I recommend “The Writer’s Little Helper”
I have about a bazillion "how to write’ books, because people always want to give you something they know you can use, right? And most of them, I crack once and skim through and put on the shelf. But a few weeks ago, a whole lot of folks at all agreed that this book had [...]
Call for a new feminine archetype
And we will call her Femme Vitale Unlike the Femme fatale who takes over a partner and drains them, this woman takes responsibility, acts as custodian for their partner. This woman need not be a warrior for the purposes of this particular aspect. She does not need to be a goddess, or have any magical [...]
Grant Barnett’s lexicographical blog
is a pleasure to read. Get It here! Today’s entry talks about using quotation marks for emphasis around a word; he calls them “shout” or “scare” quotes. An earlier entry discusses the wherefores of deliberately pronouncing words wrong– an entertainment I enjoy, I admit. And still earlier, his list of new catchwords includes “Throw a [...]
Fruster-ation!
The number of novels that I’ve read in my lifetime must be in the several-thousands. Why, in all that time, did I never read critically? Why can I not put a basic plot together! Up to now, it’s been easy– I come up with some interesting people, put them together and take their clothes off. [...]
Out of the Variables at last…
The community has a fine new wind in her sails! This month has seen a sweet little piece of smut from the incomparable , and has created an entire novel for download. Myself, I’ve put up a three-part tale in Gloria’s “Valentine’s rose” series; “Away from Tortuga” part 1, part 2, and part 3 feedback
The “Space Pilot” plot; Flist, please to be feedbacking me kthks
I am being serious now, and developing this into a novel. Any ideas, any comments, any scenes that you would want to see? Tam Catt is a “theiver” a self-supported ship captain, like a privateer. Like a privateer, she has a precarious relationship with the local government, and falls in and out of favor depending [...]
random writing news
yesterday I took a look in craigslist.org’s community listings, for writing groups or classes. I found a group– well-established, and five minutes away from me! I called the organiser. Knowing myself all too well, I told him that almost everything I write has sexual content. He chuckled and said; “there’s a difference between pron and [...]
A meta rec
I am often complimented on my character-driven fiction. On the other hand, hardly anyone mentions my plots… because I hardly ever have more than a whisper of one! I have come to realise that I suck at writing bad guys. And even though I’ve realised it, I still haven’t gotten my mind wrapped around them. [...]
Two new no-nos for slash writers;
1) You may NOT begin the story, nor any of the first six paragraphs, with “[yourcharacter] sighed.” If your character can’t find something better to do with that lungful of air, it really is not worth your reporting it. Start your story on the next breath, please. 2) There will be a one-year moratorium on [...]
gakked from
(who borrowed it from Emily Veinglory’s blog) Comment with the last sentence, or paragraph or such that you’ve written. And then post it in your own journal. …can you guess what fandom I am ripping away from this work? haha! “Aye, I killed my girl.” Tam said soberly. “Four months, I traveled alone, lad, to [...]
