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Posts by Pam Uphoff

Jun 21

32 Comments

Character Analysis

Or Finding Your Own Bad Habits

Now, the first thing I’m going to say about creating characters is Do Not Outsmart Yourself With A Clever Naming Scheme!

I speak from experience. Ignore the weird names in the following examples. Or take them as a lesson on what not to do.

What I’m examining right now is how I introduce new characters when I’ve already got my POV character set. I have to see the new character through his or her eyes, and what the MC sees and infers is the information the reader will get.

Analyzing your own writing can be a bit surprising. Take this bit, a newly hired professor, with the head of the department . . . Read more

Jun 20

7 Comments

Jackie Chan on Action Comedy

So, you need to write a fight scene? This is how to film one. Think about the equivalents in writing.

https://www.invidio.us/watch?v=Z1PCtIaM_GQ&fbclid=IwAR2P0iz_eiLRF-0AFp4YYTo9ate4YRFV-hlioq6kRJYSyKQi21C2rgzV2VY

The 9 Principles of Action Comedy
1. Start with a DISADVANTAGE
2. Use the ENVIRONMENT
3. Be CLEAR in your shots
4. Action & Reaction in the SAME frame
5. Do as many TAKES as necessary
6. Let the audience feel the RHYTHM
7. In editing, TWO good hits = ONE great hit
8. PAIN is humanizing
9. Earn your FINISH

 

Picture credit: Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay

Jun 3

2 Comments

New Book release!

Lucky Dave’s a thousand years into the future. Looks like a nice civilized place . . . he’s about to find out how dangerous it is!

How do you keep a Prophet alive when they’re now considered purely mythical? Click on the link to find out!

May 17

15 Comments

Stretching Reality

Yeah, I write SF/F but that’s not quite what I mean.

Writers get information from a wide variety of sources, the best one of which is their own life and experiences. And from what you’ve done . . . you extrapolate that out and into the fictional world you are creating.

It starts early, as early as your childhood experiences and memories. Family, friends, school, the Bad Kids, Car trips with the parents.

Pets, the dogs and cats you grew up with. Horses you’ve ridden and owned. Horse shows, your favorite trails. Yeah, I use horses a lot, you’ve probably noticed. Read more

Apr 19

64 Comments

Do you have a moment to talk about our savior?

Do you have a moment to talk about our savior?

You do? That’s too bad, because I am absolutely the wrong person to talk about religion. Even in fiction.

Church didn’t happen in my childhood, so it tends to get overlooked in my fiction.

But here it is. An iconic cathedral badly damaged a few days ago. Today is Good Friday. And Passover. Sunday is Easter, Monday is Earth Day, and Wednesday, according to my calendar, is Administrative Professionals Day.

So I’m going to fumble around a bit about religion in completely fictional worlds.

Read more

Mar 15

18 Comments

Collections

Why on God’s Green Earth am I creating a collection of my stories?

Well, you see, I had all these three quarters written stories, all in my Wine of the Gods series, but I’d written and published past them. And my numbering is mixed up enough already thank you. Read more

Feb 15

24 Comments

Spark It Up

Is your book dry and old?

Spark it up with some romance.

No, not the Romance Genre.

I’m thinking about how to add a romantic thread to a story in whatever other genre the book belongs in. So I’m inflicting my thoughts on you. Read more

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