Lost Humanity
Dissident Flash Fiction #3
Personality — erased.
Mind Control — absolute.
Free Will — non-existent.
Surveillance — constant.
Consequence of Failure — extermination.
Breaking Out of the Genre Straitjacket
At times, it feels like someone has a gun pointed at your head.
“Choose a genre. Sci-fi. Dystopia. Supernatural thriller—it doesn’t matter. Just pick one. But then don’t you ever step outside the prescribed tropes. Or your writing career’s gonna be in the toilet, capisce?”
As an author working on a couple of future releases which I’d describe as “supernatural thrillers set on another world,” I chafe at the implied genre constraints.
…Café Espresso Attack
Dissident Flash Fiction #2
In Dissident, we are introduced to a new POV (point-of-view) character: Connor Sinclair.
Connor is typical in many ways: a history major in his first-year of university, just shy of his eighteenth birthday, with a tight-knit circle of friends and a favorite café hangout.
He’s also a Hoarder (one of the bad guys).
the Dark Side
Dissident Flash Fiction #1
“Dystopian … Ah yes, the dark side of science fiction.” (anonymous comment)
I like writing dystopian stories. As they say, “a candle shines brightest in the darkness.” In a dark, daunting, and dystopian setting, the actions of the few who refuse to be cowed into submission become truly heroic.
For example, there’s no super-powers involved. No special abilities. In a dystopian world, heroes are ordinary people, called upon to accomplish extraordinary things.
…5 Best Practices for Writing Groups
One of the best decisions an aspiring author can make is to join a local writers’ group. Camaraderie and encouragement are nourishment for the soul.
Writing groups also provide a golden opportunity for skill-sharpening. Constructive critique — giving and receiving — is crucial to becoming a better writer.
Here are some “best practices.”
1. Bring a printed copy of your WIP (work-in-progress).
This shows that you take the group’s time seriously. You came prepared. You’re not scrolling through your device, hoping a passage will catch your eye.
Feel free to preface your reading with what you’d like critiqued: dialogue, pacing, world-building, character development, or all of the above.
…Book Promotion during COVID-19
There’s been a surprising amount of discussion—accompanied by a certain level of angst—about book promotion during the current pandemic.
The concern seems to be about the optics of promoting a new book you’ve written while readers may be struggling financially due to layoffs and stay-at-home sheltering orders.
Writers are understandably concerned about appearing heartless, callous, or tone-deaf about the real struggles faced by an overwhelmingly large swath of the population. Nobody wants to be lumped in with the selfish profiteers who bought up all the hand sanitizer for resale. Or those hoarding enough toilet paper to supply a Martian colony for a year.
…ARC Readers: It Takes a Village
If you know a writer, ask about being an ARC reader.
You’ll make their day. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy a free ebook!
Pandemic Shelter-in-Place Survival Tip #12
True story. Today, in fact.
Extroverts and Introverts. We’re all in this together.
Frog Time: Do the Hard Thing
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning, and if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” (Mark Twain)
It was a (briefly) pleasant discovery to find it was a writer—Mark Twain, at that—who came up with the “eat the frog” catchphrase. (Until I learned that Twain, like Lincoln, is credited online with things he never said.)
Social distancing in the COVID-19 era, in turn, provided me with a choice opportunity to whip up my own Amphibious Barbeque Cookout (ABC).
…Friday the 13th: This is Normal
I’m not alone in this, right?