Jul 03 2008
Thanks for coming.
Jul 03 2008
I submitted a potential rewrite of our introduction to the Critters Writing Workshop. It’s very short (2 pages) and I expect that we’ll eventually expand it to about 5. Currently, it’s rated PG-13 for adult language, but we’re considering modifying it to PG.
Jul 03 2008
Like The Fantasy Novelist’s Exam, we’ve written a list of questions to help you identify problems with your writing. Continue Reading »
Jul 03 2008
I did a Google search for “bad superhero writing” and Superhero Nation was the top result. Screw you, Google!
[B. Mac] Speaking of Google, it decided to celebrate the 4th of July on its front-page today, which is slightly unexpected because instead of national holidays, they usually focus on holidays like Earth Day that are equally unimportant everywhere.
Jul 03 2008
Picture of Earth courtesy of the HSCD School Board, atomic bomb courtesy of the Department of Energy, and Bill Nye courtesy of TVgasm. All blame for the low quality Photoshopping is ours.
Jul 03 2008
When authors or fans challenge negative reviews, they sometimes say something like “what have you written, because I bet it’s awful.” I think that reflects a fundamentally wrong conception of reviewing. Every day, people evaluate and suggest things without any experience of having made them. For example, over the past few years I’ve suggested that friends stay away from (ugly) Pontiac Azteks, (shoddy) Craftsman tools, and (inedible) McDonald’s food. But I’ve never designed a car, built a tool and hardly ever cook. Does my lack of experience disqualify me as a relevant reviewer?
Jul 03 2008
Sword-and-spell fantasy is a genre that attracts many prospective writers, which is good. Unfortunately, many of those authors are unpolished. Fortunately, there is an author’s test that will help fantasy authors diagnose some of the most common problems in their book. I find the following list of plot elements particularly useful:
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