(C) 2019, JJ ShaunThe dreaded Writer's Block Monster. (I'm no artist, can you tell?) I realize this is a familiar topic, but I’ve been reading a lot about Writer’s Block in the forums I follow. So, how do *I* break through my writer’s block when it threatens to derail my progress? Keep reading for a … Continue reading Overcoming Writer’s Block
Creativity
Finding Stories
Sometimes it’s hard to home in on a story to tell. The Vignette Many times, what comes to my mind is a vignette rather than a story. A vignette is defined as “a short descriptive literary sketch” or a “brief incident or scene (as in a play or movie)”. If you have studied any languages, … Continue reading Finding Stories
Writing Short Fiction
Short fiction is an art form. As with any story, it must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It must make sense and be complete. Most short stories fall in the 1,000- to 4,000-word range, although Writer’s Digest defines short stories as 1,500 to 30,000 words. Stories written using fewer than 1,000 words … Continue reading Writing Short Fiction
I’m A Writer, Now What?
I’ve spent the last several years preparing myself for retirement. After all, I’m not getting any younger, and I watched too many senior citizens struggle on a fixed income. I realized that I have skills I can use after the high-tech world was finished with me—or I was finished with it. And now that the … Continue reading I’m A Writer, Now What?
Character Creation II
Exciting characters make the most compelling stories—at least in my reading experiences. Maybe that's why my stories almost always begin with a character rather than a plot. Well, except one and I'm working on that. One of my first characters, Meegan Redoak, is still rattling around in my head. She and her friend, Skrie, are … Continue reading Character Creation II
What’s in a (Character) Name?
As writers, we spend an excessive amount of time coming up with names for our characters. Sometimes, for me at least, the character proudly announces who they are—name, history, the whole shebang. Some characters are a bit more stubborn and hoard that information like gold. My character Meegan Redoak has been with me for so … Continue reading What’s in a (Character) Name?
Ch-Ch-Changes
So, I’m “retired.” What does that mean exactly? For one, it means that I have a whole lot more time on my hands. The trick will be to figure out how to fill that time in a meaningful manner. My brain is all atwitter with ways I could fill said time, but I tend to … Continue reading Ch-Ch-Changes
Summer’s End
(C) 2019 JJ ShaunEnd of summer cooking. And just like that, it’s Labor Day, the “unofficial end of summer.” So, aside from it being a federal holiday and long weekend, what is Labor Day all about? In the beginning, labor unions brought about the end of tyranny by employers who used and abused their workers. … Continue reading Summer’s End
The Tools We Use, Part III
In the last few days, I've seen a few queries about what tools we writers use to create our “Great American Novels.” As with most choices, it really depends on the writer. Some writers pen out their entire story by hand, then transcribe it to the computer later. Others are lost without a keyboard of … Continue reading The Tools We Use, Part III
Learning from Those Who Came Before
So, I spent the morning researching a creature for my D&D campaign, and during that research, I found a reference to a Germanic “house pet” of myth (think Dobby). I so wanted to ask my mom about her experiences growing up with the Northern German legend, but I can’t. My mom passed four and a … Continue reading Learning from Those Who Came Before
J.J. Shaun 