Technology

Novel Writing 101: Handy Dandy Tools for Writers

December 10, 2011

Novel Writing 101
The physicalness of writing (did I just coin a term?) is as interesting as the reasons we do it, and the “Words we write” themselves.  Mark Twain wrote a good many of his stories flat on his back in bed.  Ernest Hemingway put his typewriter on a chest-high shelf, and wrote standing up. [...]

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There Is a Novel in Everybody: It’s Time to Get it Out!

December 3, 2011

Somebody once told me that the best way to learn something, is to teach it.  I don’t know if that is equivocal, or not, but I’ve found it to be true in practice, for the most part.
As I call myself a novelist (because I’ve written novels, not because I’ve sold any), and because I want [...]

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How’d it Get to be December?

December 2, 2011

OK, I know.  It was December yesterday, too, but I was too exhausted yesterday to notice.
I think I promised no more posts about Na… well, you know.  That does not  mean, however, that I won’t say a little about the book I just wrote.
It took some digging, but I found a way to convert the [...]

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Dreamin’, I’m Only Dreamin’

November 11, 2011

Part 5: The Dream State
Tomorrow we get into the nuts and bolts of World Building, but for now let’s talk about your dreams.  No, I don’t mean what you dreamed last night–unless it was an epic dream of a world you want to write about.  I want to delve into what you see in your mind [...]

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A Bag of Tools For World Building

November 10, 2011

 
 
Continued from Part 3
New to this project?  Go to Part 1
Part 4: Tools of the Trade Your table is cleared of clutter, your sleeves are rolled up, and it’s time to start. Let’s look at some of the tools I recommend.
List of required* items

SMALL drawing tablet For making first sketches, thumbnails, and concepts.
LARGE drawing [...]

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A Disorganized World?

November 9, 2011

 
New to this project?  Go to Part 1
Continued from Part 2
Part 3: Getting Organized
You’re going to need to pull your materials–and your thoughts–together for this project.  You’ll need to make some rather important initial decisions as well.
For example:

Will your world be realistic or fantastical?
An important question.  If your world is a place of magic, for example, [...]

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World Building: Are You Kidding Me?

November 8, 2011

Continued from Part 1
As you begin the long process of building a world, you need, first, to ask yourself some questions.
Part 2: What in the World Are You Thinking Of?

Why am I doing this?
Building a world can take longer than you might want to spend.  In fact, it can take years.  Chaiantra, one of my worlds [...]

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Now You Can Build a World of Your Own

November 7, 2011

(Special Note: NaNoWriMo is taking a lot of time usually used by blob posts, so forgive me for some replays.  I hope you find these revisits interesting.)
Some months back, we took a look at the art of Creating Worlds for Science Fiction and Fantasy writers.  Since then Uphill Writing has grown considerably.  New insights and [...]

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As You Read This

October 29, 2011

As you read this I am at a seminar held by a sister branch of the California Writer’s Club.  Mark Coker of Smashwords is conducting this workshop on ePublishing.  I trust I will learn much, and will be able to share what I learn come Monday.
For years I have been dead-set against the idea of [...]

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Ever Have One of Those Days?

October 19, 2011

I wrote this yesterday (try typing that without going a little wonky).
A brief set up.  I’ve been in the High Tech world for a long time (in high tech years, that means since the late 1970s).  I bought my first computer just a few weeks after you could get one already built, in a box.  [...]

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