Archive for 2006
WRITING FROM THE FLAW
by Justine Musk
1
You get attached to your characters.
You spend a great deal of time getting to know them.
I know I ‘have’ a character – I’m writing him or her in a way that feels vivid for the reader (some readers) — when I have a sense of his or her ‘mindset’ – a perspective, [...]
Antecedents and Grammar: Is It Really a Problem?
By Weston Ochse
(Note: This article first appeared in January 2006 and has been the favorite by far of readers. I’ve had more than a dozen English teachers ask if they can use the article in their class. Needless to say, I was honored to allow it. Happy Holidays to everyone.)
We all started [...]
He Said, She Said….
Over the years, I’ve bumped into a few challenges when it came to the craft of writing. Dialogue was one of them. It’s not easy to find the right pace, rhythm, and flow of different characters participating in a conversation so they sound authentic. And from what I’ve read in the few novels I picked [...]
Writing on a Budget
–Bev Vincent
I have a strict and limited budget when it comes to writing.
I’m not talking about finances, however—I’m referring to a “temporal” budget. The number of hours in the day is fixed, and only a small fraction of them are available to me for writing and writing-associated tasks.
Monday through Friday, I get up at [...]
THOMAS SULLIVAN: KHAKI MAN & THE PEANUT BUTTER PLAYERS
Guess this qualifies as one of my Cannibal Essays, because I’m going to tell you about three living people who were collected, dissected, digested and eventually resurrected in fiction. I’m also trying to respond to David Niall Wilson, who posted the following comment on a column of mine [Storytellers 10-16-06: AGENT BINGO & THE [...]
Get your BLINDSIGHT here!
“In the late 21st century, when something alien is discovered beyond the edge of the solar system, the spaceship Theseus sets out to make contact. Led by an enigmatic AI and a genetically engineered vampire, the crew includes a biologist who’s more machine than human, a linguist with surgically induced multiple personality disorder, a professional [...]
Alien Sex! Alien Sex! Alien Sex!
by John B. Rosenman
If you’re like me, you’ve been wondering how you can spice up your alien sex scenes, perhaps invent a new perversion that you won’t find in The Joy of Sex. You’re tired of the same 301 ultra-kinky positions, even when they involve Lance Stud and his extraterrestrial sweetheart, [...]
The Gonquin Table: The Medium Is The Massage
Frank T. Wydra
Papa is on his second daiquiri when Al sidles up and says to the table at large, “Hey, I see where yer pal, Skipp, is fornicating with the movie business. You think he’s serious?” John Skipp, a story teller of the unplugged variety, had recently written an essay, actually more of [...]
Resolutions..it’s that time again
Storytellers Unplugged
Well, it’s damned near the end of the year again. Weird how much faster the days blur by when you’re staying busy, isn’t it? In the last year, I’ve lost a job I had for over eight years, gone on unemployment for the first time in my life and gotten another new job after [...]
Embracing Creativity through the Kama Sutra
By Sephera Giron
In the vein of John Skipp’s essay a few days earlier, I would like to add my enthusiasm for exploring other forms of creativity and self-expression besides writing. Or perhaps it’s all about writing, but in a more subtle form.
Last month, I wrote about how I came to work on a series of [...]
