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Category Archives: Writer’s resource
When characters confuse
When Edgar Allen Poe published “Murders in the Rue Morgue” in 1841 the murder mystery was a relatively new genre. He wrote a few more of these increasingly popular detective stories before leaving behind his own mystery. In 1849 he … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Writer's resource
Tagged MO. signature aspect, modus operandi, motivations, motive, signature behavior
1 Comment
When characters collide
Consider the possible basic conflicts in fiction: man against environment, man against man, man against society, and man against self. In most plots the conflicts are between people. Even in Robinson Caruso and Castaway, tales of man surviving in isolation, … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Literary devices, Writer's resource
Tagged antagonist, character, conflict, hero, modus operandi, motive, Protagonist, villain
1 Comment
What makes a character, a character?
Recently I was following a thread of writers discussing how to find names that make characters memorable. Honestly, I believe that writers should be looking at the reverse situation. It is the skillful creation of a character whose strengths and … Continue reading
Delusion and Imagery
Imagery is one of the harder to pinpoint concepts in writing. What exactly is the difference between describing something in detail and creating imagery? This concept is not always easy to explain. So I looked at what some experts in the … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Poetry, Writer's resource
Tagged advertisement, communication, imagery, language, Marshall McLuhan, Noam Chomsky, poetic devices, poetry, politics
1 Comment
What makes poetry, poetry?
As a young child I assumed poetry must rhyme. Meter was beyond my comprehension. It was only that constant repetition of ending sounds that mattered. In fifth grade, the teacher encouraged us all to enter a poetry recitation contest. The … Continue reading
Mentors and money
In the epic poem the Iliad, Telemachus father Odysseus was absent twenty years; first at war and then wandering on his long route home. Meanwhile his Telemachus grew to an adulthood without a father. Having pity on the youth, the … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Writer's resource
Tagged Iliad, masters in creative fields, mentor, science, selecting mentor, socialization, Writing
1 Comment
Pointed view
Almost everyone knows about first person and third person narratives in writing. Basically as humans we all see from the familiar, limited first person point of view that allows us only to know what goes on in our presence. Much … Continue reading
Simply unreliable
Characters who have psychological profiles, also have their own viewpoint – opinions, judgments and prejudices – concerning the world around them. The first person narrator that is a viewpoint character – such as Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby – … Continue reading
Out of character
“It fits the perpetrator’s M.O.” … you’ve heard M.O. mentioned in so many police shows, detective novels, any kind of work related to law enforcement. What is it? A profile of a killer who has struck again collection constructed from … Continue reading
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