Category: Philosophy of Writing
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The Misogynist
Welcome back to my series on the influencers of my writing style. The second face on my personal Mount Rushmore of mentors is John Frederick Lange Jr., or to use his more familiar pen name, John Norman. As well as being a writer, Norman was also a professor of philosophy with a particular focus on…
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The Historian
“The difference between the right word and the nearly right word is the same as that between lightning and the lightning bug.” ~ MARK TWAIN I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I’m no longer a writer, so what am I doing administering a writing site? Well, that’s a leftover from a former life…
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What Inspires Me
When asked what inspires me, I think of the 1985-92 television series Ray Bradbury Theater. During the intro segment, Ray Bradbury walked into an old cage elevator and came out in an office full of memorabilia and toys. He referred to it as his “magician’s toyshop.” All he had to do was look around and…
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The Best-Laid Plans…
Good morning, all, and welcome back to the Web. Forgive me, dear readers, but I have lost my way. For a good many years now, I have written stories and novels of fantasy and the occult. I’ve written a fantasy novel that has received praise for not being overrun with elves, dwarves, and goblins (check…
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The Steampunk Aesthetic
Earlier this month, I was a panelist at the Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention in Tucson, Arizona. During the convention, I had the opportunity to sit on a panel with K.W. Jeter, the man who coined the word “steampunk” in a 1987 letter to Locus Magazine. In the letter, he spoke about fantasies set in…
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Did I Write That?
Let’s talk about the subconscious mind and its effects on writing fiction. I’ve studied and practiced the art of fiction writing for a short time: four years, two months, and four days (4 to 8 hours per day, most days.) That’s a lot of hours. About two years ago I phoned my ‘favourite reader’, and…
Threads that Bind 