On the 20th last week, I celebrated with my dad his 91st birthday. I took him to lunch, then sat with him in his apartment and talked about the past: “The Good Ol’ Days” as many people who lived in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s tend to call those decades. He grew up in a … Continue reading For the Love of Short Stories
Tag: procedure
2011.12.13 Writing: Fictional Characters
Thank you for joining me today for another post from the past with reflections about writing and my life as a writer. If you’re a writer of fiction, you likely subscribe to the newsstand magazines that publish articles on how to write better fiction. Lately, I’ve seen articles that claim story characters react more to … Continue reading 2011.12.13 Writing: Fictional Characters
2011.6.20 Writing: An Obsession
Join me while I reblog another post from the past with reflections about writing and my life as a writer. I love to write stories—it’s a fulfilling process of creating life from the imagination. Currently, writing stories is an obsession. I live it, breathe it, consume it—I’m absolutely possessed by the “thing’s” very essence. Ideas … Continue reading 2011.6.20 Writing: An Obsession
2011.5.16 Writing: Short Stories
When I write a story, I sometimes try to tell too much of it at the start. I know who my main characters are, and I know I must introduce them right away. That’s the number one rule of storytelling. But in my haste to get all the major players on stage, I tend to … Continue reading 2011.5.16 Writing: Short Stories
2011.3.8 Writing: Round and Flat Characters
I write fiction and create people, places, and things to populate my fictional worlds. Among the people I and all fiction writers create are the major characters and the minor ones. Major characters lead the story events. The best major characters are complex, emotional, and have many layers of different feelings. Their complexities and emotions … Continue reading 2011.3.8 Writing: Round and Flat Characters
2011.2.28 Writing: Fictional Places
Before I begin developing my characters for a story, I either draw or paint locations, take photographs of interesting places, and make maps of where my main characters live. I want to be able to see where they are while I write, and what the areas look like if I want to use location descriptions … Continue reading 2011.2.28 Writing: Fictional Places
2011.2.20 Writing: A Day in My Life
Words awoke me the other morning, repeating in my mind loudly, obtrusively. At 4:27, I snapped on my lamp and scribbled them down. Dark cold Deep blue Frigid from the death of violet I wondered, “What does it mean, frigid from the death of violet?” I tried to remember the dream that had birthed those … Continue reading 2011.2.20 Writing: A Day in My Life
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