It is always a matter of some surprise when I learn of an author, particularly one who writes SF, who refuses to embrace modern tools and technology. There are many of my colleagues who will disagree with my following assertions. That’s fine. I do, however, firmly believe if you’re going to operate in today’s business climate, you simply have to use the appropriate tools. And don’t for a moment think pursuing a career as a…
One of the most effective tools a writer has at her disposal is sharp, natural dialogue, conversation which flows as freely as the spoken word. All too often, a writer feels the necessity to describe either who is speaking, or how they speak, rather than allow the tension of the moment, and the character development up to that point, to work for them. Consider the following: Aunt Lily smiled and poured the tea. “What’s your…
It happens all too often when manuscripts come across my desk, the author operates in a safe and sterile zone, moving characters across a stage with a green screen backdrop. Put another way, there is a palpable lack of environmental detail. Are there curtains on that window by which the character is standing? Is the window open? Are there drapes? Are the drapes stirred by a breeze? Is that breeze cold or warm, damp or…
It has been said all the stories were written millennia ago, that no new stories exist. There is some truth to that assertion, in that the stories we tell always illuminate human ability, or lack thereof, to deal with situations, whether those situations are technological, environmental or societal in nature. From a writer’s perspective that can be a pretty depressing truth. Why, then, write when all the stories have been told? Why indeed. The answer…
Hello, writers! Five Rivers Publishing’s submission period is only a few days away! If you haven’t marked your calendars yet, it’s February 1 to the 14 every year. Manuscripts submitted this year will be considered for publication in 2018. Five Rivers is fully booked (pun intended) for 2017, and our publisher and editor are looking for 12 cream of the crop from this year’s submissions. It’s going to be a stiff competition, and we’re sure…