WFPL: Death Like Garlic, Part II
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When we left her last week, the narrator of Christine Faris’s “Death Like Garlic” had just entered the movie theater to watch a vampire film when she was drawn into a conversation with a creepy, suit-wearing European. read more
Tips For Workshopping
For those of you set to begin workshopping this coming Tuesday in Vero Beach, below are some tips we’ve provided to creative writing workshop groups in the past.
The beginning stages of a writing project, path or career can be frustrating. The desire to improve is strong, but the process is slow. Writing is like any other artform—music, fine art, etc.—in that practice and determination are the only means to the end: becoming truly great at what you do. Unfortunately, no one can give you any hard and fast answers about how to write better because it is such a personal process and wildly different for everyone. It is something you will discover on your own, using the workshop as a foundation and an inspiration. Here are some suggestions for how to get the most out of the workshop experience:
The Selection Process (Yet Again)
Where in God’s name did the expression “Beating a dead horse” come from? Who, when faced with a person who was forcing an issue that had already been decided, was the first to liken that situation to physically assaulting an expired pony? Did the coiner of that phrase actually picture his/her conversation partner battering a prone, lifeless horse? Terrifying.
When I first considered the idea of recycling old blog content, “beating a dead horse” is what first came to mind. It’s not really accurate, though. The issue hasn’t already been decided, which means that the horse is still alive. Recycled content is more like running a horse in a race against a class of horses that has already whupped his/her ass many times before.
I’ve got it: Recycled content is like whipping a nearly-dead horse.
Is There Life After B. Dalton Death?
Those who know me are getting tired of all of my pointless railing against the likes of Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.
So here’s some more.
Monday’s Publishers Weekly Morning Report, compiled by Craig Morgan Teicher, offered the following blurb and link:
“No Bookstore: Grand Forks, ND lost its last bookseller. Here’s how it’s coping. From the Grand Forks Herald.”
I clicked the link expecting to read a piece about a failing indy retailer shutting its doors, and how the residents of Grand Forks (pop. 51,000+) have conceived of a plan to compensate. Weekly city-wide book exchanges. An increase in literary events. Read-a-thons for the kids. Something warm and fuzzy.
Instead, here is the lead from the Grand Forks Herald piece (all bolding my own, since my ^*(^&*%$ block quote thingie isn’t working): read more
Writings From a Past Life: Death Like Garlic
This week’s past life writings comes from Christine Faris, who as a middle-schooler took a trip to a decrepit movie theater and wrote a story based on the experience.
Because that’s what we have to do, folks. As we’ve written about before, writers need to step out of their comfort zone now and then to experience different settings, different people, different ideas. A simple trip to the supermarket may seem like nothing more than an annoyance, but if you keep your writer’s eye open, that irritating errand could instead turn into the basis for a solid short story. Or even a classic poem.
Friday’s Links
– USA Today runs a list of the Top 100 Best-Selling Books of 2010. I got all the way to #13 before I threw up in my mouth. If any of you can make it to the end in one sitting, you have all of my respect. Outside of the classics like Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, there are less than ten books here that I wouldn’t wipe my ass with. How ’bout y’all? read more
Friday’s Links
– USA Today runs a list of the Top 100 Best-Selling Books of 2010. I got all the way to #13 before I threw up in my mouth. If any of you can make it to the end in one sitting, you have all of my respect. Outside of the classics like Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, there are less than ten books here that I wouldn’t wipe my ass with. How ’bout y’all? read more
I Am More Rewrite
Part II of Brett Fowler’s exploration of the changes made to the rough draft of the screenplay adaptation of I Am Legend. Read part I here.
To answer this question, we need look no further than the first draft of the screenplay. Reading the first draft of I Am Legend is truly a great way to learn more about the processes which go into revisions, and an easy way for any aspiring writer to improve upon his or her own work. After reading the first draft and subsequently re-watching the movie, I was able to evaluate why certain elements of the final version were edited, cut, or completely altered. read more
I Am Rewrite
Today’s post comes from WriteByNight star intern Brett Fowler, whose fascination with zombies is really starting to get in the way of her duties here at WBN HQ.
Screenplays are scary to the average person. They’re oddly formatted, they’re blunt, they’re choppy–most people find them too foreign to consider them literature. However, I’m challenging you to combat the instinct to stay far away from screenplays by doing the exact opposite and reading one. Specifically the first draft of I Am Legend , which is a great introduction to the art of screenwriting. read more
Recommended Reads: Prelude to a Change of Mind
This week’s Recommended Read comes from Amanda Kimmerly, whose “Lunar-cy” we all enjoyed last week. Today she fills us in on Austin writer Robert Stikmanz’s Hidden Land of Nod series. read more
Writings From a Past Life: Nights
This week’s Writings From a Past Life comes from Lys Tile, who provides the following intro:
“Since I only started writing fun stories about a year ago, my “past life” isn’t very far in the past. I am currently in college full time, majoring in English. I wrote this little story last semester around Halloween.” read more
Friday’s Links
Wow, dear readers, this has been a slow week in the literary world. A slooooooow week. We’re going to have to spice this up with some random videos and other fun. Maybe that should be S.O.P., anyway?
– Word got out this week that Baz Luhrmann will make his Great Gatsby adaptation in 3-D. I’m wary of this.
I also don’t think that anything Luhrmann does could lead to a film worse than the original, which was a sloppy, steaming pile of wrong. read more
Friday's Links
Wow, dear readers, this has been a slow week in the literary world. A slooooooow week. We’re going to have to spice this up with some random videos and other fun. Maybe that should be S.O.P., anyway?
– Word got out this week that Baz Luhrmann will make his Great Gatsby adaptation in 3-D. I’m wary of this.
I also don’t think that anything Luhrmann does could lead to a film worse than the original, which was a sloppy, steaming pile of wrong. read more
Last Call For Vero Workshoppers!
Ladies and gents, it’s official–our Indian River County (Vero Beach, FL) winter creative writing workshop has reached critical mass. But. But! There are still a couple of open seats, so if you want in, speak by Monday the 17th or forever hold your peace.
(Or at least, hold your peace until 2012, as the winter workshop will be our only Florida offering of 2011.)
Writing Through PTSD
Today we offer a guest post from Dan L. Hays, author of Freedom’s Just Another Word:
Writing Through PTSD
When I was six years old I felt very connected with God. I had a sense of peace about my world, and knew, I just knew, that one day I would become a famous writer. It was a sense of destiny that was as tangible as anything I’ve experienced since. I started my first novel at age 13, something about a plot to overthrow the President. Then the movie Seven Days In May stole my storyline, so I set the novel aside. read more
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