Storytellersunplugged

My mind went on a diet a while ago and already it’s lost nearly 1800 words.  It started by eliminating all those empty adjectives and adverbs that just pile bulk on the body of my work without any real nutrition.  Then it tossed out the interjections (pure comfort words – WOW! huh?).  You’re allowed substitutions on this diet, and so next went a bunch of nouns, replaced by less rich pronouns.  I feel much better now.  I have more energy and I ... Read More

I think it was the DragonBar that made me remember an early lesson in my writing career.  And that happened because the carp 'n' tuna syndrome that beset my wrists after too many 18-hour marathons at the keyboard eventually led me to try voice activation software.  Dragon NaturallySpeaking with its DragonBar is arguably the leader in that field.  I had tried using it in the late 90s to write a book for a celebrity, but the error rate just killed me when ... Read More

by John B. Rosenman No, no, I’m not talking about the sensational movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis in his first Oscar-winning role. I’m talking about my left foot, which until six weeks ago was strictly dependable, except for a weak ankle that necessitated wearing an ankle brace if I engaged in physical exercise. One day I noticed that my left foot hurt. Then it hurt a lot more. Then it got better and lulled me into a false sense of ... Read More

When it comes to writing, every day is April Fools’ Day.  The Muses -- hobgoblins of the mind that they are -- play their usual tricks 24/7/365.  Clear your desk, your computer screen and your brain for them and they will clear out of town.  Cut yourself off from pen and paper and they will immediately begin dictating the great American novel to you.  They have a sense of humor, a sense of irony, and no sense of obligation whatsoever.  Swim a ... Read More

My mother liked to get things done and hated to impose on anyone. This may be why she never made it to the maternity ward and birthed me in the lobby of a hospital. It was the first of many surprise entrances through the wrong door at the wrong time of life that have dogged me ever since. Now you might think that bad timing would be fatal to a writer or to anyone reaching for high stakes against long odds, and ... Read More

Stop me before I kill again. I’m going to do it, yes, I am, I’m really going to do it. Going to write about another obscure topic so ephemeral that I don’t know if I can pull it off. You may have noticed that I shy away from the easy stuff – practical stuff with practical answers. Not that those things aren’t invaluable – they are – but all the sane and successful writers in this blog do an admirable ... Read More

When Inspiration Strikes It's Best to be Prepared by David Niall Wilson Sometimes you get images that stick. It's a good idea to write them down, even if you can't currently pry yourself from life or leisure long enough to put them to proper use, or to complete them. I've been toying with the sadness of Greyhound stations, the way they seem to suck in people with no real place to go, the ... Read More

My first word was “Boo!” and I’ve loved surprises ever since.  I want to discover things.  Refine that, I want to discover hidden things, things that have meaning.  I want there to be more than five senses can take in.  Five senses are standard issue.  Most critters with fin, skin, fur or feathers have them, often with a superior specialty.  Jack rabbits out-hear me.  Eagles out-see me.  I’m tied with the koala bear.  But word has it that heart, mind and soul ... Read More

Forgive me, but for limits of time and imagination, I'm modifying a recent entry from my own blog, but I hope it's relevant to how we -- or at least I -- create characters, and defy legal disclaimers. Read on...At Amazon.com, one reviewer of my novel DEADSTOCK said that the book’s female soldier Thi Gonh could very well be the Vietnamese sniper from the movie FULL METAL JACKET, while another Amazon reviewer griped that my attitudes toward the Vietnam War were Oliver ... Read More

Dragon Claws? I have a lot of vivid memories of Hurricane Isabel. Isabel was a Category 2 hurricane when it hit my home town of Hertford, NC in September of 2003. There were trees uprooted, roofs sheared off, and roads cut off completely to traffic. I was caught in the middle of it with my family. The widow's walk tore off the roof of my house and fell in the pool while I stood on the porch and watched. ... Read More