I got a lot from this post, thank you Matt. It affirmed things that I’ve realised, written in a way that felt fresh, new and interesting to me. The way you wrote about the left and right sides of the brain for example, it’s so true that the left brain can run the show most of the time.
I always used to wait for inspiration, but since I got my own art studio, the dynamic has changed. When I go there, I paint regardless of how inspired I feel.
Excellent, Matt. For the old "show, don't tell" rule, I remind writers to let the reader "see, hear, smell, taste and feel (physically and emotionally) the scene" through the physial and emotional senses of the POV character. The short version is Never stand between the reader and the story. (grin)
Jack Williamson is one of my writer heroes. I was fortunate to take a class from him at ENMU Portales when he was a professor emeritus. I have a copy of his People Machines. He even allowed me to excerpt his essays from that for my Roswell Literary Review back in the day. But I didn't know about How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction until I read your post. Thanks to you a copy is on its way to me now. (grin)
Very cool. Williamson was well before my time and I haven't read much from him. One of those first-world problems is never having the time to read all the things you want.
Yup. He actually coined some of the terms that are so widely used today: Prime Directive, terraforming, and either humanoid or android, several others. He was writing SF before Hugo Gernsback coined the term "science fiction." Pretty cool guy. He wrote only two novels per year (about 120,000 words) but he did that from the time he was about 19 until his death at 98. When he died, he had turned in one novel to Tor and had another one in progress. :-)
Great post, Matt, I agree completely that sometimes the best way to prevail is to not resist, to summarize what I think you are saying.
Thanks Mark. Acknowledging and accepting, and then moving on with your intended goal, is the way.
I got a lot from this post, thank you Matt. It affirmed things that I’ve realised, written in a way that felt fresh, new and interesting to me. The way you wrote about the left and right sides of the brain for example, it’s so true that the left brain can run the show most of the time.
I always used to wait for inspiration, but since I got my own art studio, the dynamic has changed. When I go there, I paint regardless of how inspired I feel.
Great stuff. Glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent, Matt. For the old "show, don't tell" rule, I remind writers to let the reader "see, hear, smell, taste and feel (physically and emotionally) the scene" through the physial and emotional senses of the POV character. The short version is Never stand between the reader and the story. (grin)
Thanks Harvey. My thinking immediately snapped back to your remarks on sensory detail when I read Wilson's essay.
Jack Williamson is one of my writer heroes. I was fortunate to take a class from him at ENMU Portales when he was a professor emeritus. I have a copy of his People Machines. He even allowed me to excerpt his essays from that for my Roswell Literary Review back in the day. But I didn't know about How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction until I read your post. Thanks to you a copy is on its way to me now. (grin)
Very cool. Williamson was well before my time and I haven't read much from him. One of those first-world problems is never having the time to read all the things you want.
Oh, I mean to add, I recommend you read The Humanoids. Great story.
Yup. He actually coined some of the terms that are so widely used today: Prime Directive, terraforming, and either humanoid or android, several others. He was writing SF before Hugo Gernsback coined the term "science fiction." Pretty cool guy. He wrote only two novels per year (about 120,000 words) but he did that from the time he was about 19 until his death at 98. When he died, he had turned in one novel to Tor and had another one in progress. :-)