Category for all my writer-related stuff
Being a science fiction writer was all I wanted, since as far back as I can remember. I was hailed as something of a prodigy by my school teachers, who I recall holding up the fat stacks of my hand-written “short story” assignments in dismay to other teachers. “I have Read more…
It was 2002 or thereabouts. I had just heard news that the wild area across Cedar Road from my friend Becky’s house was going to be developed into a “Town square outdoor shopping area” similar to Shaker Square, but, you know, FAKE. I was kinda pissed. My friend Becky was Read more…
In my old college notebook from 1994, I found an outline for a story called “Divine Tragedy” which was about a woman named Diana who suddenly has people worshiping her. She doesn’t know why. She gets investigated by the IRS because people are sending her money asking for intervention and Read more…
I had three-quarters of five novels in my closet, and twenty or so halves of short stories in my desk drawer. Let’s not mention the stuff in my sewing room… my life was full of unread books, unfinished mending, and knitting projects that were just a bag of yarn and Read more…
I’ve talked and blogged a lot about the 2012 Clarion Write-a-thon, which was such a pivotal moment in my development as a writer. Recently, I took a look at my personal records of that experience and realized it was ten years ago! (I was looking for some old story drafts Read more…
I applied to do a “Big Idea” blog post on John Scalzi’s blog for The Gods Awoke ,as I did for Galactic Hellcats. Well, I didn’t get it, but this is what I would have posted. If gods were real, could you believe? Should you? The Big Idea in The Read more…
A piece of advice I have often heard is that your story must clue the reader in to its genre quickly. “In the first line, if possible.” I remember getting quite tangled up in my thoughts, trying to introduce character, setting, plot AND genre in one sentence. Exhausting! Impossible! But Read more…