Hello, writers. I'm sitting in for SensibleShoes this week, because she's stepping out. An orgiastic vacation at some sort of naturalist camp, from what I understand, with plenty of s'mores and peyote.
Because I'm a lazy, lazy man I thought we'd do something a little different tonight. Instead of wisdom, all I've got are questions:
- Have you ever taken apart your favorite novels to see how they tick? Which novels taught you most about the craft of writing? What lessons did you learn? Did you read and re-read until the lessons seeped into your mind, sit down and work through the text with a highlighter and scalpel, or what?
- Do you have a favorite abandoned novel or story or work of nonfiction? Something you planned, and maybe started, but never finished? Why is it your favorite? Why did you kick the poor defenseless thing to the curb? Extra points if you post the first paragraph of the pathetic creature in comments!
- What are you working on right now? What problems are you wrestling with? Found any new-to-you solutions? Remembered any old ones? Need SenSho to email you privately for a one-on-one class, for the low, low fee of $287?*
- Have you got anything simmering at the moment? Do you believe that chatting about unfinished projects is like shoveling horseshit--a wonderful way to fertilize--or are you in the 'pressure-cooker' school of thought, afraid if you let any steam escape you'll ruin the dish?
- What oddball areas of expertise do you have
that I can exploit for the purposes of character creation? Are you, like cfk, a talented amateur featherweight boxer? Have you, like me, worked as a janitor at the Lusty Lady, the world's only unionized worker-owned peep show co-op?
This is where SenSho includes clever and interesting links, but I've got nothing. Wait! I just did a lightning round of find-that-link.
I don't know what the hell thisis, other than a link. So click it, and explain to me.
This link starts with "Mohamed Mahmood Alessa was arrested with his friend (and co-conspirator) on the way to join a militant group in Somalia. His mother has said that he wanted to take his cat, Tuna Princess, with him, but she did not allow it and they argued."
These Children Who Come at You With Knives, and Other Fairy Tales. Haven't read it, but it's a link. Screw you! I can't take the pressure.
Thisis The Book of Sand: A Hypertext/Puzzle. By Borges. Translated and redesigned by a couple of other guys.
The Book of Sand site is a hypertext, with a nonlinear structure and dynamic images. This story is well-suited for such a presentation, since it deals with a supernatural book whose many pages are in no discernible order.
I think I'm supposed to write something here.
Write On! will be a regular Thursday feature (8 pm ET) until it isn't. Be sure to check out other great lit'ry diaries like:
sarahnity's books by kossacks on Tuesdays
plf515's What Are You Reading? on Wednesday mornings.
cfk's bookflurries on Wednesday nights.
Never, ever sign anything with any agent or publisher whom you haven't checked out at Writer Beware or Preditors and Editors. If you can't find anything on the publisher there, that's not good news.
* Offer void where prohibited and nonexistent elsewhere.