You may be looking at that subject line and wondering which terrible screenplay or abominable novel I’m going to discuss. Oh no, you might be lamenting, is this another rant on Meyer? No, it isn’t. I’m not going to be saying any particular writer is an idiot. Except perhaps myself. I’ve never really wanted a… Continue reading Writers Are Idiots
Category: Writing
Spoons and Pens
Some of the brightest and most memorable women I’ve known have dealt with long-term, incurable and nearly debilitating illnesses. Two in particular have introduced me to a particular way of dealing with these obstacles known as “the spoon theory.” Christine Miserandino explains the theory in detail here, but let me provide you with the Cliff’s… Continue reading Spoons and Pens
Get Back On The Horse
The phrase “get back on the horse” usually refers to someone getting “thrown” from said horse. A tragedy occurs, a heart is broken, a house burns down or a car is totaled – it’s something that throws the individual in question completely out of whack. Equilibrium is shot. The status quo’s out the window. The… Continue reading Get Back On The Horse
The Truth About Tropes
If you’re at all associated with the Internet, beyond referring to it as “a series of tubes,” you’re probably away of a little site called TV Tropes. Caveat Browser: This site will eat your free-time like a starving man at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Anyway, a lot of the things listed on the site also list… Continue reading The Truth About Tropes
Care For, Then Conceal, Your Strings
You’ve heard it before. “Start your story as late as possible.” It’s good advice. Get your reader right into the action. Paragraph one on page one, WHAM. They’re neck deep in narrative. In medias res, even. Get them asking questions, and promise answers right around the corner to keep things moving. All good stuff. Unfortunately,… Continue reading Care For, Then Conceal, Your Strings
Azeroth is my Gym
Why don’t you come with me, little girl, on a magic carpet dragon ride? I’m going to let you in on a little secret. With a few exceptions, I’m not entirely focused on World of Warcraft when I’m playing it. The aforementioned exception is the dungeons & raids. I stay focused in there. Mostly because… Continue reading Azeroth is my Gym
The Art of the Retcon
At one point in his writing career, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle got so sick of his star character, the inimitable Sherlock Holmes, that he killed the poor guy off. The short story “The Final Problem” had Holmes fighting his arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty, on the edge of the treacherous Reichenbach Falls and both men falling to… Continue reading The Art of the Retcon
Commit To Your Good Habits
Bad habits. We all have some. Leaving our muddy shoes on when we walk across a carpet. Letting dishes pile up before washing them. Picking scabs, or picking noses. We have good habits, too, but they always seem to fade into the background while bad habits persist, even when we’re not fully aware of executing… Continue reading Commit To Your Good Habits
Do Fear The Audience
Yesterday I talked about not being afraid of starting over. Today, I think it’s appropriate to discuss something one should be afraid of when it comes to writing, or performing in general. It’s the root of that thing they call ‘stage fright,’ at least in my experience. You should be afraid of your audience. Specifically,… Continue reading Do Fear The Audience
Never Fear Starting Over
As more buzz, news and rumors emerge regarding Cataclysm (including some very interesting coverage by The Escapist), a thought has occurred to me. It was only reinforced by the experience I had over the weekend into last night that will become public some time in the next 24-48 hours, to say nothing of writing “The… Continue reading Never Fear Starting Over
