Let me take you back to elementary school. Junior high or middle school, maybe. Going back a ways for some of us, I know. Just when we were getting started in writing, putting words together in ways that made sense, our teachers told us something that was meant to help us. “Said is dead.” All… Continue reading Said Lives!
Category: Writing
Why I Miss Darth Vader
Yesterday my good friend Rick over at Word Asylum brought up some classic villains. What stuck out in his pretty comprehensive top ten list was the presence of one Darth Vader. I was reminded of what he, and Star Wars in general, were like when it was first introduced. I discussed him briefly back when… Continue reading Why I Miss Darth Vader
The Fine Art of the Catherd
I’ve been in therapy quite a bit in my adult life. You’re shocked. I can tell. One of the most effective pieces of advice I was given by a therapist involved dealing with the internal mechanisms of my brain. Specifically, the phenomenon she called “racing thoughts.” Basically, if a notion came into my head or… Continue reading The Fine Art of the Catherd
Mind Crimes
“I respect a movie that kicks me in the balls.” This comment was how I summed up my initial feelings after watching Repo Men. It’s a Jude Law near-future picture about special ops guys who go after people and rip out their cyborg organs, since they’re 90 days delinquent on payments. I listed it as… Continue reading Mind Crimes
There Is No Sex
Art courtesy Lucian Once again I’ve provided a provocative title to try and get your attention. Is it working? Is it? Yesterday’s post on females in fiction has generated some feedback, but thoughts from one of my friends got me thinking. He said, “Why not disregard gender entirely? Why not just write characters?” This is… Continue reading There Is No Sex
Doing Girls Right
Women in fiction can be tricky things for writers, especially male ones. Every individual, regardless of gender, is a creature of nuance, and unless you want your work to be regarded as lacking substance, easily disposable and the sort of thing no publishing house will get near with a ten foot pole, your ladies are… Continue reading Doing Girls Right
Break On Through
It’s difficult not to be envious of those more successful than you. People you like, respect and appreciate do things that earn them a great deal of traffic, if not a full-blown career, and you wonder, “Well, why can’t I do that?” After all, I have opinions about games and movies; I love to write… Continue reading Break On Through
B-A-L-A-N-C-E
You need it to ride a bike. It’s required for things like yoga, martial arts, arcobatics and parkour. Heck, without adequate balance you’ll struggle to walk in a straight line. It’s important. This morning Chuck suggested folks interested in freelance writing punch themselves in the face instead. To an extent, I agree. Chasing down work… Continue reading B-A-L-A-N-C-E
Growth, Change & Derailment
More often than not, characters are what will carry your story. It’s rare, however, for a character to be exactly the same at the end of a story as they are at the beginning. Just as carefully as you plot out the course of the story, you need to tend the growth of your characters.… Continue reading Growth, Change & Derailment
"Why is this here?"
When you write, having other people look over your work is critical. Provided you have some desire to get your work published, it’s important to know how it’ll be perceived by minds other than your own. It’s important to keep a bit of distance between yourself and the work at this point in the process,… Continue reading "Why is this here?"
