Writing

I am a dialogue/character writer. Big damn surprise. … [Read more...] about What kind of writer are you?

My Viable Paradise report from 2001 has been rescued from the archives of my old sff.net website. Enjoy. … [Read more...] about VP5 Report

Writers who are not getting married and buying a house at the same time might want to check out Tobias Buckell's Writing Jams this summer. … [Read more...] about Writing Jams

The Well-Tempered Plot Device, as published in the July 1986 Ansible: bq.. You may find, in the course of hacking forth your masterpiece from the living pulp, that none of the plot devices hitherto catalogued, none of these little enemas to the Muse, will keep the story … [Read more...] about On deus ex machina, clench racing, and the mists of flashback

It seems we're all in agreement that this woman is a farking loony. Of course the Making Light comments thread is an unending delight, even offering up a few theories on Jane's identity. And I feel compelled to quote from the Nick Mamatas link above: The following do not … [Read more...] about Writing roundup

Writers, if you're not reading Sara Donati's blog, you're missing a great series on facial expressions and other physical aspects of emotional reactions. It starts with Furrowed Brow and it's still going. … [Read more...] about Writing physical signs of emotion

Jim Macdonald's BB discussion has become a monthly column at Absolute Write. Daily amusement: Printer's Error, by P.G. Wodehouse (via Particles) … [Read more...] about The Commercial Novelist

Oh, good. My total failure to write anything last night wasn't laziness! I was unwittingly celebrating International Book Shunning Day. … [Read more...] about Shun that book

Learn Writing with Uncle Jim is great stuff for those of us who didn't take nearly enough notes during his Viable Paradise lecture. (via Cory at BoingBoing, who got it from Teresa) … [Read more...] about Jim Macdonald on writing

So I was sitting here watching the special features on the Angel DVDs and fretting about sending my silly zeppelin story off tomorrow. (It's been three years since I submitted anything for publication, if that gives you any perspective.) And I get to "Waiting in the Wings," one … [Read more...] about In Joss We Trust