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The Hardest Part About Writing
Read more: The Hardest Part About WritingThis particular post is directed largely to my writing friends, though many of you who are not writers—that is, writers in a more or less full-time sense—might get a similar take-away message that could be applied to other professions and activities. What I’m talking about here is the most difficult thing I have encountered since starting…
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Sci-fi Worldbuilding: Anthropology
Read more: Sci-fi Worldbuilding: AnthropologyI just got back from the 2018 edition of the Pike’s Peak Writers Conference, (#PPWC2018) and had a great time. As usual. Lots of good sessions on many different aspects of writing, and had a chance to pitch my first sci-fi novel to an editor. He asked for the first 50 pages, which, by the…
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Tension And Conflict In Writing X 2
Read more: Tension And Conflict In Writing X 2During the past year (2017) I published on this blog two entries about tension and conflict in writing. If you’re a writer at almost any phase of your career, you’ve certainly heard of the dictum—in fact, almost a rule of law—that you have to have tension and/or conflict on every page of your creative writing story. …
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Some Random Observations
Read more: Some Random ObservationsIn this blog posting, I just want to make a few observations on a couple of aspects of writing. To wit: First, I stopped at a local Barnes and Noble bookstore this afternoon to get another science fiction book. I wandered down the aisle where the sci-fi/fantasy books were shelved and, as usual, glanced briefly…
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The Writer And The App
Read more: The Writer And The AppThe November, 2017, issue of The Writer contains a couple of articles about apps for writers that can (potentially, at least) make the physical act of writing easier. My first reaction when I saw the magazine was very much in the realm of Ebenezer Scrooge: “Bah”, I said, “I don’t need an app to do my writing. I…
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“I Couldn’t Put It Down”
Read more: “I Couldn’t Put It Down”Have you ever read a book you liked so much you said to yourself (or to someone else), “I just couldn’t put it down”? You meant, of course, that you liked the book so much you kept reading even though you had other things to do, but couldn’t tear yourself away. I’ve read a few books…
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So You Want To Be A Writer
Read more: So You Want To Be A WriterNot long ago I happened to overhear someone say they like to write, and were starting to write short stories. They didn’t ask me this question specifically, but I began to wonder, what would I say if someone asked me, “How do I go about becoming a writer and get published?” It helps, of course,…
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Some Of The Older Books
Read more: Some Of The Older BooksIn this Christmas season, I decided to look back at some of the books I’ve purchased or been given over the years. Of all the books I have, two stand out as being almost unique. Back in 1955, my grandfather gave me two books which I’ve kept longer than any others I own. I still use them…
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A Slight Disagreement
Read more: A Slight DisagreementI’ve been trying to get a science fiction novel published for over fifteen years now, and during that time I’ve learned a lot about the art and craft of writing. I’ve read magazines and books, both about writing and in my chosen genre, I’ve attended meetings and conventions, I’ve heard speaker after speaker both at meetings and…