Posts Tagged ‘Thoughts’
Truer Words…
Posted in Funny, Likes, Writing, tagged artists, creativity, criticism, Fiction, Iain S. Thomas, learning, Motivation, persistence, quotes, rejection, Thoughts, work, Writers, writing on February 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Writers, If You Are Feeling Old…
Posted in Writing, tagged artists, creativity, Fiction, inspiration, j k rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Nora Roberts, persistence, publishing, Thoughts, work, Writers, writing on January 26, 2015| 1 Comment »
Here’s an encouraging article for writers via HuffPost:
New Authors, Fret Not. Most Successful Authors Made Their Mark After 30
The headline sums it up but if this topic interests you it’s worth checking out the attached infographic. It allows you to highlight author age at first published book, at their “breakthrough” book, and also shows a nice timeline of the number of books published before and after death. J.R.R. Tolkien was 46 when The Hobbit was published (also, Nora Roberts is a publishing machine, and I mean that in the best possible way).
So fret not, and keep at it. Because writing well is a skill, and skills take time.
Cleese on Creativity
Posted in Writing, tagged artists, boundaries, creativity, David Farland, Fiction, inspiration, John Cleese, Monty Python, persistence, that pesky muse, Thoughts, work, Writers, writing on January 13, 2015| 1 Comment »
There are a lot of books, essays, posts and (no doubt) scratchings on cave walls discussing ways to be more creative. One of the most useful and compact versions I’ve found so far is a talk (via David Farland) by John Cleese, Monty Python funny man and deep thinker on this and other topics.
The video is only ten minutes long but does a terrific job of summarizing the essential requirements one needs to be creative. You don’t have to quit your day job or win a year-long fellowship or even trap your very own Muse. It’s simple really, and not what one might guess when thinking about the problem. We don’t need “more,” we need less. We need boundaries. Specifically, boundaries of time and boundaries of space.
If you’d like to hear Cleese in a longer discussion on the topic, check out his speech from 1991 as well.
Enjoy!
Speculation on Writing Speculation
Posted in Writing, tagged creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, science fiction, sff, speculative fiction, Thoughts, work, writing on January 8, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Someone asked me why I write fantasy and science fiction. Even better, the question was posed with the sort of genuine interest and curiosity everyone hopes to hear in a personal question that holds meaning. I gave an involved answer that I won’t repeat here because I’m going to give you a better one:
It’s what I love. So that’s what I do.
It’s that simple, and that complicated:)
Happy Holidays, and Some Reflections on Writing
Posted in Holidays, Writing, tagged artists, creativity, Fiction, inspiration, literature, persistence, The Atlantic, Thoughts, Writers, writing 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.
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.
Katherine Kerr Fundraiser
Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged Alzheimer's, artists, Deverry, fantasy, Fiction, fundraiser, Katherine Kerr, Thoughts, Writers, writing, YouCaring 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.
Shake Hands with the Unknown
Posted in Writing, tagged artists, books, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, science fiction, sff, speculative fiction, The Atlantic, Thoughts, William Gibson, Writers, writing 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.
More Thoughts on Creativity, from Twyla Tharp
Posted in Writing, tagged artists, arts, choreography, creativity, dancing, ideas, inspiration, that pesky muse, Thoughts, Twyla Tharp, work, writing 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.
* * *
Bad Writing Advice Explained
Posted in Writing, tagged creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, Martian Ballet, Mary Robinette Kowal, pithy advice, science fiction, sff, speculative fiction, Thoughts, work, Writers, writing on November 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Mary Robinette Kowal, that font of wisdom and Regency fashion tips, has a nice column on bad writing advice.
There’s a bunch of aphorisms about writing that started as good, pithy advice in part of someone’s lecture. Then they got pulled out of context and then misapplied.
Mary breaks down the standards that every beginning writer hears and talks about what they really mean, and when they are useful (spoiler: not always!). Write what you know, show don’t tell, raise the stakes, and kill your darlings, all so often repeated as gospel.
If you’ve ever tried to merge the advice to “write what you know” with the burning desire to write about Martian ballerinas and the prospectors who love them, well, fellow speculators, this is for you.
/totally going off to write a story about Martian ballet… right after I finish my novel!
-
Recent Posts
She Said, He Said
-
-
Favorite Posts
Archives
Categories
It’s All So Random
What I’m Reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.