We Write!
Recently, I was trying to figure out who the original author was that was referenced in "the curtains are blue" story. I couldn't find it, but what I did find, to my surprise, were a number of angry ranting posts pushing back about how the readers don't understand that this is complete tripe and every... Continue Reading →
"This is an instrument that has been asleep for almost 2,000 years, but all you have to do to awaken an instrument is to have an idea. Musical instruments are to express human ideas. Therefore, the reconstruction of a musical instrument is in a class utterly different to the reconstruction of any other archeological object.... Continue Reading →
A couple weeks ago, in one of those digression to the tangential comment conversations, I finally realized that my writing reflects my reading, and my reading style isn't necessarily like other folks. I tend to pick up details on the first round, and incorporate them into building out the world and my expectations of the... Continue Reading →
So, on with our stories. Story 1. "Magic in the Darkness." When we left Imre and Csilla, we had established a broad setting (Budapest, modern day), and two characters - Imre the mage, and his Familiar and seeing-eye dog Csilla. Csilla is a Hungarian Kuvazs, weighs 45 KG (100 pounds) and will herd her charge... Continue Reading →
One of the requests was for a "class" on writing a story from the idea phase to publishing. I'm going to try, with two sides, so to speak. One a story in a known world, one a brand new world. I have no idea how long this will take. 1. Known World. I needed some... Continue Reading →
No, this is not a new version of two-finger-typing for those endowed like Cyrano de Bergerac. It is about adding a new layer of reality and depth to your setting and scene description, and about playing up the differences between characters. Scent may be one of the senses least invoked in writing. When we describe... Continue Reading →
You've done all the research. You've mapped out (literally perhaps) your new world, and have crafted a story worthy of a Dragon, several other awards, and lots and lots of Benjamins*, but your alpha and beta readers say, "I'm just not feeling it. I can't see your world." What went wrong? Details. You need enough... Continue Reading →
Character stories seem to be some of the easiest for me to write, at least until the characters flip me the Hawaiian Peace Sign and head off into parts unknown-to-author. What is a character story? Oh boy, I've found three different definitions, and I don't entirely agree with any of them. One, Orson Scot Card,... Continue Reading →
Before you flee for the exits, this is not about novels and stories with message, although some message books and stories are also idea stories. No, I'm thinking about books where exploring or sorting out an idea (or answering a question) drives the story. Mystery novels are the most common idea-based book. "Whodunnit? or "Whydunnit?"... Continue Reading →
I like my reference books and cookbooks in paper, even while I like my entertainment in ebook form. There's something about using the physical memory of how far in, or underlining, highlighting, crossing out and writing and aside, that helps me to remember the information. (Or, in the case of the cookbooks, you can find... Continue Reading →
Mad Genius Club 