Posts under ‘Writing’

Chuck Wendig, on writing myths. Short version: writers are not Speshul Snowflakes.

The Emperor sneezed. Even the torrential downpour hadn’t settled the spring pollen. Curse those catilies! Everyone planted them for the vibrant pink blooms, but he was violently allergic. There should be a law. The Emperor looked down at the paper he held. No, ninety decrees was enough, even if he’d forgotten the catily flowers. One [...]

My brain is full of science, but I’ve also been writing fiction, trying to write a couple hundred words a night. That’s not much — I can write 10,000 on a really good day if I’m remarkably motivated and already know what happens — but it’s something. Science takes a lot of brain power, and [...]

After the fun of the Friday night story, I’m back to the slog of novel revisions. Finally decided that the thing that I’ve been worried about really doesn’t work, and that I’m going to have to rewrite a fair bit, including the climax, to make it work. Not amused, but also not surprised. I’ve had [...]

Back in the days of Twitter, Morning Cat Face was a meme. You probably don’t remember those, do you? Memes were kind of like viruses. No, don’t make that face. They were ideas, not really viruses at all. But they were ideas that spread from person to person. When there was an internet, everyone could [...]

The short bits first: the monthly writer’s social project this time was six word stories. There’s an assignment every month, something suitable for discussing over beer and burgers. My contributions: My balloon rises, valve stuck open. My garden’s overrun. Maybe it’s Triffids. And the long bit: I have a new article at Clarkesworld this month: [...]

This is a clever marketing ploy: CDC disaster preparedness has gotten more discussion today that in the past few months, I’d guess. And you know, it is rather important to be prepared for the zombie apocalypse. Also flood, tornado, earthquake and fire. And the rapture, since it is happening Saturday. The rest of us may [...]

Nick and I were on a road trip last month, and got to talking about writing. He’s become interested in telling his own stories, though right now he’s at the “lots of ideas but can’t get them on paper” stage. We were talking about ideas and execution and how to get a story going. Nick [...]

Happy Easter, to those of you inclined that way. Crash-testing chocolate eggs! More egg science. And as if that weren’t enough, it’s time to play first lines! These are the first lines from everything in progress. All the Leaves on Mars: “Whisper-thin sheets of stainless steel piled to the ceiling, compulsively stacked, impeccably organized.” Gray [...]

No, I’m not spending all my time in Powell’s. Of course I’m not. See, I even finished a new Science in My Fiction post: The Plastic Economy. I’ve also been working very hard, but today is a vacation day. Watch out Portland!