Haiku Wednesday – Whim

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Poetry, Writers - Steve D'Adamo3 Comments

“Whim”

Here by some odd twist,

remaining for a moment

at another’s whim.

I normally prefer my existentialism with a dose of humanism, or perhaps some wide-eyed cosmic awe, but I’ve been in a rather negative frame of mind the last couple weeks. Hence, the above.

I’m also not really at liberty to explain why I’ve been in a negative frame of mind, but I’ve been stressed and frustrated, and it’s been difficult to compartmentalize that part of my day from the things I care more about, like my family.

Also, I’m still trying to finish “Uprooted”, but the closer I get to the ending, the more I think I need to spend a little more time in the final place my characters end up. I need to find a way to close this story off without feeling like it’s abrupt, and still leaving room for part 2.

Steve D

Exercise 7: POV – The Mountain Lion Killing

On By Marcy ErbIn Creativity Sessions, Writers - Marcy Erb2 Comments

Ursula Le Guin talks about how points of view in fiction come and go in popularity, with first person and limited third person all the rage for the last 100 years or so. I had never thought of point of view as a “fad” (even if a relatively long lived fad), but I guess that all depends on your point of view!

Her goal with chapter and exercise 7 is to define and get you to experiment with different kinds of point of view, especially ones you are not comfortable with. The exercise starts out with the one of the POVs currently in style, limited third person, and then expands to other less common POVs.

For this one, I’m telling a tale that was told to me at a work happy hour. It was related as a true story, but you know how happy hour stories go…

Continue reading “Exercise 7: POV – The Mountain Lion Killing” →

When the Plot Breadcrumbs Lead Nowhere

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Creativity Sessions, Writers - Steve D'Adamo2 Comments
Creativity Sessions writing process. Evening Satellite Publishing.

Leaving breadcrumbs as you write a story is fun.

That stranger in the tavern who eyes your character just a little too long. The oddly repetitive appearance of a particular animal that just has to be symbolic. Or the mysterious item that seems to catch anyone’s interest who lays eyes on it.

Experienced readers often notice these little details and wonder if they are clues into what might come later in the plot. Continue reading “When the Plot Breadcrumbs Lead Nowhere” →

Exercise 6, Part 2: The Old Woman

On By Marcy ErbIn Creativity Sessions, Writers - Marcy ErbLeave a comment

This is the second part of Exercise 6 from Ursula Le Guin’s Steering the Craft book.  To recap: Chapter 6 was about verbs, specifically dealing with person and tense. This serves as a prelude to chapter 7, which is a long (and intimidating!) chapter on point of view.  My take on this exercise has an old woman wandering around the remains of her house after a fire and remembering a different disaster that struck when she was a child.

The prompt: “Exercise Six: The Old Woman

This should run to a page or so; keep it short and not too ambitious, because you are going to write the same story twice.

The subject is this: An old woman is busy doing something – washing the dishes, or gardening, or editing a PhD dissertation in mathematics, whatever you like – as she thinks about an event that happened in her youth.

You’re going to intercut between the two times. “Now ” is where she is and what’s she’s doing; “then” is her memory of something that happened when she was young. Your narration will move back and forth between “now” and “then.”

You will make at least two of these moves or time jumps.

Continue reading “Exercise 6, Part 2: The Old Woman” →

Book Review: “The Minuteman” versus Nazis in America

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment

The Minuteman by Greg DoanhueThis will be a short review for a short book, but I just wanted to draw attention to another Audible Original: Greg Donahue’s “The Minuteman, The Forgotten Legacy of Nat Arno and the Fight against Newark’s Nazis”.

A brief overview of the life of professional boxer-turned mob enforcer Nat Arno, “The Minuteman” describes how a New Jersey street tough became one of the most outspoken resistor’s of the Nazi presence in the US before World War II. Continue reading “Book Review: “The Minuteman” versus Nazis in America” →

Exercise 6, Part 1: The Old Woman

On By Marcy ErbIn Creativity Sessions, Writers - Marcy Erb1 Comment

Back at it with Exercise 6 from Ursula Le Guin’s Steering the Craft book. Chapter 6 was about verbs, specifically dealing with person and tense. This serves as a prelude to chapter 7, which is a long chapter on point of view.  I have to admit I procrastinated on this exercise – and I did so for a reason that surprised me! First, though, the prompt:

“Exercise Six: The Old Woman

This should run to a page or so; keep it short and not too ambitious, because you are going to write the same story twice.

The subject is this: An old woman is busy doing something – washing the dishes, or gardening, or editing a PhD dissertation in mathematics, whatever you like – as she thinks about an event that happened in her youth.

You’re going to intercut between the two times. “Now ” is where she is and what’s she’s doing; “then” is her memory of something that happened when she was young. Your narration will move back and forth between “now” and “then.”

You will make at least two of these moves or time jumps.

Continue reading “Exercise 6, Part 1: The Old Woman” →

Haiku Sunday – Undiscovered

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Poetry, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment

“Undiscovered”

Recommendations

lead down the rabbit hole to

new musical lands.

Anybody want to listen to some power metal/melodic death metal? Unleash the Archers had popped up in my YouTube recommendations before, but none of their songs caught my ears until the one below. After listening more closely, I’ve just ordered this album Apex off their site.

Steve D

August Write Day: Energy Lacking

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Fantasy, Writers - Steve D'Adamo2 Comments

July strangely felt like a long month, but I still can’t believe it’s August. Summer is almost over! And I haven’t been to the beach! I’m hoping to have an extended beach weekend in October, when there would be fewer crowds and (ideally) still some warm weather. But we’ll see.

I procrastinated soooo much in July. Maybe I cursed myself by declaring the Return of the Summer Doldrums. I also feel like I haven’t had a free weekend in months. We’ve been going pretty hard at home improvement things for like eight straight Saturdays.

Still, I did halfway decently with my goals.

Continue reading “August Write Day: Energy Lacking” →