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Posts Tagged ‘kurt vonnegut’

Better with Magic

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

A phrase in a recent Storybundle promo caught my eye: “real life would be better if it had magic.”

Not that I actually think there are werewolves and vampires lurking around every corner, and I definitely believe in the power of science and all its wonders, but in general? I couldn’t agree more.

For me, magic is possibility. 

Magic is the sure and certain knowledge that while we like to think we know everything the world has to offer, we do not.

I find that encouraging. You may have noticed that our world has a number of pressing issues, from the social to the political to the environmental. It would be wonderful to be able to pull out a magic wand and make those problems go away, but that’s not how our magic works.

Our magic is anchored in reality. I’ve talked about this idea before, but think it bears repeating. Just like the best fantasy, it relies on people (that’s you and that’s me) who care about their family, their friends, and their communities. 

This form of magic is slower, yes, but surer. A rogue warlock can’t come along one day and upend everything we’ve worked for, just because he stole a forbidden spell from the archives of Alexandria-Under-Sea. (The Lernaean Hydra has been protecting those archives for centuries, thankfully! If you visit, tell him I sent you. And bring salmon snacks, he loves those.)

It also means that the problems and constraints we face today aren’t necessarily permanent. Not if we continue to study, to observe, to understand the world around us. (To quote Kurt Vonnegut, science is magic that works.) Not if we understand that every face is a mirror of our own humanity. Not if we are brave and focused and keep our eyes on our goals.

And if someone tells you that there is no hope? That you might as well give up?

Don’t listen to them.

So what if you’ve misplaced your magic wand. That’s ok, you can still be a hero. You can make your own magic.

Just embrace a world of possibilities. And then work to make it real.

* * *

Photo by Lena Polishko on Unsplash

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The Shape of Stories

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on May 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I’m work, work, working this week, getting lots done and I hope you are too. Today I bring you Kurt Vonnegut’s ideas on the shapes of stories, posted by Aerogramme Writers’ Studio with a terrific infographic designed by Maya Eilam. If you are a visual person, like to shore up your understanding of concepts with images, or just enjoy seeing how a great storyteller conceptualizes his work, you may find this useful.

The Shapes of Stories by Kurt Vonnegut

Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand.
― Kurt Vonnegut

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Writing Advice Mashup

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

It’s Monday, and I like to start the week with a healthy dose of motivation. This list is a mashup of writing advice from a number of sources, arranged in no particular order except that I believe the last one to be the most important. Bracketed initials at the end of each entry refer to the author key below. Today’s post is brought to you by the letter F (as in “finish!”).
  • Don’t use generic beginnings. [lb]
  • Don’t use slow beginnings. [lb]
  • Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. [kv]
  • Don’t try too hard. [lb]
  • Don’t use clichés. [lb]
  • Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for. [kv]
  • Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water. [kv]
  • Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action. [kv]
  • Start as close to the end as possible. [kv]
  • Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them-in order that the reader may see what they are made of. [kv]
  • Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages. [kv]
  • Structure, a.k.a. know where you’re going [jw]
  • Have something to say [jw]
  • Everybody has a reason to live, know who everybody is and why they’re there [jw]
  • Cut what you love [jw]
  • Listen to feedback [jw]…but also…
  • Don’t listen, and do the unexpected [jw]
  • Don’t sell out [jw]
  • Finish it! [jw]
Author Key and Citations:
[jw] Joss Whedon, adapted from Joss Whedon’s Top 10 Writing Tips.

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