The Art Of Telling

I recently moved from Kentucky to Nevada . Yup, I left the Bluegrass State for the Silver one. Not by choice. I don't adapt to change very well. Takes me a minute--or two. However, I was looking forward to traveling across the country on a trip to the American West. Grand or simple locations can serve as great inspiration for an author's next story. And since I've been on the topic of 'End of the World', I figured I point out some of the stories set in some of these beautiful and scenic locations I traveled by:

What's my my favorite Science Fiction sub-genre? Post-Apocalyptic fiction. The end of the world scenario some of us love to write about. But I'm not the only one. People's morbid obsession with the unknowable, sometimes depressing and oppressive, future has been around for a very long time. Mary Shelly's The Last Man was published in 1826. But does that make us negative folks or just imaginative thinkers? I choose the latter.  So let us all speculate away.  There has been many books on the subject, many fiction novels, too. And many ways of ending this whole thing: pandemics, viruses, nuclear wars, solar hiccups, aliens, zombies...a lot of ways. And so I wanted to share with you some of my favorite post-apocalyptic books out there. And no, I am not including Stephen King's  The Stand  or Cormac McCarthy's  The Road. Those two books are in enough lists:

Let's talk about the end of the world stock piles. Why? Why not? My new upcoming post-apocalyptic novel, Hear Me Scream , which will be released Spring 2014 (shameless self-promotion) has me in that mind set. This one goes out to all you preppers out there. You might already know most of this stuff, but if you don't know them all, I have a few things I'd like to discuss. Like essentials: Water:      It doesn't matter whether you have a pond or a creek nearby or a water tank full to the brim. Find more. Get as many bottles as you can steal find. Storing buckets to collect rain is also a good idea. I think I saw this in 28 Days Later . We can't live without water and so never get too comfortable with the idea that you have enough. Besides, isn't the world running out of fresh water, right now?       2. Canned Food:      I remember having read   Earth Abides and thought, "Will old can foods really be edible fifty years...

The pleasures of running are almost nonexistent to me. I jog because we all want to be in shape, right? I do. The best part of my 'exhilarating' run, however, is passing by Sable, the black mare. This beautiful creature lives in the farmstead below my current home. Every time I spot her, I stop running and go see her. It's an impulsive need of mine. Sable approaches the edge of her confinement to greet me as well. We have a mutual understanding. Sable communicates in that funny way animals do, by staring blankly at me while I ramble. She listens, I suspect the mare humors me hoping to be fed. So far, I've sorely disappointed her everyday. Of course, this horse's name is not actually Sable. But in my writer mind, she has been for a while. My novel Hear Me Scream happens to have a black mare, important to the plot, to Raven's (the main character) growth. Originally, I was going to have a chestnut stallion, and I still did add Bronte. But the mare, the ...

I recently visited: Pollard Memorial Library located in Lowell Ma. A beautiful library. Historical and with plenty to offer. My sister and I roamed about the place for about an hour. We took some pictures and looked through some books. If you're ever in the area, go visit  this book heaven. Check out their website:  http://www.pollardml.org/

Here is a list of tips On Characters : 1-       Every scuffed shoe and stained collar provides reams of information for your reader, and makes your job easier. 2-       Every character, whether major or minor is motivated by something. 3-       Rather than describing your character through physical appearance, try creating a sense of who he is and how he looks based on what he does and how he moves. 4-       It’s only through writing and rewriting that characters finally gain their feet and become well defined. 5-       Good characters almost never see themselves as others do. 6-       Interview or observe someone who shares your character’s experience. 7-       Characters are what they do. 8-       Part of a character’s identity is what others say about him. 9-  ...