While preparing myself for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), I browsed the nanowrimo.org web site and saw a “Get Sponsored!” link. Intrigued, I clicked, and was initially pretty happy: You can get friends and family to sponsor your novel-writing month…
Category: writing
Pulp Direction
Today is the birthday of Lester Dent, creator of Doc Savage (“The Man of Bronze”). Writer’s Almanac describes his formula for writing a 6,000-word pulp story: Dent wrote more than a thousand pulp fiction stories, all with the same formula,…
Now We are on iTunes
I just realized that I hadn’t actually announced my latest project here. Last week, I launched a new blog, 512 Words or Fewer, where I’ll publish a flash fiction story every Friday and post audio of myself reading that story….
Short Answer: NO
Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten’s September 21st piece, titled “Illiterature: Can a computer judge fiction?”, includes 385 words of custom-built slush. An excerpt: JASMINE AND LAURENCE By Gene Weingarten The two lovers writhed as one, entwined and moist, like a…
Beginnings
Something Scalzi said at Viable Paradise (paraphrased): “Your first sentence buys you the first paragraph. Your first paragraph buys you the first page. Your first page buys you the first chapter. Your first chapter buys the next one.” In that…
iz mai birfday
I thought there would be more lolcats on this subject, but I guess it’s a bit common. Today is also former President/peanut farmer Jimmy Carter’s birthday. I recall with unusual lucidity a moment from my childhood, when some friends and…
Back in the World
I’m home after an exhausting and exhilarating week at Viable Paradise XII. I spent all day Saturday traveling, was pretty much useless on Sunday, and only regained the mental capacity to make actual decisions late this afternoon. (Speaking of which,…
I Miss Aaron Sorkin
But at least we still have Sorkin parodies, like this West Wing homage from Maureen Dowd: OBAMA I appreciate your sense of humor, sir, but I really could use your advice. BARTLET Well, it seems to me your problem is…
I’ll Fly Away
I’m headed back east today, crossing the country again for a writing workshop on Martha’s Vineyard: So I probably won’t be blogging too much for the next week or so. But I’m sure you can find some other way to…