So, fellow Of Metal and Magic author Richie Billing and I did a thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bas9x8N5Btk&feature=youtu.be We are planning to do one episode of this podcast a month, focusing at the start on common fantasy writing issues and then expanding into general writing topics. The first episode should be done by the end of November or … Continue reading Do you even Podcast?
Category: On Writing
Are You Writing Short Stories?
Here are a couple articles I came across in the past week which have some interesting things to say about short story writing...
Library Event Photos!
After some delay, here are the photos from the book reading and Q&A event I did two seeks ago at the Camp Humphreys Library. These two pictures give you a basic idea of the layout of the room and the size of the crowd. This one shows the way I set up the OMAM author … Continue reading Library Event Photos!
A Young Writer is Born!
My author event at the SFC Ray E. Duke Memorial Library on Camp Humphreys yesterday went very well. I had a small but attentive audience of around 20 or 25 people, of all ages, who seemed very excited by the StoryVerse concept I am working on with Fiction Vortex. But the thing that really made … Continue reading A Young Writer is Born!
My Review of “All the Birds in the Sky”
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders My rating: 4 of 5 stars Great characters and humorous writing obscure a meandering and poorly-paced narrative. This book opens incredibly well. I don't remember being so hooked on a novel in a long time. The two lead characters are appealing and likable, but flawed … Continue reading My Review of “All the Birds in the Sky”
The Trouble with Real-world References in Fiction
I am about a fifth of the way through All the Birds in the Sky, and I have to say I am loving it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, it being a Nebula winner after all, but I am a tough critic to please. I didn't know going it that the novel was a young … Continue reading The Trouble with Real-world References in Fiction
Writing Rules
There seems to be something going around these days. My various feeds--which feed me with flash stories and articles on writing--have bombarded me with posts recently on writing "rules." (I put that in quotes because ultimately writing rules don't exist. Writing is much akin to Fight Club, with the exception to the rule about talking … Continue reading Writing Rules
REBLOG – Character Plotting
If you didn't know, Richie Billing is one of the authors in the shared fantasy universe I manage. He is also a much more dedicated and skilled blogger than I am. Check out this cool little post he recently wrote on character planning. Character Plotting Posted on November 9, 2018 by richiebilling I’m a bit of a planner … Continue reading REBLOG – Character Plotting
The Sound of Silence
Utilizing sensory details is a critical part of good writing. Tapping into the five sense allows a reader to go beyond visualizing the scene to the point of feeling it for themselves. But of the five, sound is probably one of the hardest to convey. You can get by sometimes with onomatopoeia. Providing details of what … Continue reading The Sound of Silence
Don’t Do Drugs, Kids
I am working my way though Discworld #40, Raising Steam, and though it has thus far been slower than I'd like, there have been some fun bits. Like the following cautionary tale about being to quick to accept an offered drink: The goblin handed Moist a little bottle on which a grubby label proclaimed the contents … Continue reading Don’t Do Drugs, Kids
JM Williams 