I was lounging in The Chairs at Miscon 32 with a friend, Jeff Howe. We hadn't seen each other in a year, so we were catching up on each other's lives. He mentioned he was going to use some old National Geographic maps as story prompts. Enamored with this brilliance, I told him I'd be … Continue reading MAPS!
Category: art and writing
Collaborative Brainstorming
This was a new panel for Miscon 32, and I loved the honesty of it. Rhiannon Held, urban fantasy author, and Krista Wallace, author/actress/musician, spoke and acted. They listed ideas and then modeled behaviors - ones that opened up creativity and others that closed it down. My notes are practically illegible, but here's what I … Continue reading Collaborative Brainstorming
World-Building, Part II
The world-building panel at Miscon 32 moderated by Brandon Sanderson was crammed with ideas. This is Part Two. On designing governments, Sanderson said he's fascinated with the push/pull of who is said to be in charge versus who is actually in charge and who makes law. He recommended C.G.P. Grey's Rules for Rulers. He added … Continue reading World-Building, Part II
World-Building, Part I
This panel at Miscon 32 was full of people saying things from brains that aren't my own. It was wild. You know what I mean by that, right? Someone says something, and you think, "Whoa. What a cool way to view the world!" And your viewpoint shifts as if they pulled aside a blue veil. … Continue reading World-Building, Part I
Brenda Carre
Brenda Carre has dialect-writing superpowers. She's also pretty great at world-building, visual arts, and helping other writers grow. Originally, I was going to write about her ability to stretch out detail and movement in her writing. I attended her reading at Miscon from her current work, Truth-Seer. Her advice of expanding on what has just … Continue reading Brenda Carre
Retrofitting Structure
This panel was for those of us who write our first drafts without a rigid structure like outlining acts or knowing our plot points ahead of time. There's no right or wrong way to get out a first draft. Once it's out, though, you're going to need to shore up the edges and see where … Continue reading Retrofitting Structure
Miscon 32 – Year of Lost Heroes
The theme this year was prescient for 2018, eh? Montana did not let us down. The convention was once again a meeting of like-minded individuals mingling and making a family of strangers. There's a reason we attend this convention every year without fail. You won't find a nicer group of people anywhere. This was the … Continue reading Miscon 32 – Year of Lost Heroes
MisConMT 32 Interlude
This post interrupts our regularly scheduled recipe-sharing about the books that shaped us as we grew up. Hold that thought! Dan and I are headed up to Missoula for a few days of vacation, learning, socializing, and late-but-not-less anniversary fun at the SF&F convention! When I get back, I'll share what I learned with you … Continue reading MisConMT 32 Interlude
Secret Ingredients – 1
I'm starting a new series on here about the books that influenced me growing up. These are the books that shaped my brain. Gave me my fears, values, and passions. The Secret Julie Ingredients! E.B. White I can remember reading The Trumpet of the Swan and being delighted over watercress sandwiches. I can remember the … Continue reading Secret Ingredients – 1
40
The Cafe Irreal's Spring issue dropped today, and my name is folded between the pixelated pages with my flash fiction piece, 40. I originally wrote this as a twist story, but couldn't make it work. Since then, I've learned from John Adamus that a twist should surprise the characters more than the readers. Good advice, … Continue reading 40
