Friday, July 3rd, 2009
Your resource this time is the online grammar guide at http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
I announce a new writing contest for kids. For details go to http://www.reminchronicles.com.
I talk about the dangers of over-writing, particularly an excess of metaphors, purple prose, convoluted sentence structures, trips to the ink well, and repetition.
I promised a link to the Block Party Podcast.
Your prompt this week is an exercise. Find a paragraph in your writing and crank the floweriness all the way up, then crank it all the way down. See what middle ground works best.
Friday, June 19th, 2009
Your resource this time is the online writing class at Learning Space.
In this episode I talk about deus ex machina.
Your prompt is a title, “The god’s machine”. See what you can do with it.
Friday, June 5th, 2009
Your resource this time is Enhance My Writing where you’ll find reference materials, style guides, and job postings for journalists and writers.
On this show I talk about stereotypes and prejudism in fantasy and science fiction.
Your prompt is to put a character in the midst of a group he hates, though he doesn’t know any of the individuals involved. So if he’s a woodland elf, he hates desert elves, and now is in a pack of desert elves, all of whom are strangers to him.
Friday, May 29th, 2009
In this episode, I have the great priviledge of interviewing Matthew Wayne Selznick, author of Brave Men Run and Hazy Days and Cloudy Nights.
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Your resource this time is the Virtual Writer’s Conference, at Virtualwritersconference.blogspot.com
Al sent in a link to Spring Note at http://www.springnote.com.
I talk about how religion might form in an alien society, and how long dead religions might still manifest in alien culture.
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Your prompt this time is to make up a myth for your character’s society—alien or fantasy. Make it fit the rest of their culture.
Friday, May 15th, 2009
I talk about how people fit on various continuums, such as progressive vs conservative in their approaches to technology, and how that creates tension in a story.
Your resource this time is the Writer Crash Test put together by Holly Lisle at http://writercrashtest.com/ It’s a video podcast on how to write a novel.
There are 15 scholarships available to the Mayborn Literary Conference. Interested applicants must submit:
A completed application
Two reference letters (The Sid Richardson scholarship requires that one letter come from a supervisor)
A letter of 250 words or less about why he or she wants to attend the conference
A nonfiction writing sample, published or not, maximum of 1000 words.
All applications are due July 1. Winners will be notified via e-mail by July 3. The applications can be accessed at www.themayborn.unt.edu/MaybornConferenece2009.htm and can be mailed to the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism, 1155 Union Circle #311460, Denton, TX 76203. Applications can also be faxed to 940-369-8959.
For more information contact Sarah Whyman at sarah.whyman@unt.edu or contact the Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism at 940-565-4564.
SciFi Now is teaming up with Tor to give one lucky writer a chance at seeing his or her work in print. From their website:
To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, readers must enter a full synopsis of their novel along with the first three chapters by 20 August. Needless to say the novel must sit comfortably within the sci-fi and fantasy genres.
After all the entries have been received, a shortlist of six will be drawn up. The winning entry will be decided on by a judging panel comprised of members of the SciFiNow team and Tor. The winner will be announced in SciFiNow #35 on sale 25 November.
All entries should be sent to warofthewords@imagine-publishing.co.uk along with a name and contact details.
For a full list of rules and regulations go to http://www.scifinow.co.uk/competitions/war-of-the-words-rules-and-regulations/
Dharma Kelleher sent a link to a serialized blogging of Dracula, timed to dates in the novel. You can find it at http://dracula-feed.blogspot.com/and find her at www.dharmakelleher.com.
If you want to see the fiction I’ve blogged this week, it’s at http://www.kehinde.com/blog If you want to see my review of Green Lantern: Hero’s Quest, it’s at http://sfsite.com/05a/gr295.htm.
Your prompt for this week is to decide on a continuum. Could be progressive/conservative. Could be planned/spontaneous. Could be anything you like, and put two characters on in with a serious problem in the middle. Let them go to town with it.
Friday, May 1st, 2009
Your resource this time is Writing Excuses.
UNT’s Mayborn Conference is accepting entries for their literary competition. Essays and articles of no longer than 20 pages should be sent with a $30 entry fee to
Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism
1155 Union Circle # 311460
Denton, TX 76203
Send two copies. Also send an electronic copy to MaybornConferenceInfo@unt.edu
The deadline is June 1.
To register for the conference visit www.TheMayborn.unt.edu. For more information contact Jo Ann Ballentine, conference manager, at 940-565-4778/
You might want to look at what Dr. Linda Brodsky is doing with ebooks at www.lindabrodskymd.com/ebook.html
The portable platform software I spoke of is available at U3.com and portableapps.com. The backup service is at Mozy.com.
I spoke about idea files, how to set one up, and how they help keep ideas in the pipeline.
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
Sorry about missing a show last week. I forgot to warn you it was Passover. This week we have an interview with author Karina Fabian, author of Magic, Mensa, and Mayhem. Karina is a fun, talented author, and I enjoyed getting the chance to speak with her.
You can find out more about her at Fabianspace.com or learn about her latest novel at Dragonseyepi.net.
Sunday, March 29th, 2009
Your resource is Fiction Factor. Articles on writing, from style to grammar.
On this show I talk about science, and poke some fun at some silly things I’ve seen.
Your prompt is to invent a world where we really do stick to the ground via magnetism. Remember, gravity won’t affect things like wood or glass, just inertia. What would that be like?
Friday, March 13th, 2009
Your resource this time is Write or Die. You should also be aware of Query Fail day on Twitter. Kenneth Beck pointed out Writing Excuses and Adobe Buzzword.
I speak of Friggatriskaideckaphobia (the fear of Friday the 13th) and the goddess who gave her name, both to Friday and to Friggatrickaideckaphobia, Frigga, or Frigg as she’s sometimes called.
I played an interview with Joe Melillo, author of Parker the Platypus.
Your prompt this time is to take a myth and write what happens after it ends.
