While I might sometimes be at odds with what makes “good writing“, I do think there’s such a thing as talent. Raw, pure talent, an instinct for craft that gives […]
Read moreCategory: perils of the writer
Perils of the Writer: Clarity and “Literary” Writing
There are, of course, several schools of thought on what makes “good” writing. And, frankly, half the time I’m at something of a loss. By which I mean, many times […]
Read moreWriting is Very Funny Business
I have to confess something: I’m not big into April Fools’ Day. Mostly because the “jokes” and “pranks” tend to be rather obvious. I do have a certain fondness to […]
Read morePerils of the Writer: Balancing the Gender Imbalance
So, in the past month I finally got around to reading the Hunger Games trilogy. As I’ve said before, I don’t read as much as I should, or more to […]
Read moreWorldbuilding: Hard and Soft Imports
In the earliest days of this blog, I talked about my “fantasy manifesto“, and part of it was, “Do Not Copy And Paste Cultures“. I still believe in that fundamental […]
Read moreThe Artist’s Long Battle Up The Mountain
This is an interesting post on recent Best Director Ang Lee’s long, slow path to success. Mostly, it notes the years of his thirties– especially from ’84 to ’90, where […]
Read moreSci-fi and Fantasy, Loud and Proud
Over the weekend I read this blog post by Matt Debenham on What Writers Can Learn from Purple Rain, and it’s brilliant. And not just because Purple Rain may be […]
Read morePerils of the Writer: Keeping Routine and Getting in the Zone
I don’t try too hard to be a creature of routine, partly because I think it helps to be able to work whenever you get a chance. This is part […]
Read moreActive Body, Healthy Mind
After a particularly trying January allergy season, which induced vertigo attacks the likes of which I’ve never experienced before, I’m finally feeling back to normal. Both in body and mind. […]
Read morePerils of the Writer: Plotting and Crafting Action Scenes
So, I’m a planner and an outliner. I’ve made this pretty clear. Without plotting out a clear path of where I’m going to go in a story, I’m going to […]
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