We Write!
Once I've decided on the second fight scene, I've consulted with my subject matter expert, and I know where and why and have the bare bones for how... why does it take three more scenes before the first bullet flies? Oh, right, because plot. And characters, needing to get from point A to point B.... Continue Reading →
"And the mouse-police never sleeps..." Jethro Tull, Heavy Horses The hunter and the hunted... so many books. And many is the book told from the point of view of the hunted. The hunted themselves may have goals (sometimes to defeat the hunter - See LotR). I was thinking about the structure of these. The typical... Continue Reading →
Alas. I had just thought of something interesting and insightful to post and I was distracted by the sight of the dog we're baby-sitting having a staring contest with an Australian magpie on the porch. My mind, ever ready to say 'oh, squirrel' got involved in the staring match... and now I can't remember what... Continue Reading →
Has been written down... somewhere (as the Peter Sarstedt song said.). I set out to write original stories. To break new ground. I got smartarse one day... Ok more than one day. Most days. You'd think I'd learn, but I plainly don't. It's hereditary, I think. I got it from my children. Anyway, various pantsers... Continue Reading →
We've all heard of software designed to help us produce a fully-fledged book rather than just a document. Scrivener is one of the best known; it has tools to "manage the writing environment" rather than just write. It seems there's a new product on the market. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds promising.... Continue Reading →
Uh... how did I get to 20K words? I am very glad I didn't try to write A Perfect Day (With Explosions) a few years ago, because it's taking a solid handle on story structure to figure out the mess I've gotten myself into now that I've blown up the mall. That is, while plot... Continue Reading →
It's an awkward time to be a writer in these (dis)United States. We see the ravages of identity politics destroying almost everything that held us together as a nation. Both because of and in response to that, reactions to those holding different views are getting more knee-jerk, more emotional, more extreme from one day to... Continue Reading →
One of the more frustrating things for a writer is building the fictional world within which their characters will take life and form. If it's not done properly, it'll show in the shallowness of the background against which the plot plays out. What's more, it'll frustrate readers, who are trying to form their own visualization... Continue Reading →
Once there was a princess, who dropped her golden ball down a well... You know, I never liked that fairy tale. First of all, a ball of gold is going to be a really heavy sucker. Have you ever noticed how much gold weighs? A ball big enough to play with and see her reflection... Continue Reading →
Sometimes your instincts talk to you. Mine usually say deeply meaningful and insightful things like: ‘I’m hungry’, or ‘don’t be such a bloody idiot.’ I have learned to ignore the latter and immediately react to former. I’m not sure I have this the right way around… but that’s me, and my waistline. Today I had... Continue Reading →
Mad Genius Club 