.

21.    Promote your book every way you can.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 10:19 PM No comments:

November 17, 2013

Point #9 How to Write a Compelling Novel

1.       

2.       Use strong verbs to describe the action and limit adjectives and adverbs.  Your verbs should carry the story forward.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 3:20 PM No comments:

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Mary.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 3:17 PM No comments:

Point #8 on How to Write a Compelling Novel.

1.   Create characters with flaws as well as redeeming qualities.   Make them human, not saints and devils.


Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 3:15 PM No comments:

November 16, 2013

Point #7 How to Write a Compelling Novel

1.       Write your first draft of each scene furiously, from your heart.  Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, great character development or anything else.  Get you your story down.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 12:50 PM No comments:

November 15, 2013

Thank you to the Center for Italian Studies at Stony Brook University.

Thank you to the Center for Italian Studies at Stony Brook University. My presentation on Nov. 13th at Stony Brook University went exceedingly well. Dr. Mignone gave me a wonderful introduction, Josephine Fusco and Donna Severino were very welcoming and the audience was very receptive to the talk and to wanting to read my book. It was a pleasure to be there.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 10:40 PM No comments:

Point #6 on How to Write a Compelling Novel.

1.       End each chapter with something that needs to be resolved.  Unfinished business.  The reader will want to turn the page and if he or she doesn’t have the time to continue reading, they’ll be itching to get to the book as soon as possible.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 10:33 PM No comments:

October 28, 2013

Valentino and Me

Here I am at the Museo di Valentino in my hometown of Castellaneta with Daniela, the museum secretary, both of us holding my novel in Italian, CIOTTOLI e BUCCE D'ARANCIA. A large photo of Valentino is behind us. The museum has movies, pho...See More
 — with Museo Valentino in Castellaneta, Puglia, Italy.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 7:04 AM No comments:

October 25, 2013

Point #5 How to Write a Compelling Novel

Point #5 Let the conflict of the book show its face early in the first two pages.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 7:24 PM No comments:

5th National Day of Writing

October 22
October 22nd was the 5th National Day of Writing. I was invited to speak at St. Joseph College, Patchogue branch during Common Hour today and the students present were very receptive and wonderfully attentive. It was a pleasure to talk about my book and about writing.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 7:21 PM No comments:

September 03, 2013

HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING NOVEL continued...

4. Write about something you love or hate.  It has to be a strong emotion so your passion comes through.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 8:45 PM No comments:

August 20, 2013

HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING NOVEL continued...

3. Write about something you know, something you're familiar with.  It comes across as more authentic.  There isn't much you can say about what you don't know.  You need to research what you don't know if that's what you want to write about.  Once you research it, you know it, so it's still writing about what you know.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 8:53 PM No comments:

August 16, 2013

HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING NOVEL continued...

2. Think like a journalist.  Provide Who, What,Where,Why and How
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 7:25 PM No comments:

August 15, 2013

HOW TO WRITE A COMPELLING NOVEL

1. WRITE IN SCENES.  This satisfies writing's cardinal rule, which is, "Show, Don't Tell."  Think of each chapter as a play composed of scenes.  You are a spectator or eye witness of the scene.  Then record the action, which is what happens; the dialogue, which is what each person says; description, what the people look like; location, where the scene takes place. (Come back another day to see more points.)
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 8:31 AM No comments:

July 23, 2013

Link to Excerpt from ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES published in The East Hampton Star, July 18, 2113
 http://www.easthamptonstar.com/Fiction/2013716/“-Dance”-Fiction-0
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 11:04 AM No comments:

July 19, 2013

An excerpt from ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES was published in The East Hampton Star, July 18, 2013 in their fiction section.   The title of the excerpt is "The Dance."  Here is the link:

http://www.easthamptonstar.com/Fiction/2013716/“-Dance”-Fiction-0

Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 3:03 PM No comments:

July 02, 2013

Author Talk Montauk Library Sun. Aug. 4, 2013, 3:30 PM

I have another Author Talk at the Montauk Library on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2013 at 3:30 PM.  The event is free.    All are welcome.
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 8:22 AM No comments:

ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES now on Barnes & Noble

My novel ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES now also sells on Barnes & Noble.  The link is below:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/orange-peels-and-cobblestones-rose-marie-dunphy/1114819551?ean=9780615696713&itm=1&usri=9780615696713
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 8:17 AM No comments:

June 22, 2013

ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES Book Talk Dates

1.  Wed. July 24, 2013, 7PM, Book Club in Mt. Sinai
2.  Tues. July 30, 2013, 7:30 PM Side Street Books, 76 North Ocean Ave., Patchogue, NY (one block north of Main  St.) The event is Free. All are welcome.
3.  Sun. Sept 8, 2-4 PM 2013 Sachem Library, Holbrook, NY
4.  Mon. Sept. 9, 2013 Book Club in Syosset
5.  Wed. evening Business Women Networking Group, Albany, NY
6.  Sun. Oct. 20, 2013, St. Joseph's College, Patchogue, NY
7.  Wed. Nov. 13, 2013, 4PM, Center For Italian Studies, Stony Brook University
8.  Thurs. Nov. 14, 2013, 6PM St. Joseph's College, Patchogue, NY

Like ·  · Promote · Share
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 8:29 AM No comments:

Book Talk July 30, 2013 7:30 PM Side Street Books

Tues. July 30th, 7:30 PM., I will be speaking about my book ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES at Side Street Books, 76 North Ocean Ave., Patchogue, NY (one block north of Main St.) The event is Free. All are welcome.
Like ·  · Promote · Share
Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 8:10 AM No comments:

June 01, 2013

ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES Now in major book stores on Long Island



    ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES is now in almost all book stores on Long Island that carry fiction, including Book Revue in Huntington, BookHampton (in East Hampton, in Southampton, in Mattituck), Canio's in Sag Harbor, The Montauk Bookshop in Montauk, Side Street Books in Patchogue and Amazon.com.  The e-version is on Kindle.To read a review, go to bookrevue.com, choose local authors and scroll until the book's front cover displays. Click on the cover and a review of the book will appear.  A book review is also found on Amazon.
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    "I love this place. This is a beautiful, beautiful store." - President Bill Clinton "One of the legendary family owned bookstores in America." - Nelson DeMille "Book Revue is one of Long Island treasures." - Susan Isaacs "If...
    Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 1:28 PM No comments:

    May 26, 2013

    ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES in BookHampton, Canio and the Montauk Book Shop.

    BookHampton (all locations), Canio's in Sag Harbor and the Montauk Book Shop all carry my novel, ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES.  If you are on the East End, please visit these book stores for a fine selection of books including mine.
    Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 12:16 PM No comments:

    April 09, 2013

    MEET THE AUTHOR MAY 11th 2 P.M. Patchogue Library



    Meet the author ROSE MARIE DUNPHY  Saturday, May 11, 2013, 2 p.m.
    PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD LIBRARY
    54-60 East Main Street, Patchogue • 631-654-4700 • www.pmlib.org


    Copies of the book ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES will be available for sale/signing or purchase a copy in advance at Amazon.com

    All are welcome! Refreshments will be served.



    About the book ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES
    From her early childhood days in Italy to her life as a young wife and mother in Brooklyn, Marietta is haunted by hard questions from her past. In her struggle to be free, she realizes what she must do: discover the truth about her tangled family life even at the risk of losing the little she has left. This is a deeply moving novel about the enduring power of love amid abandonment, rejection, betrayal and consequences of others’ decisions.

    About the author
    Rose Marie Dunphy lived in Italy and now resides in New York. With a Master’s Degree from Stony Brook
    University, she taught science for 10 years, coauthored That First Bite -- Chance or Choice, a book of nonfiction and has written numerous essays and short stories that have appeared in THE NEW YORK TIMES, NEWSDAY and other publications. This is her first novel.


    Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 9:21 PM No comments:

    March 07, 2013

    I just got finished reading Defending Jacob.  While the plot was riveting, the dialogue and descriptions well done, I didn't like the book.  It disturbed me.  I've come to realize I don't like thrillers.  I thought it was just a court drama but it was a thriller.  Just like Stephen King.  I think King is one of the best writers we have but I can't and won't read his books ( except On Writing which I love).  King's novels scare and upset me too much. When I read I want to be uplifted, amused, transformed.  I do not want to think that the human race is evil or sick.  I want to see it redeemed.  I want to read books and stories like the ones I write.  Like ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES, which readers tell me how moved they are by it, in a good way.  You can still have twists and turns to the story line but it doesn't have to be bizarre.
    Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 10:52 PM No comments:

    February 23, 2013

    Join me for another book talk and signing at the Patchogue Library on Sat. May 11th, 2013.  Refreshments will be served.
    Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 2:31 PM 1 comment:

    Check out my interview with ViviCastellaneta.  It's in Italian but can easily be translated by Google or Reverso.
    https://m.facebook.com/?refsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F&_rdr#!/note.php?note_id=481686465212401&__user=539214333
    Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 2:02 PM No comments:
    ORANGE PEELS and COBBLESTONES  is now on Kindle.

    Those wishing the paperback copy can click on the following link:  https://www.createspace.com/3337784


    Posted by Rose Marie Dunphy at 1:53 PM No comments:
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