A couple of days ago, I got stuck on my current fiction project and went out for a walk to think about what I needed to do next. In the dark I whipped out my phone and started brainstorming, babbling about the nearest thing to hand when nothing particularly relevant to the story came to …
I have a short story called “Estimated Value” in this anthology, a tale about the fae and pickers–people who pick up antiques and ephemera for a living (but who don’t leave changelings in return). Other authors in the anthology include: Ron Collins, Karen L. Abrahamson, Brigid Collins, Dayle A. Dermatis, Olivia Wylie, Leah R. Cutter, …
Poem experiment: write it, read it, publish it. At the Mote Aquarium, May 1. Unrhymed. One of those poems that started out as a throat-clearing exercise, but ended with me connecting some dots about larger things that have been on my mind. I took the day off and went to the Mote Aquarium to write …
I’m going to talk the ethics of AI here (specifically the ethics of generative AI) and will likely piss off everyone regardless of their current opinion on the subject. Please keep in mind the following: I am not lawful good. I’m chaotic good, dual-classed as a sorcerer-rogue. Or I’m an inheritor of Granny Weatherwax, …
Horror author (and friend of mine!) Shannon Lawrence has a new collection of holiday-themed horror short stories available, Happy Ghoulidays II. The first book in the series, Happy Ghoulidays, covered the winter holidays. Ghoulidays II covers the rest of the year, from St. Patrick’s Day to Halloween. Shannon and her partner in crime, M.B. Partlow, …
Shannon Lawrence Interview: the Easter Sunday Massacre Read More »
I woke up abruptly one morning out of a forgotten dream, the words “French onion ramen” lingering on my lips. Sounded like a great idea, so I went for it! My goal was to make not just “French onion soup with ramen noodles” but something that was more balanced between French and Japanese flavors. Elements …
You know you’re in good hands with a story (usually!) when the opening of the story starts with a suggestion of good genre conflict, you get just enough setting to feel like you’re smart for noticing subtle details (that the author has carefully designed for you to notice), and you get a sense of who …
What is the conflict? When a story starts introducing elements that directly affect the outcome of the story, that’s conflict. When characters fuss with small objects, make small talk, or think about backstory, that’s not conflict. The vital elements of character and setting are in place, and the “meat” of the story proceeds forward, leading …
Okay, so, weird thing about story openings: mostly, you won’t remember them. There are some famous story openings, but mostly what you’ll remember is the first scene with any real-time conflict in it. And that conflict won’t happen right away. Before the conflict comes the information needed to set up the rest of the story. …
Story openings = setting + point of view There are many ways to open a story! In general, though, you don’t want to start with the conflict of the story. Until the reader is invested in the story somewhat, they really won’t care about the actual conflict. Start with setting and character: Give a setting …
