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Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

It’s Enough

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 26, 2013| Leave a Comment »

For a friend who is facing down a challenging project, here’s a quote I like:

“E.L. Doctorow once said that ‘Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’ You don’t have to see where you’re going, you don’t have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice on writing, or life, I have ever heard.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Who among us couldn’t use a little perspective, and some encouragement? I would add that it’s helpful to remember that whatever the undertaking, the work doesn’t have to be perfect. Heck, I can guarantee that it won’t be perfect, nothing is. That’s not the point.

To my friend, and to myself, and to anyone else confronting a difficult task, I recommend taking a breath, and just making it as good as you can.

It will be good enough.

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Death, and After

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , on September 25, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I’m back, the world is still turning, and suddenly it’s Fall. 

Death, like so many of life’s difficulties, serves to highlight what can be accomplished in the meantime and the short span in which we have to do it.

Time to get back to work.

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The Scent of Things to Come

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on September 4, 2013| 2 Comments »

I’m very pleased to announce that “The Scent of Things to Come” is now available online in Nature‘s September 5th issue. The artwork is gorgeous, too.

I have to say this absolutely makes my day:)

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Satisfy Your Soul

Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 31, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Oh, I love this, and it’s just the sort of inspiration I need today. The text is an excerpt from a commencement speech in 1990 by Bill Watterson (of Calvin and Hobbes fame). The art is by Zen Pencils and is a beautifully done tribute to his inspiration, Watterson.

If you have a moment Read the Zen Pencils essay. I always enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes but didn’t know much about Watterson’s challenges as he made the strip or his history. I particularly like the part about persistence.

… Broke, he was forced to move back in with his parents and worked an advertising layout job he hated while he drew comics in his spare time…. Luckily Watterson didn’t quit…

Of all the things that could go on my tombstone, “Luckily, she didn’t quit” is right up there.

ZenPencilsWatterson

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Submit!

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 27, 2013| 1 Comment »

If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.
— Thomas J. Watson

Today I finish two new stories and submit them. At least, that’s my plan. It’s a good plan. Even if I lose, I win:)

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Coding My Way Out of a Corner

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 24, 2013| 1 Comment »

Some days I stand here at my desk trying to generate a creative thought (or even two!) and it doesn’t happen. If I can’t do the thing I set out to do I still try to do something, so on those days I look for alternatives to get my mind working. My latest filler project is a little Applescript (sorry Windows, I just don’t swing that way) that pops up a window with practice ideas for writing projects. Not what to write, but what to practice while writing.

Here’s the code with a sampling of my current list of practice topics. If this is your sort of thing, substitute your own practice topics as necessary:

set x to some item of {"*action*", "*all five senses*", "*catchy beginnings with a hint of the speculative*", "*characterization*", "*cliffhangers*", "*conflict*", "*distinctive dialog*", "*emotion*", "*grounding*", "*imagery*", "*immediacy*", "*openers*", "*scenes*", "*settings*", "*showing instead of telling*", "*smart science*", "*visual detail*", "*writing without 'was'*"}
set textToType to "Practice " & x & " in your story today."
set answer to the button returned of (display dialog textToType as string buttons {"Excellent idea, thanks!"} default button 1 with icon note)

So it’s code today, perhaps cake tomorrow. Chocolate. Triple tier. With Bailey’s icing:)

/unless that’s a lie

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Today Jay Lake Has Good Advice For You

Posted in Writing on August 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Thank you, sir.
/what Jay said

Automattic Special Projects's avatarWhatever

And you shouldconsider taking it.

(and here’s the Livejournal version, in case you can’t reach the first link.)

View original post

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Maximum Elmore

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 20, 2013| 1 Comment »

Crime Novelist Elmore Leonard Dies

Elmore Leonard died today, after a recent stroke and related complications. That’s sad in all sorts of ways, most importantly for his family but also for his fans.

That said, I have had it up to here with death.

Yes, it’s inevitable. Yes, you only have one life and then poof, gone. But what if you have an impact on the people around you that will last beyond your lifetime? What if you are thoughtful and kind and concerned about bringing the best to our shared world? And what if you are a writer with the sort of innate feel for dialog, story and character that Elmore Leonard had, dedicate your efforts to the constructive pursuit of creativity, and work hard enough and well on work like Get Shorty and Maximum Bob?

Then you earn a devoted following of fans who will not only remember your efforts but will see the world in a slightly different way, thanks to your work. I am such a fan. Mr. Leonard will be missed.

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Why Female Characters Should Be More Than “Strong”

Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on August 16, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I Hate Strong Female Characters

Over at the New Statesman, Sophia McDougall has written a thoughtful piece on female characters in television, movies, and text. Provocatively titled, it is much more complex than one might think at first glance. This isn’t a tear-down or a diatribe, and it’s well worth a read.

I like “sexy kickassery” as much as the next person, but when it comes to characters…

What do I want instead of a Strong Female Character? I want a male:female character ratio of 1:1 instead of 3:1 on our screens. I want a wealth of complex female protagonists who can be either strong or weak or both or neither, because they are more than strength or weakness. Badass gunslingers and martial artists sure, but also interesting women who are shy and quiet and do, sometimes, put up with others’ shit because in real life there’s often no practical alternative. And besides heroines, I want to see women in as many and varied secondary and character roles as men: female sidekicks, mentors, comic relief, rivals, villains. I want not to be asked, when I try to sell a book about two girls, two boys and a genderless robot, if we couldn’t change one of those girls to a boy.

…

I want her to be free to express herself

I want her to have meaningful, emotional relationships with other women

I want her to be weak sometimes

I want her to be strong in a way that isn’t about physical dominance or power

I want her to cry if she feels like crying

I want her to ask for help

I want her to be who she is

…this list of things is better.

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Over at Clarion: Post on Place Settings by Gregory Frost

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

>> note: this is a repost to get around an editing problem; ignore if you’ve seen it or reread at your leisure…

Over at the Clarion Foundation‘s blog, Gregory Frost shares some terrific advice about the importance of establishing place in writing. I agree that authors need to use their details wisely, but too many people forget the importance of place, and I’m not just saying that because I spent time studying Geography.

Quick, what’s the first question you would ask if you woke up in a strange place?

“Where am I?”

Settle that and you can move on to other issues (like “Why am I perched on a tower fifty stories in the air?” or “Who tied me up and how the hell do I get out of here?”). Without it,  all the conflict in the world can’t keep the story from feeling like it’s taking place in front of a green screen.

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