Monthly Archives: August 2011

Learning from Others

Posted on August 31, 2011 by

Another writer posted a question the other day to a loop I follow about chapter lengths. It got me to thinking about how I’d learned where to break chapters from Elizabeth Daly, a fabulous mystery writer, who wrote back in the 40′s (you really have to love stories where everyone stops for civilized cocktails at five). And that started me thinking about other writers I’ve learned from. Continue reading →


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Knitting: Making Tarn

Posted on August 31, 2011 by

“Repurposing” is an entire universe of creative activity that I have only been marginally aware of till now.  We all know what recycling is, of course — turning old newspapers into new paper towels, or old plastic bottles into new … Continue reading →


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Lost Books You Should Find: The Annie Szabo Series

Posted on August 31, 2011 by

I used to think that I was a jinx. If I loved a series of books, it would go out of print and the author would disappear. If I loved a TV show, it would be taken off the air … Continue reading →


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Book View Cafe Helps the World SF Travel Fund

Posted on August 30, 2011 by

Tomorrow’s the last day for the World SF Travel Fund’s crowdfunding project (http://worldsftravelfund.com/). They’ve met their goal, but are still in need of funds to pay for the administration of the project. So BVC is helping out by adding our … Continue reading →


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Escapism? Yes, Please! by Deborah J. Ross

Posted on August 30, 2011 by

One of the criticisms of genre fiction that amuses me most is that it’s escapism, as if that’s a bad thing. I think just the opposite. Nobody, except the unbelievably incompetent, escapes to jail. (I’m not talking about the chronically … Continue reading →


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Posted in fantasy, romance, science fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Writing vs Storytelling

Posted on August 29, 2011 by

I will freely admit that I’m little more than a storyteller. I have characters roaming around my head, waiting for me to tell their tales. I have settings I dearly love and plot ideas looking for a place to call home. What I don’t have is a colorful way with words. Continue reading →


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Titles

Posted on August 28, 2011 by

by Sherwood Smith Some writers find it easy to come up with titles. I don’t. I’ve usually cheated and used a protag’s name, or a place’s name, and if there are subsequent stories, a number. My second default has been … Continue reading →


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Zaphod’s Last Run

Posted on August 27, 2011 by

by Chris Dolley Zaphod, named after the former President of the Galaxy in Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker books, was our first dog. We found him at an animal shelter in Leeds. He was two years old and in bad condition – … Continue reading →


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Posted in Animals, dogs | 7 Comments

Practical Meerkat’s 52 Bits of Useful Info for Young (and Old) Writers, week 34

Posted on August 26, 2011 by

by Laura Anne Gilman Well.  This week in Practical Meerkat Land we had an earthquake, a hurricane (incoming) and a birthday.  It’s been busy times around here…. But the writing still goes on, as it does.  Though rain, snow, sleet … Continue reading →


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Reading for Fun: N.K. Jemisin’s The Broken Kingdoms

Posted on August 25, 2011 by

By Nancy Jane Moore The Broken Kingdoms, the second book of N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy, breaks the usual pattern of trilogies: It does not disappoint, nor does it end on an unfinished note that leaves the reader frustrated. I speculate … Continue reading →


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Posted in fantasy | Tagged , | 4 Comments