For anyone who follows this blog, and/or is wondering what I’ve been up to of late, here it is in a short summary: not writing.
I’ve missed several weeks of blogging here and there over the past few months, and I’m embarrassingly behind on my writing goals for my current dieselpunk series. So it’s more “other shenanigans” rather than writing that I’ve been doing this summer. Continue reading
Writers tend to think in metaphors, and have a penchant for turning non-literary stuff into something literary. And so because of that, a great many non-writing things in life can be held up as useful for the writing life.
I have recently begun taking square dancing lessons (you may laugh if you wish). I live in a small town, and square dancing is a big thing here. And with good reason – it’s a fun, family-friendly activity that people of all ages can do together, and it’s good exercise. I’m really enjoying it, and I’m learning a lot. And, because I’m a writer, I’m applying it to my writing life, too.
While square dancing requires a minimum of eight people, writing tends to be something that one does all alone. And while it’s true that the act of writing is a solitary venture, getting a publishable book into the world is not. Ideally, a writer has critique partners or beta readers, an editor, perhaps a cover designer, and of course readers. Continue reading
Sometimes you just need a good picture to jolt your creativity or give you some ideas. Whether it’s a landscape, a city scene, a fantastical image, or some little detail that often goes unnoticed, studying pictures can help us bring richness and details into our writing.
One of my most popular posts on this blog lately has been this post about how to write technobabble. Apparently there are a lot of writers and creators out there who need tips and ideas on how to come up with convincing scientific or technological jargon that sounds real but isn’t.
So here are five tips to help you invent convincing technobabble words and concepts:
The best technobabble has an element of truth or at least believability to it. If you’re writing an outer space adventure, then you should probably familiarize yourself with real astronomical terms and have a passing understanding of basic physics. If your spaceships are powered by cosmic strings, a lot of sci-fi readers will have a hard time buying the plausibility of that, despite your glowing technobabble terms. Continue reading
Even though I’ve blogged plenty about older sci-fi shows like Babylon 5, Star Trek, and Stargate, I occasionally watch newer shows, too (it’s rare, actually, but every now and then I find a show that I consider worth my time to watch).
The Librarians just wrapped up its fourth season (and, sadly, final season, unless another network picks up the show). The Librarians is about a magical Library that is the repository for all the magical and supernatural artifacts in the world, and the Librarians protect the Library and jaunt around the world gathering artifacts and fighting bad guys. It’s clever, campy, family-friendly adventure.
Since I’m a writer, I can’t help but look at things from a storytelling point of view and analyzing everything, even as I’m being entertained. (For anyone else who wishes to be entertained, all four seasons are currently on Hulu).
I believe the practice of watching/reading things from a writer’s perspective helps me to become a better writer. And so, here are some things that I’ve learned about writing from watching The Librarians: Continue reading
New, different, unexpected – these are the things we all want in a story, right? After all, if the story is too predictable, too much like all the others we’ve read, then why bother with it? While this is very true – both readers and writers are always looking for the unique element – I believe there is room for some degree of predictability.
First off, there is the conventions of the genre. This can be very broad, but I believe it’s the most important form of predictability. Readers pick up certain genres because they enjoy the conventions of that type of story. A reader of classic sword and sorcery will not be pleased to find space ships and vampires half way through the novel. Pick your genre/sub-genre, learn your genre, and gain an understanding of what some of the most common or popular elements are. The fantasy/paranormal sub-genre of vampire romance involves – you guessed it – vampires and romance. If your story is lacking these key elements, then it’s not a vampire romance. Continue reading
