I planned to use the drive to Ohio to work out the end game for my solar punk story but it refused to cooperate. It rather natter on about nonsense. Then I get home to find out my internet is out because some yahoo cut the wires outside the apartment. AGAIN. This time I’m going to go paint them day-glo orange or tie flag to them or something.
I was thinking about synchronicity and inspiration on the drive though. Someone from my writer’s group had a one off line in her urban fantasy about elf blood being poisonous to vampires but in small doses acted like a great drug. I thought that could be fun to run with. Then I got into one of Kim Fielding’s books and elf blood is delightful to vampires. Ah well. It’s still a really cool idea though. It’s all in what you do with it, I suppose. You could have that as an anthology theme and still have a dozen complete different takes on the idea.
Writing wise, I haven’t done much. It’s the start of the semester and that comes with a week-early start for me with the all new science camp for which I have to come up with all the biomedical scenarios. I have been thinking though about how much I appreciate publishers who use auto-reply for their submission email to let an author know their story arrived. I mean it’s easy peasy to do with most emails. I wish the last one I sent a short story to had one because I’ve heard nothing and my paranoid mine is like ‘did they get it it? I bet they didn’t get it.’ Ah brain, shut it.
From my friend: Podcast
182 – Literary Devices
How Do I Avoid Endorsing My Protagonist’s Actions? i.e don’t be preachy
Four Challenges of Nonlinear Narratives Maybe I need to look a this one to figure out WTF is wrong with Splinters’ opening chapter.
The Right Agent for a Debut Author
masterpost for writers creating their own worlds, or even just characters
And from around the web
Seven research tips for informed writing
The Pros and Cons of Getting Published
Take Up Some Room, and Other Public Speaking Tips for Women Writersl
“Write a Sentence as Clean as a Bone” And Other Advice from James Baldwin
Entitlement issues… This is by Neil Gaiman (and is directed more to readers/fans)
The 10 Beliefs That Drive a Passionately Authentic Life
Jana Denardo 