If I learned one thing this week at the SFWC, it’s that there are a million things a writer can do besides write. In two and a half days I sat in on eleven seminars and three key note speeches, and every one at least touched on how to utilize Twitter, Facebook, blogs, websites, LinkedIn, […]
Writing
Forty Years
I’m thinking about making a (semi) major story adjustment. I’m considering moving the whole tale about forty years into the past. Here’s my thinking: All stories basically come down to some really simple idea (as George Lucas said of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – “it’s a father son story”). The thing that makes […]
Why Ostriches?
When I tell people that my novel is set on an ostrich farm in the southern California desert, the question inevitably comes up: “why ostriches?” but watch these two videos: RACING and FARMING and you’ll have to agree, ostriches are both powerful and dumb, which makes them hilarious as far as I’m concerned. There’s something […]
The Winner Is
Thank you all so much for your input. Many good arguments were made, as were many interesting suggestions for that matter, and I’ve made my decision. My main character’s name will be Talulah Jones. Thank you Summer for the suggestion. I think MMC’s comment about the misspelling being distracting is less of a factor, given […]
Tal(l)ula(h) Jones
Okay faithful readers, I need your help. A very important question has been plaguing my brain. As you’ve no doubt gathered by now, my main character’s name is Talula. Talula Jones. She is the daughter of a teenage runaway named Sharon Jones. Sharon wanted to be an actress, and ended up waiting tables in Hollywood. […]
Learning To Shoot, In the Name of Fiction
That was why I was there in the first place: to shoot the gun that my character fires, to know what it really feels like.