The pen is my sword. I have written before that writers are readers. We read for our own enjoyment and to learn techniques, both through exposure to well-written work and through examination of the works we read. Lu Chi’s Wen Fu (which I have cited in the past) said it best: When cutting an axe…
All me, just different. Like most writers, I have a day job. I am a teacher. I am also a wife and mother, so adding a writing life just increases confusion to the standard complicated life of this everywoman. I have to keep them from overlapping. My teaching is about the student, not about what…
I write time travel novels, and one of the features that stands out when a character travels in time is fitting in with the culture. That includes clothing, behavior, hair styles, social interaction and such. Since my characters move about in time, I have had to research to make sure that Mick is wearing the…
ring by ring, we build brevity, depth, complexity, simplicity Every new skill or bit of knowledge we learn brings with it that usage curve that starts out complex, and as we gain understanding and mastery, we simplify and integrate. That applies to life and work in general, but it is also the essence of growing…
start with something & keep writing What better post to discuss beginnings on than In the beginning…. Where to start the story? Start with any word that comes to mind — the beginning is just that: a place to start. a character talking to another character the character talking to the reader the character talking…
Branch of the family tree, okay vine. Often when I read science fiction, the main characters and certainly the supporting and stock characters rarely have family. I don’t mean they don’t ever have family, but family is not the cause of change or action in them. Family is window decoration in most novels. Yet family…
Write when you can. Be there the rest of the time All writers juggle their private and public lives with their writing lives. It doesn’t matter if they write for a living or write part time. Yesterday, I had a rare day free from any after-work demand from my job. I had a post for…
Flawed yet potentially beautiful. We all face demands that require near perfection, sometimes even perfection. Those of us naturally conscientious try hard to meet them. In fact, we often demand them of ourselves, without an outside force motivating us. I am a perfectionist, so I can certainly sympathize with those who demand it of themselves…
