Where the knots in tales become untangled…
I’m sure that many of you have picked up at least one book about how to be a writer. Or perhaps you’ve read books or blogs that focus on the tricks of the trade employed by your favorite writer. Maybe you haven’t. But if you have, and looked at several, there are two suggestions or “tricks” that almost every author recommends:
1) Write every day.
2) Exercise.
I’ll admit that I haven’t actually read the book this time. (But I do own a copy.) I did watch National Geographic’s video version that has the author, Jared Diamond, as its host covering the same material that was in the book…so I think that counts. The book, and movie, is entitled Guns, Germs, & Steel: The Fates of Human Societies and takes an in-depth look at why there are haves and have-nots in the world. Why did European societies rise to such great technological heights while African societies, for the most part, remain under-privileged? It is not because one race is inherently superior to another…every derivation of human has its share of the talented and the talent-less, the smart and the stupid, the weak and the strong…so what caused some societies to develop rapidly while others did not? As a writer, this is a fascinating and complex question to be answered and does a lot to advance one’s world-building.
Continue reading “Book and Movie Review: ”Guns, Germs, & Steel””
I have a mug that says, “God gave us music so we might sing without words.” I’m not especially religious, but I do find music to be highly influential on my moods and inspirational for my writing. I like creating soundtracks for my stories, seeking out songs that fit or explain characters or spark scenes. Whenever I listen to music, if I hear a song that starts making me think of a scene or character, or just gives a certain mood to a story, I jot it down to add to that story’s playlist.
Some writers use music a lot for their writing. My friend Foxglove Zayuri is like that. She has massive playlists full of songs that inspire her characters and stories. Music is very important to her writing process. I’m not quite as intense; my playlists only have a dozen or so songs for each story. Some songs may really feel like they match a character perfectly, like “Under the Rose” by HiM matches Scion Argent from The Mariner Sequence. Others don’t seem to match up in as straightforward a fashion. For example, I recently heard the theme from the British TV show Wycliffe by Nigel Hess, and that immediately made me think about Astral Rain. I don’t really know why, but as soon as I heard it, images started pouring through my mind. It really doesn’t matter how many songs you use, as long as they aren’t forced and inspire you. After all, chances are no one except you will hear that soundtrack you compiled.
Happy Vernal Equinox (Ostara) to you all! With the increase in temperature and amount of sunshine, my creative instincts are stirring slightly. I haven’t quite been able to get back into writing on a regular basis, but at least the interest is slowly returning!
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost April. Last year around this time I was preparing the script of my graphic novel Astral Rain as my entry for Script Frenzy. Because of that, I’ve been thinking a lot about Astral Rain recently and thought it might be interesting to share the origins of the story.
I’ve been reading a book called The Cult TV Book: From Star Trek to Dexter, New Approaches to TV Outside the Box. It’s a collection of scholarly essays on the phenomenon known as cult television, shows like Star Trek, Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Babylon 5, or Battlestar Galactica that gain a dedicated, and sometimes even massive, following of viewers who are deeply engaged in an ever-expanding and enriched reading of the universes, stories, characters, and themes contained within those shows. I’m fascinated by books and articles like this, particularly when it pertains to media I like or hobbies I participate in. Several of the articles so far have pointed out that the dedication of fans to these kinds of shows and their willingness to consume alternate media relating to those shows, such as websites, conventions, podcasts, fanfiction, and purchasing DVDs and other merchandise have impacted networks. Television networks have begun shifting their focus from creating shows that are (usually) insipid enough to appeal to the greatest number of people to focusing on niche markets of smaller, but more dedicated, viewers on networks such as HBO. The trend that once marginalized cult TV fans is now what helps TV networks make a profit as they design more and more shows to be more like original cult TV and tap into the love fans have for shows that reward attentive viewing.
Sorry for the very short entry; due to a lot of personal upheaval, I haven’t been feeling the desire to write at all, not even rambling essays such as this. I hope you’ll forgive the sparse, unimaginative prose that is likely to grace my entries until further notice.
I know it’s probably a little premature to be thinking about fans of your writing, especially if, like me, you haven’t actually finished anything yet. However, fans are part of the hypothetical audience you are writing for, people like you who are interested in the kinds of stories you tell. But on another writing blog, I ran across the question, “Would you like to be a bestseller or have a smaller, more manageable following?”
It’s not as straightforward as it looks.
I generally don’t care much for Valentine’s Day. It’s very distressing to have such a gooey, sugary, PINK holiday in the same month as your birthday. I never quite understood why everyone would make such a huge deal out of a holiday were you don’t get a vacation and only certain people (a.k.a. couples) get presents. It’s a holiday about love, but if you love someone, aren’t you supposed to show that love all year round, not just one random winter day?
Valentine’s Day can evoke emotions in a range wide range, from being very happy (for those who have special someones), to annoying (if you don’t care for pink), to downright depressing (if you are single and lonely). For me, I started off very grouchy cause let’s face it, this day kind of shoves in your face the fact that you are alone (if you happen to be so.) Even if you’re fine the rest of the year, Valentine’s Day twists something in your gut.
But, thanks to a totally unexpected card (yes, a real, snail-mail card!) from my onii-san David Greenshell, followed by an equally unexpected visit from him at work, the day took a turn for the better. It’s easy to forget that Valentine’s Day is about love, not just romantic love between couples. Friends and family can express love on Valentine’s day too. We just get caught up in the romantic trappings that we forget love has many myriad forms.
My friend Foxglove Zayuri found a wonderful article on Terrible Minds, and I simply had to share it with everyone this week because it is hilarious and so, so true.
CAUTION: If you are offended by crude language, you may wish to skip this article. You have been warned.
“25 REASONS THAT WRITERS ARE BUG-FUCK NUTS”
I have always enjoyed reading books about writing. For some reason, it gets me in the mood to write. Plus, there are plenty of suggestions, hints, or theories that can help me overcome writer’s block or attack a plot problem from a different angle. Over the years, there are a few such books that were quite useful to me.
How To Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
This is the only book I’ve found that deals solely with the problems that plague fantasy and sci-fi writers. Orson Scott Card is a prolific writer in both genres, although he does learn a bit more towards the sci-fi. But, either way, he does an excellent job defining fantasy versus sci-fi and addressing the problems inherent in dealing with those genres. It’s a great, easy-to-follow read and it’s relatively short, only 140 pages, so it doesn’t take very long to devour it. This is a must-have for writers of fantasy and science fiction.
What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word “research?”
“Ugh.”
“Oh man…really?”
“I thought I left that all behind when I graduated.”
“Do I have to?”
There are a few anomalous individuals who relish the thought of research, but, let’s face it, most of us don’t enjoy it. For me, it depends on what I’m researching. If it’s about weapons or animals I’m usually very interested and enthusiastic, but many other subjects seem like a tedious way to spend my afternoon.
Some of you might be wondering, “Why do you have to do research, Kat? You write fantasy! You just make everything up! That doesn’t require research.”
WRONG!
The Cat's Cradle : On Hiatus! 