“Three-Legged Dog”
Three legs, two, or four.
Exuberance not hindered.
Lessons in pure joy.
Steve D
Today’s haiku topic brought to you by a friend of mine.
Back to Basics: World-Building in an Established Universe
I’m late! I intended to finish this post on Tuesday night, but that obviously didn’t work out. I’ve gotten away with writing entire posts the night before for a while, but it finally caught up to me. Anyway…
As you all may know, I’ve been working on two short stories this year together called “The Herb Witch Tales”. While these take place in the same fantasy universe as my first novel, I’m working with completely new characters, in a different time, and in a different region. I’m in new world-building territory for the first time in years.
This has raised some intriguing questions as I try to develop a story with the same richness of setting as the first. Continue reading “Back to Basics: World-Building in an Established Universe”
Exercise 7, part 4: Involved Author POV
This is the last part of the exercise for Chapter 7 – the Point of View chapter in Steering the Craft. I’ll be honest, I was tempted to skip it, because hadn’t we had enough POV exercises already? But in the spirit of completion and to get outside my POV comfort zone, I stuck to it and did part 4. So here’s one last version of “The Mountain Lion Killing” – and this time we get the whole back story.
To review Le Guin’s directions for the exercise:
“Exercise 7: Points of View
Haiku Sunday – Cranky
“Cranky”
Bursts of excitement
followed by toddler tantrums.
Until he’s distracted.
Steve D
September Writing Goals and Recap
I thought I got away with putting off writing this post for an extra week since the last day of August fell on a Monday, my usual post day. But then my procrastination bit me in the butt as work and childcare duties suddenly intensified this last week and I watched this first Monday of September fly by. But here I am – better late with my goals post than never!
Recapping August Goals (original post linked HERE):
#Review: A MORE PERFECT REUNION — trying to understand our racial history and integrated future
I picked up A More Perfect Reunion: Race, Integration, and the Future of America by Calvin Baker on Audible, because I felt like I needed to learn more about the current (ongoing) fight for equality in the US, and hear from more black voices.
Baker’s book was a great place to start.
Haiku Sunday – Cruise
“Cruise”
Midday or midnight
embarkation to nowhere,
just for the pleasure.
Steve D
September Write Day: Marching Onward
Update: I somehow wrote and published this post without actually setting any goals for this month… so I fixed that. See my goals at the end.
August was tough for reasons other than anything writing- or family-related. I took last week off from writing a real post because I just did not have the mental energy. I’m not yet convinced September is going to go much better, but I’m excited to share some news in this post. Continue reading “September Write Day: Marching Onward”
Exercise 7, part 2 and 3: The Mountain Lion Killing
Last week, I introduced Ursula Le Guin’s exercise for chapter 7, which is her chapter on point of view. This week, she has us using the same story from last week (if possible) to explore less common POVs. I found I was able to use my story from last week and keep it going – so we are back in the campground with a freshly dead Mountain Lion.
To review Le Guin’s exercise instructions:
“Exercise 7: Points of View
Think up a situation for a narrative sketch of 200-350 words. It can be anything you like but should involve several people doing something. (Several means more than two. More than three will be useful.) It doesn’t have to be a big, important event, though it can be; but something should happen, even if only a cart tangle at the supermarket…
Please use little or no dialogue in these POV exercises. While the characters talk, their voices cover the POV, and so you’re not exploring that voice, which is the point of the exercise.
Part 1: Two Voices
POV was Third Person Limited, two versions, two different characters. (If you’d like to see what that looked like for my teeny tiny story, go here.)
Part 2: Detached Narrator
Tell the same story using the detached author or “fly on the wall” POV.
Part 3: Observer-Narrator
If there wasn’t a character in the original version who was there but was not a participant, only an onlooker, add such a character now. Tell the same story in that character’s voice, in first or third person.”
Steering the Craft, Pages 71-73
Haiku Sunday – Closure
“Closure”
An ending of sorts
is better than none at all,
to allow a restart.
Steve D
Evening Satellite Publishing 