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Recent Posts
- How I Judge Books
- Play the words well
- The dance of suspense
- Searching for the perfect quest
- The human factor in science fiction
- Don’t let your main character get away
- The illusive pervasive theme
- If it’s good enough for me, it’s good enough for a memoir
- Should I write what I know?
- Making criticism constructive
- Your darlings may not deserve to die
- Showing too much
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Category Archives: Literature
How I Judge Books
People are supposed to judge books by the cover, by the blurbs and by who the author is. I have favorite books with unappealing covers, done in an out-of-date style, or an old illustration slapped on the front. I tend … Continue reading
Posted in Literature, Trends in books, Writer's resource
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Searching for the perfect quest
A friend of mine who had a desk cluttered with Star Wars memorabilia, raved about each movie. Yet, she admitted sheepishly that she never finished Lord of the Rings because she just couldn’t get into it. When I read the … Continue reading
Posted in Literature, plot, Trends in books, Writer's resource
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The human factor in science fiction
Hardcore science fictions readers may mourn the loss of science fiction writers whose keen insights led them to glimpses of the future. Jules Verne created novels in which characters sailed under oceans throughout the world and traveled to the moon. … Continue reading
Don’t let your main character get away
One item that agents and editors expect—or demand—is that the author provides enough about the main character to draw in the reader from the very beginning. They don’t want a detailed description of appearance, education or employment. However, the text … Continue reading
Posted in Characters, Literature, Writer's resource
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The illusive pervasive theme
A website for identifying my writing doppelganger named Cory Doctorow when I used a sample from a short story and Kurt Vonnegut when I used one of my articles. As I tested different parts of a novel, the analysis said … Continue reading
Posted in Literature, Writer's resource, writing trends
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If it’s good enough for me, it’s good enough for a memoir
If you wish to write what you know, or the story of part of your life, you must come to grips with the fact that your life is not a page turner. What is well written memoir for you, may … Continue reading
Should I write what I know?
According to commonly given advice, the popularity of a memoir rests on the fame of a person writing it. However, the argument against “writing what you know” is often refuted by an excellent rebuttal in the form of a well … Continue reading
Did I Miss Something?
Decades ago, in a high school English classroom, one of my better students sat reading Bear Island, a thriller by Alistair MacLean. He asked out loud, “Why can’t we read books like this rather than the stuff we read in … Continue reading
Roman replicas
One type of government that keeps appearing in modern science fiction is a replica of the Roman Empire. From the gladiator-like entertainment by the Hunger Games series to the takeover of the Galactic Republic senate by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in … Continue reading
Posted in Literature, Story structure, Writer's resource
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The three little worlds
The places of the imagination must have some semblance to earth, or we are confused by the nonsense as we try to take in an alternate world. Usually there is one difference—one factor that is altered to set the ball … Continue reading
Posted in Literature, Trends in books, Writer's resource
Tagged Science fiction, world building
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