Friday, January 2nd, 2009
Your resource this time is a crib sheet on Campbell’s Hero’s Journey available here. You might find this or this helpful for setting writing goals for this year.
I talk about Gilgamesh
But I’m giving anything by Dickens a skip.
I’m going through two year-long writing books
and
Both look very good.
Friday, December 19th, 2008
Your resource this time is Changing Minds, a site about all things related to changing how people think. It was pointed out by Barry Northern who blogs at A Hanoverian Writer.
For infomatin about the American Book Awards, call (510)681-5652.
I talk about my six sentences story and my review of Ubik.
I seek information about Second Life.
I talk about using the bible as a template for verbal sparring in dialog.
I talk about the AHA moment, and how to generate it in your reader.
Your prompt is a situation. A man is standing over the body of another man, with a smoking gun in his hand. the man on the ground has been shot.
Friday, December 5th, 2008
Your resource is the Encyclopedia Mythica.
In this episode I talk about literary allusion, why it’s good, and how to use it.
Your prompt is to find a place where a text you’re reading engages prior text, then find a place where a story you’re writing can be strengthened by a link to prior text–straight or ironically–and give it a try.
Friday, November 21st, 2008
Your resource this time is the Internet Classics Archive.
I talk about language elements that are ancient and common across languages, mythological elements that are cross cultural and often psychological, and symbolism that we can use or distort for dramatic effect.
Friday, November 14th, 2008
Your resource is the website of Publisher’s Weekly.
The Moon Society has launched a new magazine called Moonbeams.
In this show I talk about haiku collections, writing haiku, and using a little trick from psychology to generate reader interest.
Friday, November 7th, 2008
Your resource today is The Heron’s Nest. Yes, I am still obsessed with poetry. It’s gotten so bad I joined the Haiku Society of America. This time I talk about the clean imagery, devoid of purple prose, that is the hallmark of good haiku, and good writing.
Friday, October 31st, 2008
Your resource this time is the Observer.
In this episode I talk about why I can never be a hard SF writer. I play with language. I talk about how Jane Reichhold uses a trick of asking a new question as she answers an old one to pull readers through her book on haiku. You can find more of her work here. I talk about the various forms of haiku, to wit:
Haiku: Done in a pattern of 5-7-5. This form links emotions to nature, without stating the emotions. They have a kigo, or hint of the seasons and kireji or cutting word in Japanese. In English we use punctuation for the kireji.
Senryu: Done in a pattern of 5-7-5. This form talks about the human condition.
Tanka: Done in a pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. This form is like haiku, but it explicitely states the emotions. Typically the 5-7-5 part and the 7-7 part are seperate in so far as one discusses the image and the other discusses the emotion.
Renga: Done in a group in repeating patterns of 5-7-5 followed by 7-7 and again 5-7-5.
Haibun: An autobiographical paragraph followed by a haiku.
Haiga: A haiku with an accompanying sketch.
Your prompt is to try haiku, with the 5-7-5 form and a kigo word, or hint of the seasons. Lead the reader through by asking a new question as you answer the old one.
Friday, October 24th, 2008
Your resource this time is Galley Cat–an industry blog with news and information.
I also want to draw your attention to this blog post on story structure and the new video offerings from Writer’s Digest.
I’ve been reading
and
I review the latter in the show.
I talk about renga poetry and the values of a journal to a writer.
Your prompt is to write a scene about an historic event of which you only know a rough sketch.
Friday, October 17th, 2008
Your resource this time is Ace Writers.
I promised two links, so here is my novel and Miriam’s story.
In this story I talk about the tools for building humor.
Your prompt is to describe a location in such a way that readers know where it is without you naming it. Bonus points if you can do it without a character.
Friday, October 3rd, 2008
Your resource this time is The Writer’s Guild of America’s website.
In this episode I review, and talk at length about The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting
Your prompt is to take the title of a classic novel, then come up with a plot that matches the title, but has nothing to do with the original story.
