Writing New Worlds
For the past few days I've been in something of a funk. I'm not sure why. A thought stream of one sort crossed a thought stream of the wrong kind and it set off something rather unpleasant. I can see it in my general heightened annoyance of the world and my less than graceful responses. …
Continue reading "My Experience at a Ten-Day Vipassana Course"
Today's writing prompt is an interesting one. I tend to veer toward the long-winded when I write, and I find myself trimming big chunks when I revise. Word count isn't an issue for me. Keeping a project within my upper ceiling, however, is. So when I found this one, I recoiled. Brevity is important, but …
Continue reading "The Writing Prompt Project, part 6: SADNESS, IN FOUR WORDS"
I love writing dialogue. If I'm honest, it's always my favorite part of a scene—both to read and write. Dialogue offers the clearest glimpse into your characters' personalities. You can show their spunk, their humour, their sorrow, their overbearing mother-hen tendencies. Dialogue can be a lot of fun and extremely effective, but it can also …
Now that I've thundered ahead into the project I decided I wasn't starting yet, I've hit a brick wall that I remember very well. And I still hate it. Detail planning! I'm sure most of you know this. You're filled with excitement for the story brewing in your head. You know the general story and …
Fantasy fiction takes many shapes. But one of the most common themes is magic. Because of this, creating your own fantasy world demands the creation of your own magic system. Magic can be simple or complex. It can stem from any number of inspirations and can fill any role you can dream for it to …
Continue reading "Developing a Magic System, part 1: The Components"
So this one kind of came out of nowhere. I was flipping through the prompts as usual, and I guess I was in a sentimental mood. As soon as I read this one, an image popped into my head and I couldn’t get it out. I hope you like this installment, and I'm so interested …
Continue reading "The Writing Prompt Project, part 5: THE GIRL BENEATH THE BED"
Show, don't tell! Have you heard those words enough times yet to hate them? That red pen circling your sentences, "Show, don't tell!" written beside them in the margin. Have you ever wanted to throw the paper back and jam that red pen up their nose? If not, you're lucky. Or maybe just less creatively …
First, let me say that I don't consider myself a practicing Buddhist, not really. To claim that would be demeaning to those who are truly practicing members of their sangha. I am someone who - like many others - came to Buddhism during a difficult period of my life. I fell into meditation and found …
Kimberley Imrie 