Author Archives: knlistman

Too Much Info

Posted on April 5, 2024 by knlistman

Humankind’s love affair with technology is not a new development. At the beginning of the twentieth century, advances in industrial technology were touted as the solutions to problems of crime, poverty, ignorance and the boredom of ordinary daily life. La … Continue reading →

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Journeying away from the Hero’s Journey

Posted on March 21, 2024 by knlistman

Want a plot that’s been used successfully thousands of times? Research Campbell’s monomyth or simply read Christopher Vogler’s book on the hero’s journey. The hero’s journey is an idea manufactured as a result of popular literature from Greco-Roman times. However, … Continue reading →

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Writing for Therapy

Posted on March 7, 2024 by knlistman

The idea of writing as a therapy is not new. Being able to bare these struggles of the soul on a page could make a person feel better—or worse. My desire to write creates more stress than relief, so I … Continue reading →

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A Matter of Ego

Posted on February 22, 2024 by knlistman

No one really writes a novel without considering the plot beforehand. Nor do they outline the events so tightly that they know each step the protagonist will take and never vary from this initial plan. So why do we argue … Continue reading →

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The Definition of a Classic

Posted on February 8, 2024 by knlistman

First, you must understand that there is no one definition of a classic work. There is the assumption that the work is well-known. But, in which periods has it gained fame? If it is a current written work, will this … Continue reading →

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Why Don’t They Like My Writing?

Posted on January 26, 2024 by knlistman

Beta reviewers or the local literary critique group may not be fond of what an author has written. However, they often don’t know how to explain what they dislike. The problem could be based on style. Perhaps, the language sounds … Continue reading →

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Climbing over the Block

Posted on January 18, 2024 by knlistman

What is writer’s block? For me it is not a dearth of ideas, but a multitude of mediocre ones. If I push through this initial uninspired feeling and write, eventually a creative thought or two should appear. Sometimes I stretch … Continue reading →

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Selling Familiar Names

Posted on January 5, 2024 by knlistman

I looked up at the librarian with a pleading glance, trying to get her attention. I had failed, again, in my attempt to check out books at a self-serve kiosk. My difficulty was holding my card at precisely the correct … Continue reading →

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More to a Name than I Imagined

Posted on December 21, 2023 by knlistman

The statue pictured is a highly stylized likeness of Jehanne Darc, which is displayed all over France even in areas far from her homeland of Domrémy. Those few words not in “normal” English may convince a reader that they really … Continue reading →

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Who Knows Correct English?

Posted on December 15, 2023 by knlistman

How we speak has been determined by history, especially the history of empires. When the Anglo-Saxons came to the British Isles their germanic brand of “English” overwhelmed the Celtic language of the Britons, and the older tongue was considered the … Continue reading →

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