I was over at Victoria Mixon’s blog this morning reading her post about making your novel unforgettable. The entire post is well done, but the thing that struck me most was this: Fuses This is the part pantsers love doing but rarely know they have to follow up on. You know what we call fuses …
Tying It All Together – Finding Satisfaction in Your Ending Read More »
I’ve seen a good bit of William Gibson in the press due to his newest novel, Zero History, hitting the stores on Sept. 7. I’ve read one of his novels and some of his short fiction. I’ve not read Neuromancer, but it’s on my list. Here is an interview with Gibson where he talks about …
Robert McKee, in his screenwriting book Story, challenges the writer to see where their work fits: Each writer’s homework is first to identify his genre, then research its governing practices. And there’s no escaping these tasks. We’re all genre writers. McKee’s suggests it’s the overarching genre that keeps us going, not the particular ideas: So, …
Master your genre…After you figure out what it is Read More »
Strangeness exists in every sidewalk crack, the corner of every eye. Look to authors such as H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Thomas Ligotti, Robert E. Howard and Ambrose Bierce to get your dose of vintage strange. Or dive into China Mieville or Jeff VanderMeer for something a bit more contemporary. After reading this, you may …
Have you ever made an effort to give up something with the idea that you would be better off? A couple/few weeks ago I thought it would be a good idea to dial back my reading in order to make serious headway on my manuscript. I usually read at night for an hour or two …
I confess, I am a fan of the word feedback. It’s neutral. It can be either good or bad. If that makes me bland, so be it. I joined the Online Writing Workshop for SF, Fantasy and Horror a couple of weeks ago in hopes of getting feedback on my writing, getting used to getting …
[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=ht.ly] I’ve been away from the internets for much of the past 10 days. My social media involvement has been close to nil. I get antsy when this happens. Perhaps the greatest reason is the fear of becoming irrelevant. Which is kind of funny because you have to be relevant first. And …
[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=ht.ly] I thought I wanted to write fiction while in middle school. I continued to think that through high school. Then, in a fit of practicality, I decided to work towards a journalism degree in college. Three things weighed in my decision: 1. I couldn’t imagine anyone would want to read fiction …
[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=ht.ly] Some writers have sacrificed their families and marriages, discarding them along with their empty rattling Wendy’s cups in a ditch on the road to publication. Others have defaced their bodily temples with amphetamines , cocaine and hallucinogenic drugs by the handfuls. Still others have forsook the entire human race to pour …
[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=ht.ly] Spelling is a tool many fantasy writers use to lend originality to their writing. Sometimes it works and sometimes it distracts the reader from the story. I find myself getting caught up in this device, wondering if I should spell a word as it is commonly spelled or give it a …
Magic, Magick, Magyck – Striving for Originality in Fantasy Read More »