thousandcats, posts by tag: resources - LiveJournal

Greetings, cats! Long time, no post.

So, it is fall, and NaNoWriMo is coming up. And this year, I am determined to give it a shot. I have, in fact, already registered.

Anyone else doing it? Want to be "writing buddies"?

. . .

Also: I've recently discovered what may be my favourite writing-related blog yet: Terrible Minds, the blog of Chuck Wendig, who posts a lot of awesome writing advice in his distinctively funny, profane style. A few sample post titles: "How to Make Exposition Your Bitch," "25 Ways to Fuck With Your Characters," and "I Want To Buy The Semi-Colon A Private Sex Island." Highly recommended.

He also does a weekly "Flash Fiction Challenge" on Fridays, sometimes with prizes, always with interesting ideas. Today's was to write a complete story in three sentences. Here's what I posted there:

It’s true – there really are fairies in the woods.

In my more lucid moments, when I can remember what words are, I try to tell you this, over and over, until my throat feels raw from screaming, but you can’t hear me, can’t see me.

There really are fairies in the woods: pray that you never meet one.

. . .

And one more thing: I have heard rumblings to the effect that a few of us might want to try having in-person meetings again. Particularly centred around writing, as that seems to be what those few of us left who are still active at all are doing. I seem to recall last time this idea came up, 50_ft_queenie said she'd host and I said I'd make cupcakes if she did. My offer still stands. Who's up for it?

Turkey City Lexicon: This is a list of terms various people have come up with in science fiction writing workshops that are useful in critiquing writing. Most of them refer to negative or problematic story elements, but a few (like "eyeball kick" for a really strong visual image) are positives. And even some of the negatives, I think, are things that a good writer can sometimes get away with in moderation, but they're definitely things to watch for in one's own writing. So it's as useful for critiquing oneself as others. Also, a lot of it is just as relevant to other genres - only a few of the terms are really SF-specific.

About Writing - slightly similar to the above, a list by writer/anthology editor Nalo Hopkinson of "some of the things that signal to me a story going off track".