How long should my novel be?
This is a question I’m often asked, and it’s certainly not the same answer as how long a piece of string is! So, how long should your book actually be?
If we work backwards, from a production department point of view, a book of approximately 100,000 words will come in somewhere between 300 to 400 pages.
Shorter texts are less daunting (使人气馁的) for an agent to submit rather than a block of manuscript so aim to make your publication path easier. There’s an implication that a standard book length should have a tighter handle on pacing, with the reader more readily drawn in. In turn, an overlong novel often indicates to a publisher that there’s potentially extensive editing work to be done by them.
More commonly, issues over length tend to highlight that pacing is an issue, be it too long or too short. Overwriting, in particular, can be an issue for many authors, who might struggle to express their ideas clearly, using complex language that play down the flow of the book. Successful writing contains a clarity of thought that enables the writer to connect with the reader for maximum impact, allowing the story, characters and setting to shine through.
In terms of content, it’s important for an author to prioritise the key themes in the book.
Work intuitively, from the heart, keeping secrets for as long as possible so the reader is forced to read on. In this way, a reader will readily connect with your words.
A.Books do have different thresholds (门槛) according to genre. |
B.This is plenty for a typical author’s book, particularly the first one. |
C.Yes, there are exceptions to every genre but these are generally rare. |
D.Is everything of equal importance and does everything need to be included? |
E.Longer books are more expensive to produce and harder to sell in, so it increases their risk. |
F.With a firm handle on length, your novel will have increased its chances of commercial publication. |
Meryl Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. She is regarded as one of the most talented actresses of all time. The following is a list of movies that Meryl Streep has been involved with:
Kramer vs. Krammer (1979)
In the film, Meryl plays a mother caught up in a custody dispute (拘留纠纷). Her co-star, Dustin Hoffman, said, “She’s extraordinarily hardworking. I think she thinks about nothing else but what she’s doing.” Meryl won her first Oscar for her performance in this film.
Sophie’s Choice (1982)
Meryl plays Sophie, a Polish war survivor. To prepare for the role she learned to speak German and perfected a Polish accent. Film critic Roger Ebert said, “This is one of the most astonishing and yet one of the most natural performances I can imagine.” Meryl won her second Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
Out of Africa(1985)
Meryl is Karen Blixen, a Danish woman living in Kenya in the early 20th century. The story follows Karens attempts to run a coffee plantation and her love affair with big-game hunter Denys. The film is based on the memoirs(回忆录) of the real Karen Blixen.
A Cry in the Dark (1995)
This is based on the true-life case of the disappearance of baby Azaria. Meryl plays Linda Chamberlain, a mother who is wrongly accused of killing her own child. After spending four years in prison, it was found that wild dogs had taken away the baby. Meryl won Best Actress at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.
The Bridge of Madison County (1995)
This movie is based on one of the biggest bestsellers of the 20th century (the book sold 50 million copies worldwide). Meryl plays Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride living in 1960s Iowa. It’s about her brief affair with photographer Robert Kincaid.
Mamma Mial(2008)
This is a romantic comedy based on the stage musical Mamma Mial, featuring the music from 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. Meryl plays Donna Sheridan, a hotel owner on the Greek island of Kalokairi. Mamma Mial made over U.S. $ 600 million worldwide. Apparently, Meryl had seen the musical in 2001 and was completely absorbed in it. She had no idea that seven years later she’d be in the movie version.
【小题1】For which of the following films did Meryl have to learn a new language?A.Kramar vs. Kramar |
B.A Cry in the Dark |
C.Sophies Choice |
D.The Bridges of Madison County |
A.Out of Africa & A Cry in the Dark. |
B.Kramer vs. Kramer & Sophies Choice. |
C.Sophies Choice & The Bridge of Madison County. |
D.The Bridges of Madison County & Mamma Mia |
A.was first shot in 2001 |
B.probably has audiences screaming with laughter |
C.has won Meryl a lot of awards |
D.is based on a popular book |
A.She enjoyed the musical Mamma Mial greatly. |
B.Her first film was Kramer vs. Kramer. |
C.She has won one Oscar to date. |
D.Shes more interested in films than TV programs. |
A.Mamma Mial is about the story of the pop group ABBA. |
B.The Bridges of Madison County was set in Italy. |
C.Roger Ebert thinks Meryls best film is Sophies Choice. |
D.Dustin Hoffman speaks highly of Meryl. |
The earliest newspapers started in ancient Rome. They were handwritten news sheets. The first printed newspapers appeared in China during the Tang dynasty, which were printed from carved wooden blocks. Modern papers first appeared in Venice, Italy in the middle of the 14th century. The newspapers of today, with advertising and a mixture of political, economic, and social news and comments, were started in Britain in the mid-18th century.
The main function of newspapers is to report news. Many newspapers also provide special information to readers, such as weather reports and television timetables. They also provide comments on politics, economics, arts and culture. Almost all newspapers depend on advertising to make money. Nearly six out of ten adults in the United States and Canada read a newspaper every day. Seven out of ten read a paper each weekend. Readers search newspapers for detailed background information and analysis. This is what television and radio news reports seldom offer. Newspapers tell readers what happened, and they also help readers understand what caused an event and how it will affect the world around them.
The workers at large newspaper companies work under a lot of stress to bring news to readers as soon as possible. Reporters, photographers, artists, and editors collect articles in just a few hours. Page designers select articles, photos, advertisements, and eye-catching headlines to make the pages, and then rush their work to the printer. Printing workers may work overnight around printing presses to churn out more than 60,000 copies per hour.
【小题1】Modern newspapers were first made in ________.A.China | B.Ancient Rome | C.Italy | D.Britain |
A.Jobs related to newspapers. | B.Contents in each page of a newspaper. |
C.The production levels of newspaper. | D.The fast speed of newspaper production. |
A.few newspapers have no advertising |
B.many adults in America read newspapers every day |
C.people can read about different issues in newspapers |
D.newspapers will become less popular as TV develops |
A.press | B.produce | C.publish | D.sell |
A.Rome | B.China | C.Italy | D.Britain |
Many adults remember learning that way — by copying letters over and over again. Today’ s thinking is that short periods of practice are better. Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself.Instead, they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. After all, that is why we write.
Handwriting involves two skills. One is legibility,_which means forming the letters so they can be read. The other is fluency — writing without having to think about it. Fluency continues to develop up until high school.
But not everyone masters these skills. Teachers commonly report that about onefourth of their kids have poor handwriting. Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs.
But Steve Graham at Vanderbilt says word processing is rarely done in elementary school, especially in the early years. American children traditionally first learn to print, and then to write in cursive, which connects the letters. But guess what we learned from a spokeswoman for the College Board, which administers the SAT college admission test. More than 75 percent of students choose to print their essay on the test rather than write in cursive.
【小题1】We can learn ________ from Paragraph 1.
A.teaching handwriting is a basic requirement in teaching job |
B.most teachers prefer to teach handwriting |
C.teachers spend little time in teaching handwriting |
D.a keyboard has taken the place of the handwriting entirely |
A.The students are taught by practicing a long period. |
B.The letters are repeated many times. |
C.Handwriting includes two skills. |
D.To write in cursive is taught first. |
A.easy to read | B.complex | C.unexpected | D.unreadable |
A.How to improve handwriting in school |
B.Right or wrong: the death of handwriting |
C.Handwriting involves two skills |
D.Handwriting lessons are on the way out |
A.negative | B.objective | C.critical | D.optimistic |
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