Damocles; Siege Perilous; Chekhov’s gun
xkcd: Interior Decorating
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Posts Tagged ‘creativity’
Writer Jokes
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, puns, Writers, writing, xkcd on November 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Damocles; Siege Perilous; Chekhov’s gun
xkcd: Interior Decorating
Many Ways to Fly
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, inspiration, Thoughts on October 31, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I have moderately complicated feelings about Halloween. Do I enjoy the horror genre? I do not (so scary!). Did I rewatch Practical Magic the other day? I did. Do I like the concept of Halloween as a chance to try on other personas, other worlds, and to learn new ways to fly? I do!
If you’re dressing up tonight, go you. And if you’re frazzled from working on kiddie costumes, shepherding young ghosts door to door, and gaining eternal parenting credits for putting up with sugar-fueled children for a week? Your sacrifices will be remembered, always.
Thanks, Mom and Dad. Happy Halloween!
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The Middle of Things
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, genre fiction, Martha Wells, Thoughts, Writers, writing on October 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Things I am currently in the middle of:
- making yogurt
- finalizing my contract with Writers of the Future
- working on that fun and funny Wordle story
- deciding whether or not to update my nom de plume to something more unique
- writing more, or at least aspiring to write more.
If you, too, have already started but not yet finished, perhaps you’ll appreciate Martha Wells’ new article on writing:
Getting Unstuck – Apex Magazine
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Spoiler Alert
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Charlie Jane Anders, creativity, genre fiction, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing, writing advice on October 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Interested in writing advice? Perhaps you’re on the waiting list for Charlie Jane Anders’ new book, Never Say You Can’t Survive, and wondering how long it will be until Tor opens up the ebook to libraries?
Good news! The posts on which the book is based are available on Tor.com’s website. Reading them is a window into the voice of experience, and persistence, and a lot like a call from a friend when you’re not quite sure things are going to work out.
Spoiler alert: They will.
Never Say You Can’t Survive | Series | Tor.com
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Meteor Descending
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, climate, creativity, drabble-adjacent, Fiction, genre fiction, nature, ocean, writing on October 21, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Author notes: Let me say up front that there are a lot of things wrong with this story, technically speaking:
- First, it was supposed to be a drabble, and at just under 200 words that clearly has not happened.
- Second, even the North Atlantic Octopus doesn’t go as deep as the Titanic, which sits at 12,600 feet below.
- Third, the octopus is a relatively solitary creature and would probably skip the classroom for more of an independent study sort of situation.
- And finally, the idea that an octopus would care about the fate of salmon is, of course, patently ridiculous.
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Meteor Descending
Ironically, the first human words Ololilon puzzled out were from a menu. He’d come across the wreck while riding the current.
Metal loomed from the dark, a gaping hole in its side. Oli swam past a deck chair and through a gap in the torn metal, pushing deep into the remnant.
Few would have been able to decipher the fading text. Even in the Cold Deep time has meaning. And this fallen star had been resting on the ocean floor for lifetimes.
But Oli’s eyes were adapted to the dark. Each shimmering wavelength told a tale, and this story was one of horror.
Chicken, peas and rice meant nothing to him, but oysters and salmon? Cousins and neighbors. Consumed.
But while this message was one of horror, it also bore hope.
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“Teacher, my podmate says aliens aren’t even real.”
Ololilon’s classroom was full. Spawning season had ended and it was a perfect time to teach the juveniles English. They would need it.
“Their meteors are real enough. And if we can learn how to speak with them,“ Oli said, tentacles swaying with emotion, “perhaps we can keep them from killing us all.”
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The Answer Is Always Aliens
Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, corn goodness, creativity, fall, Thoughts on October 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »
It’s fall, a time for leaf peeping, pumpkin everything, and seasonal creations like corn mazes.
Ever wonder how they make those elaborate maze designs? Check out this explainer on the really complicated examples:
Now that you’ve been introduced to the how, here’s more on the where, when and why: Farmers Create Elaborate Corn Mazes To Bring In Cash.
So next time you spot a corn maze, spare a thought for the effort, planning and artistry that made it possible.
Or you never know, it might be aliens.
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Winging It
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, Writers, writing on October 19, 2022| 1 Comment »
I’d planned to finish a drabble for today but got distracted, first by day-job work and then by a funny little project that popped up out of nowhere. A fellow Wordler compared my daily solution to hers and noted similarities in our starting words, then said it sounded like the opening of a story.
Challenge accepted.
So I’m writing her a story, adding a few lines each day, working in the words from her games. The process is fun and funny, and as with a 100-word drabble, it’s just another way to make constraints work for you.
Today she asked if I had a story in mind or if if the plot was purely spontaneous.
I had to admit that I was just winging it.
It’s more fun that way.
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Metamorphosis
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Thoughts on October 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Sticktoitiveness
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, inspiration, persistence, Thoughts, Writers, writing on October 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »
For when you’re stuck on a project and thinking that everyone knows how to do this but you.
Hallelujah! Leonard Cohen’s almighty struggle with rejected song that became a classic
Hallelujah is one of the most famous songs ever written, yet a new film reveals it took Leonard Cohen 180 attempts over a decade to perfect – only for it to be rejected by his record company. Nearly 20 years went by before an animated ogre, Shrek, turned the song into a monster hit.
Is this a little nuts? Maybe, but you won’t always know what’s “worth it” ahead of time. Tastes change, editors are human, and in the end, you’re the artist. Stick to it.
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A Thing I Did Not Know
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, technology, Thoughts on October 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »
More than 100 Years before 3D Printers, We had Photosculpture
We did?
One of the most exciting technological advances of recent decades is arguably the 3D printer, allowing creators to turn their wildest inventions into real-life products. But 3D printers are far from the first foray into producing realistic, 3-dimensional replicas. Photosculpture is a process dating back to the 19th century, using a series of photos taken in the round to make a sculpture.
How did that work?
Fascinating. Technology changes, but a lot of what humans think is cool stays the same.
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