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Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Release the Hounds

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Hi Tech, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 04 Oct 2012| 2 Comments »

Yesterday, the second proof for The Year the Cloud Fell (2nd Edition) arrived from CreateSpace, and it was easy to see that the revisions I made were warranted.

The smaller font size and the wider margins make all the difference in the “feel” of the text on the page. Bookman Old Style still has that open, hot-lead, typeset look in 11pt, and the extra white space to top and side actually make the smaller font look less cramped. It’s readable, it feels good in the hand, and it passes all my criteria for a quality product.

It’s ready.

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Hitting the 30k Wall

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , on 01 Oct 2012| 1 Comment »

Kurt R.A. GiambastianiI know I’m not alone. I am pretty sure most writers suffer from it. It presents itself with many symptoms, but the cause is the same. At some point, we lose confidence. Without warning, we are sure that we can’t write, that everything we write is crap, and everything we’ve ever written is crap.

For me, this condition crops up at regular, predictable intervals. I’ll be writing along, and suddenly it all seems so much dross. The outline sounds stupid, juvenile, uninteresting. The story is just so much blathering. I hate what I’ve written, I’m sure everyone will hate what I’ve written, and I can see no point in continuing.

I’ve hit it. I’ve hit the 30k wall. (more…)

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Lightning Mix

Posted in Culture, Fallen Cloud Saga, Movies, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on 29 Sep 2012| Leave a Comment »

We are informed by our experience. A lot of my experience comes from cinema. I am informed by cinema.

Many readers have told me they can “see” the scenes I write, that my style is “cinematic.” I take this as a compliment, as it is something for which I strive. I want the reader to see it in their mind. I won’t provide each hair or feather or leaf in a scene—that would be awful—but I want my words to paint just enough of the picture that the reader has all she needs to move forward and fill in the details she wants.

But I am definitely informed by cinema. Case in point: a scene I just came across during my re-edit of The Spirit of Thunder.  I remember writing the scene, I remember storyboarding it out in my head. I remember knowing exactly what inspired me to construct the sequence as I did.  (more…)

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Proof of Life

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 28 Sep 2012| 5 Comments »

We have proof!

Yesterday, Brown delivered the proof for FC:I, and once again I was reminded of just how important a hardcopy proof is. For you out there who are thinking about self-publishing a hardcopy book, always get a physical proof copy of the book.

So, how was it?

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It’s Not All About Me

Posted in Seattle, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 27 Sep 2012| 4 Comments »

First, 60 followers…wow! Thanks to each and every one. It still boggles me that you find my ramblings and musings of sufficient interest, but hey, Welcome! I’m glad you’re here.

Now, to the subject at hand. There’s a book I want you to read. It is without a doubt the funniest, wryest, most engaging book about running you’ll even encounter. Don’t let the topic put you off.

Yes, it’s a “marathoner’s memoir,” but that truly over-simplifies this insightful book. I don’t run anymore (bad knees) and I have never run a marathon nor did I ever attempt to run a marathon. I did not read this book because I wanted to be “inspired” to run a marathon. I read this book because (as the Acknowledgments will tell you) I know the author, but I want you to read it because it is simply a really good, funny, often laugh-out-loud read.

Todd Baker started out as an overweight asthmatic, and ended up running a marathon and carrying the Olympic torch during its path through Washington State. Along the way, he learned a lot—about running, about people, about himself—and with sharp wit, a gimlet eye, and self-deprecating humor, he has put this journey down for us to enjoy.

If you like Bill Bryson’s work, you’ll love this. It’s available in hardcopy and in Kindle format, and I recommend it highly.

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Muh

Posted in Culture, Writing, tagged , , on 26 Sep 2012| Leave a Comment »

Obey the Kitty!There’s a peculiar sound you can hear in my house, whenever the TV is on. It’s a little sound…something like…”muh.” You’d hear it more often during news broadcasts and unscripted shows than at other times. It wouldn’t take you long to realize that it comes from me.

I have an affliction. It’s called speakproperlydammititis. The symptoms include facial tics, guttural mumbling, involuntary moues, and the small Tourette-like exclamations of “muh.”

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The Forest Drooped Glimmeringly

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , on 25 Sep 2012| 3 Comments »

Kurt R.A. GiambastianiThere are few classes of words with a worse rep than adverbs. The title of this post, taken from George Meredith’s  The Ordeal of Richard Feverel, is pretty much the gold standard of bad adverb use. Editors hate them; many writers eschew them. I, however, will stand up in their defense.

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