Category Archives: the craft (fiction, not Wicca)

wordiness and the Brits

Posted on August 18, 2011 by

Check out the notice posted in the elevator of my flat in London! If a student of mine wrote like this in an essay, s/he would lose marks for wordiness. I wonder now if this just a North American rule? … Continue reading →

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where have you been?

Posted on August 5, 2011 by

I’ve been to London, to visit the Queen! Well, the British Library, anyway (so far). How tickled was I to find an exhibit on Science Fiction there to distract me from my research! “Out Of This World” includes a video … Continue reading →

Posted in ...and when I get home I read some more, field trips, sucker for higher learning, the craft (fiction, not Wicca) | Leave a comment

on voice

Posted on July 14, 2011 by

At ChiZine Publications’ Chiaroscuro Reading Series last night I encountered something rare and wonderful: a writer who voices her own work when she reads. Lesley Livingston may write her fantasy/romance novels specifically for young adults, but thanks to her voicing, … Continue reading →

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QOD: this week, take it up a notch

Posted on June 20, 2011 by

  “There is always a temptation to diddle around in the contemplative life, making itsy-bitsy statues. There is always the enormous temptation in all of life to diddle around making itsy-bitsy friends and meals and journeys for years on end. … Continue reading →

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nest tragedies

Posted on June 13, 2011 by

Contrary to popular belief, spring is the cruelest season.  Today a baby squirrel got caught in my eaves trough and I had to listen to its bone-chilling cries, not to mention the alarm calls of its mother, for 45 min … Continue reading →

Posted in coterie moments, the craft (fiction, not Wicca) | Tagged , | 1 Comment

how to write without writing

Posted on June 4, 2011 by

This is ridiculous.  I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever had it this bad.  I sulk around all day and snipe at my family all evening.  I cannot physically restrain myself from leaping up seconds after I sit down.  I … Continue reading →

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joy of return

Posted on May 14, 2011 by

We were glad when Frodo finally got chased across the Ford of Rivendell.  We’d been getting pretty Bored of the Rings, actually, what with all the walking, waiting and worrying the hobbits had been doing since Bree.  In fact I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in ...and when I get home I read some more, household literacy 101, the craft (fiction, not Wicca), the old stories | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

QOD: heading into the weekend, a blessing upon writers

Posted on May 13, 2011 by

“To sum it all up, if you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You … Continue reading →

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talent versus hard work

Posted on May 12, 2011 by

Over the last week I’ve heard the word “talent” twice, in contexts that got me thinking about its meaning and how we apply it for good or ill: 1. There’s a young filmmaker at my school whose first work has … Continue reading →

Posted in go on and bow down, quote of the day, sucker for higher learning, the craft (fiction, not Wicca), you mean you can draw too? | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

uh-oh, blockage. . .

Posted on May 1, 2011 by

So, Ms. Type, what’s with the slowdown in posts? It’s true, faithful readers. I have recently been experiencing that dreaded reluctance to commit word to screen.  After intense self-scrutiny I have produced a scientific analysis of the components of my … Continue reading →

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