Some things are better left unsaid.
Monday morning writing joke: “State of mind”
Two fifty-five-year-old authors were sitting together on a dais at a writer’s conference.
The first one looks at the photo and short biography of the third author who is scheduled to join them.
“Wow,” the first author says, “I must be getting old.”
“Why?” the second asks, “because she looks so young in the photo?”
“No. Because she says she’s twenty-seven and describes herself as middle-aged.”
“Yeah,” the second author sighs, “middle age is looking younger and younger to me, too.”
***
Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.
–Mark Twain
Filed under Monday morning writing joke
Crime Writer Michael Connelly Shares Secrets With Students | TheLedger.com
Crime Writer Michael Connelly Shares Secrets With Students | TheLedger.com.
Sample:
Bestselling crime novelist Michael Connelly had just returned from two weeks in New York, where he met with writers planning scripts for a new TV series adapted from his books about the Los Angeles Detective Harry Bosch.
He planned to take part in a conference call Thursday evening to help determine who would direct each episode for the first season of “Bosch.”
In between, Connelly stood in the Mini Theater at Harrison School for the Arts on Thursday afternoon, handing out copies of the script for the first episode of “Bosch” to a group of teenagers. Connelly, also author of “The Lincoln Lawyer,” spent nearly two hours talking to some 30 students in the Motion Picture Arts program at the Lakeland school.
Connelly, who lives in Tampa, talked about the writing process, the creation of characters and the challenges of adapting novels for TV and movies. He also treated Motion Pictures Arts instructor Rick Jansen’s class to the opening scene of the pilot for “Bosch,” which is still in production will be available for streaming on Amazon as early as next fall.
“I think that’s really nifty,” senior Eric Moots said afterward about Connelly’s visit to the school. “I don’t think this could happen anywhere besides Harrison.”
Continued at: http://www.theledger.com/article/20140419/NEWS/140419149/1002/sports?p=1&tc=pg
Filed under Writers on writing
The Underrated, Universal Appeal of Science Fiction – Chris Beckett – The Atlantic
The Underrated, Universal Appeal of Science Fiction – Chris Beckett – The Atlantic.
Sample:
When I’m introduced to someone as a writer, a now familiar pattern of events often follows.
“Oh, really! How interesting!” the someone—let’s call her Jane—says, sounding quite enthusiastic. “What do you write?”
“Science fiction,” I say.
Jane instantly glazes over. “I’m afraid I never read science fiction.”
In other instances, people who know me have read a book of mine out of curiosity and then told me, in some surprise, that they liked it—“even though I don’t normally like science fiction.” Indeed, when a short story collection of mine won a non-genre prize, it was apparently a surprise to the judges themselves: According to the chair of the judging panel, “none of [them] knew they were science-fiction fans beforehand.”
Filed under science fiction
Photo finish Friday: “The caper”
Somebody’s hoppin’ mad … or crazy.
Filed under Photo by author, Photo Finish Friday
Haiku to you Thursday: “Melodies”
The wind in the trees /
whistles the songs of near spring /
vibrating the buds
Filed under Haiku to You Thursday, poetry by author
Writing tip Wednesday: “Novel ideas”
How to Write a Manuscript: 5 Key Tips
Getting started on any writing project is always the toughest. For years I talked about turning an idea I had from college into a novel so amazing that Oprah would beg to have me on—probably twice! I had notes for the novel in my head and, once in a blue moon, I’d actually sit down to try to write the damn thing. But what did I know about how to write a manuscript? The most I could ever hammer out was about 2,000 words. Considering most first-time novels fall between 80,000-100,000 words, I think it was safe to say that I was more likely to publish a sneeze than this book.
It wasn’t until I got serious about it that I started to make real progress (not on that manuscript, mind you, but on a nonfiction project). I don’t think I would have had any luck writing a manuscript if I hadn’t learned these five tips. I recommend them to anyone who is serious about writing a manuscript or has even toyed with the idea of writing novels. Here they are.
1. Don’t worry about format until you are finished.
Details like this only stand in your way from writing a great story. Worry about cooking the meal first before concerning yourself with presentation. You can wait until much, much later to adjust your manuscript and adhere to formatting guidelines. And, when you are ready, read this piece on how to format a manuscript.
2. Set aside 45-60 minutes a day to write your novel.
Sometimes, finding the time isn’t easy.
Other information includes outlining, first and lines sentences, and having fun. Details at: http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/how-to-write-a-manuscript-5-excellent-tips?et_mid=669375&rid=239626420
Filed under writing tip, Writing Tip Wednesday, writing tips
Monday morning writing joke: “Look at me”
Q: How many narcissists does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: One. He holds it up, and the world revolves around him.
Filed under Monday morning writing joke
New words to live by: “Biercism”
A young Ambrose Bierce
–Ambrose Bierce
Biercism, n. dry wit on par with that of Ambrose Bierce.
Old biercism (original): Love, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. This disease, like caries and many other ailments, is prevalent only among civilized races living under artificial conditions; barbarous nations breathing pure air and eating simple food enjoy immunity from its ravages. It is sometimes fatal, but more frequently to the physician than to the patient.
Modern biercism: Love, n. a meeting of the mind and the loins, one hopes somewhere around the heart. A volatile mixture often given to displays of insanity, vitriol, and occasionally violence. The world seems turned upside down by love – and often is. You fall in love and fall out of love, but the violence appears to be less to the shins, knees, hands, arms, or back, and more to the internal organs.
[Editor’s note: one might consider this both a new word to live byand a Devil’s Dictionary entry all mashed up (or rolled up) into one. In our continuing quest to revisit a classic, or even a curiosity from the past and see how relevant it is, we continue with The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. Originally published in newspaper installments from 1881 until 1906. You might be surprised how current many of the entries are.
Click on Devil’s Dictionary in the tags below to bring up the other entries. Click on new word or new words below to see some other new words, such as congressed or obsurd or fogget or awfulizer. Words that should be in the modern lexicon, but aren’t … yet.]
Filed under Ambrose Bierce, Devil's Dictionary, new word, New words to live by
