On my last trip, I did something unthinkable. I didn’t take any books. Print books, that is. I did have a number of ebooks on my tablet, including two that I acquired especially to read on this trip. One I borrowed from the library’s ebook catalog; the other I purchased. My conversion to ebooks has…
Category: General Interest
“The Silver Moment”
It’s a term I made up to describe a twist in fiction that can make the “black moment” more shocking to a reader. The black moment is a part of the basic structure of fiction that has been knocking around for centuries. The inciting incident. The mounting tension. Complications. Climax. The black moment. Denouement. There…
IT’S BACK
I knew the second revision letter on RED SKY would arrive at some point, but I didn’t expect it the day before Thanksgiving with a December 5th deadline for turning it around. I’m thankful I have a contract. I read the email, but I haven’t opened the document yet. This weekend was earmarked for family…
The Myth of Talent
A couple of months ago on the old RMFW blog, I talked about the Myth of Craft. The Myth of Craft promises us that if you learn how to write the perfect book, you will get money, fame, and your own purse dog. I don’t buy The Myth of Craft like I don’t buy The…
Grateful for the Freedom to Write
Thanksgiving is over. Carcasses of unpardoned turkeys have been cleared from the table, their remains packaged or put in sandwiches, their bones thrown away or placed in pots of water for nourishing soup in the cold days ahead. And like the remains of our feasts, there is a lingering thought for gratitude—the central theme of…