RK Wallis's latest activity

Joseph Conrad does great characters. Here is one of his descriptions (of a German captain) that I still remember reading for the first time: The Patna was a local steamer as old as the hills, lean like a greyhound, and eaten up with rust worse...

This skill is one I envy to the greenest of green hues. So I have been consciously studying it hoping someday it will eel natural and easy. This is describing, Cliona, a character we meet only a few times but has a catalyst affect on the plot...

The protagonist, who needs to meet someone, has a habit of creating personas on the fly to suit the situation (it doesn't end well): “Yes?” says the guard. Ah. It seems I have made an error of judgement. She is a smallish, roundish woman who...

I do mine with a head hop. We are in the bartender's head only for the first part of the scene, then move onto the Jake's. We never see the barkeep again. Not even sure if I'm going to keep this. Jake has evolved a bit since I wrote it, so I...

Two for the price of one: my protagonist and her sister have just seen the boatperson arrive and scratch a crescent moon into the grave's soil. This is the first interaction with either of them. The minor character, the fleeting pass through, is...

Okay, this is the opening of Confessions of a Teenage Undertaker (a short story prequel of Songs for Beginners). The protag introduces himself, then his minor character brother and the brother's unnamed ex-girlfriend. My name is Mike Davies, and...

Anyone up for a craft challenge from @Pamela Jo? "How can we introduce new characters without interrupting the narrative flow?" Indeed a tough task. So, what strategies does everyone use? Do you think it’s easier in first person or third...