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Posts Tagged ‘artists’

Description of a Work of Art, Possibly Imaginary

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

There’s a very funny piece by Brian Staveley today over at the Tor/Forge blog titled “Three Ekphrastic Dialogues; or NO DUAL WIELDING UNTIL BOOK THREE.” Or at least it would be funny, if it weren’t so true;)

SCENE ONE
Setting: Book One of the Epic Trilogy

In the first scene the WRITER is bright-eyed, fresh-faced, and recently showered, perhaps even wearing a jaunty blazer. The CHARACTER looks confused, wary, even a little frightened.
…
Character: If I have a life of my own, why can’t I shave my…hey! HEY! What the hell just happened?
Writer: Your house burned down. That guy in the black cloak did it.
C: You made him do it.
W: Sorry. Needed an inciting incident.

Apologies to every character I’ve put through the wringer:) See the full post for the hilarious, somewhat potty-mouthed conclusion…

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CC Finlay’s Guest-Edited F&SF, Now Open to E-Subs

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Hello and welcome to 2015. You may remember that back in July I noted that CC Finlay will edit two issues of Fantasy & Science Fiction for this year, and that he will accept electronic submissions. Excellent news! The second of those submission periods is open now through January 15th. For more information, check out his blog post on the subject. Good luck to all who submit!

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Happy Holidays, and Some Reflections on Writing

Posted in Holidays, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all. If you have time between the presents and the eggnog and family celebrations, consider spending a few moments with The Atlantic’s series on writers, writing and the creative process, “By Heart.” I spotlighted the By Heart interview with William Gibson a few weeks ago, but there are dozens of other perspectives on creativity here as well.

…we live so many lives, contain so much experience, that even the people who know us best don’t know.

— Claire Messud

Featured artists start with a favorite line from literature and go from there, discussing how that line shaped them, sharing practical advice on getting started, revision, productivity, genre fiction and more. Joe Fassler has a nice summary column called “How to Write: A Year in Advice from David Mitchell, Yiyun Li, and More” with highlights from the past year; the full series lives here.

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Katherine Kerr Fundraiser

Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on December 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »

While I don’t post on Twitter some tweets do come across my desk from time to time. Emergency kittens. Puppy vines. And, more significantly, writers in need.

Right now Katherine Kerr, author of the Deverry series and more, is in need of support. Her husband has Alzheimer’s and as his sole caregiver she barely has time to check her email, much less write. If you love her books or just want to provide her with a bit of breathing room in a difficult time, there is a YouCaring page set up for contributions.

Because writers are people too. And so are readers.

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Shake Hands with the Unknown

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 24, 2014| 1 Comment »

What draws a reader into a book? What breaks their connection with the material world and plugs the brain into an alternative dimension? Sure, cover design, a known author and positive publicity blurbs all have something to do with it, but as speculative fictioneer William Gibson argues in The Atlantic, the first sentence is what invites you in.

The First Sentence Is a Handshake – The Atlantic

For William Gibson, author of The Peripheral, a kind of invitation is extended—and readers will or won’t feel what he calls “the click.” But it’s not just about connecting with an audience. In a conversation for this series, Gibson explained how first sentences invite the writer, too: they contain a blueprint for the book that will be written.

I don’t write the way Gibson does, laboring over the first line until it is worthy of the effort the rest of the book will take, but I do go back to it and rewrite. Ahem. A lot.

The article is full of interesting thoughts from the man who coined the term “cyberspace.” For more on Gibson’s method, his views on the proper balance between mystery and clarity, and a discussion of his newest book, The Peripheral, check out the full article at The Atlantic.

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More Thoughts on Creativity, from Twyla Tharp

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

After my post last week about Isaac Asimov’s ideas on, well, ideas, a friend sent me a great link on creativity. It’s over at Kim Manley Ort’s blog and is a nice introduction to Twyla Tharp’s 2006 book, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life.

As one of America’s preeminent choreographers with more than half a century of creative experience, Tharp has a handle on how to channel the muse. The post introduces Tharp’s thoughts on creativity, how to call it, how to harness it and where to ride it when you do. Not all of her lessons may apply to you but most of it can be translated from person to person, and discipline to discipline. The fact that her chosen form of communication is dance does not mean that her advice is necessarily less relevant for those of us who write.

I found her thoughts insightful; I hope you do too.

* * *

Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy on Unsplash

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James Ellroy on Writing

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »

If you’ve ever wondered how master writer James Ellroy puts together a dark, twisting crime novel, or plots stories as deliciously complex as L.A. Confidential, wonder no more.

“I’m a romantic, I love the big challenge and I’m gonna give it to you.”

This Fast Company article by Joe Berkowitz discusses Ellroy’s style (right now), his process (research, let it simmer, then go big, really big), and finally, bring it all together in a tight-packed ending. Enjoy!

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Reading Aloud: Tips from a Master

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Today we have helpful hints on reading aloud (and presentation in general) from Mary Robinette Kowal.

As an accomplished narrator, podcaster, puppeteer and author with lots of touring experience, she should know. And she does!

Check out her 17-part series for a plethora of detailed and useful suggestions for handling stage fright, phrasing, breathing, recording, what can go wrong (and how to cope with grace), and so much more. If you have a tour in the offing or, you know, you just want to be prepared for your future as a literary genius, this series is for you.

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Reality, Transformed

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »

If you haven’t seen it yet, there’s a nice piece by Lev Grossman in The New York Times on “Finding My Voice in Fantasy.”

We — as a whole, as a culture — seemed to be getting more interested in the kinds of questions fantasy deals with: questions about history, and about our connection to the natural world, and about power, how to find it in yourself, how to master it, what to do with it.

…

Fantasy is sometimes dismissed as childish, or escapist, but I take what I am doing very, very seriously. For me fantasy isn’t about escaping from reality, it’s about re-encountering the challenges of the real world, but externalized and transformed.

 

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Make Mistakes

Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2014| Leave a Comment »

If you’re making mistakes, it means you’re out there doing something.

This is a terrific saying. Thanks to Epic Reads for the lovely image, and thanks to Neil Gaiman for saying it.

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