My actual writing has been sucky bigtime. There, I said it, it's out of me, and I'm glad! Just, slow and unsparkly, going through a phase, maybe ( Read more... )

I've been thinking about how much I like playing to my strengths but struggle with the weaknesses. My strengths seem to be ideas set in "different" worlds with a sort of "different" magic system, that's the thing that people comment most about my work. I get a lot of joy from that, when I feel an idea like that bloom, it hits me right where I live.

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I've been reading Orson Scott Card's htw book called, "Characters and Viewpoint ( Read more... )

I've been hugely busy with writing, which thrills me no end. I wish I had loads of subs to report, but I do have two stories worked on. One I've reluctantly decided to put away. I love the story, but it's one of my good-ideas,-too-bad-the-characters'-motivation-is-a-dud sort of thing. I'm thinking about how to better use the ideas, though. I did ( Read more... )

Hey, the first Flash Challenge since the site do-over is up :-). It's a different set-up and all, so leave extra time to figure it out. We send an email, get the trigger, write to the trigger for (under) 90 minutes, and then send the story in, in email. Interesting, huh? I haven't done it, yet, but wanted to mention that there was a Flash party ( Read more... )

I've make a truly spectacular potato salad for a doings today at B's work.  M-m-m-m, it's really good, so I'm feeling very happy about that. I hate having the pot-luck thing that no one touches, hardly. This one's gonna get et!

rcloenen_ruiz  has a spectacularly adorable story up at Fantasy Magazine. It's an elephant story, and I'm sorry I don't have all the ( Read more... )

 
I hope this is okay to do, I lifted this from
( Read more... )

I finished Toymaker (again). It's different. I think it's better, right now it's all over the place, but I think it's got more story in it. I tried, anyway. Smoothing is in my immediate future, and then I've got a possible bead on new eyes for it, I think. It's hard to ask, because everyone's so busy. Which, this is not a call for volunteers, ( Read more... )

The Flashes at LH are really good!  I'm always amazed at how good the stories are from these things, and how different they are, but still--such talent! My story doesn't have a pip hope ( Read more... )

I really enjoyed Chapter 9 of Bell's book, Plot and Structure.  It's about Character Arc in plot.  Who knew?  As a brief, simple point, he talks about what makes a character's self-image.  Surround the character are his core beliefs, then his values, then a layer of dominant attitudes, and then his opinions ( Read more... )