Actually, it's a News Flash on a contest for flash fiction. It is hosted by Christian author, Lillian Duncan, and it appears to be open to any Genre. I might try it, except I'm leaving for vacation in the morning and can't pull something together. So I thought I'd pass this on to my Spec Friends and see if any of them want to give it a shot.
http://lillianduncan.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/flash-fiction-fun%e2%80%94contest-time/
Monday, August 8, 2011
Houston, We Have a Problem
The kids and I watched Apollo 13 the other night. I'd seen it before but I wanted to share it with them for the first time.
Spec. Fiction, even Science Fiction, involves a lot of fantasy. But to make it believable, you have to incorporate some reality. Space travel will be more believable if you present what is known about space rather than make things up because you didn't do your homework.
I love movies like Apollo 13 for many reasons. But as a writer, I love the visuals and realistic portrayal of what space is really like, how hostile and opposed to earth life it really is. Movies like Apollo 13 helps keep things real and shows how dealing with real, believable issues make a great story.
I love technical side of Apollo 13, like putting the engineering department on earth at work to make the Command Module filters work for Lunar Module to bring the CO2 levels back down and having to burn fuel and fly manually to get the capsule on course for the angle of re-entry.
I also love the human aspect of it. Things like watching Lovell's mother's complete confidence in her son and the concern of his wife and children over their dad's safety.
Apollo 13 is a must see for anyone, but I especially recommend it for anyone wanting to write Science Fiction that involves space travel.
Spec. Fiction, even Science Fiction, involves a lot of fantasy. But to make it believable, you have to incorporate some reality. Space travel will be more believable if you present what is known about space rather than make things up because you didn't do your homework.
I love movies like Apollo 13 for many reasons. But as a writer, I love the visuals and realistic portrayal of what space is really like, how hostile and opposed to earth life it really is. Movies like Apollo 13 helps keep things real and shows how dealing with real, believable issues make a great story.
I love technical side of Apollo 13, like putting the engineering department on earth at work to make the Command Module filters work for Lunar Module to bring the CO2 levels back down and having to burn fuel and fly manually to get the capsule on course for the angle of re-entry.
I also love the human aspect of it. Things like watching Lovell's mother's complete confidence in her son and the concern of his wife and children over their dad's safety.
Apollo 13 is a must see for anyone, but I especially recommend it for anyone wanting to write Science Fiction that involves space travel.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
More on Verbs
In the words of Steve Urkel on Family Matters, "I use verbs. Verbs are our friends."
Truer words about verbs have never been spoken. Without a verb you don't have a sentence. That can't be said about any other part of speech, not even the second most important word in the sentence, the noun.
As I mentioned before, in the sentence, verbs are where the action is, literally. And the most important aspect of a story is the action, what happens. And anyone who has ever tried to brush up on their fiction writing skills learns very quickly that authors need to keep the verbs active rather than passive.
But I must confess, even though I've known about avoiding passive verbs for some time, there was something that I've learned only just recently, like what a truly 'passive' verb is.
According to Rosslyn Elliot, historical fiction writer:
"True passive verbs occur when the action of the sentence happens to the subject:
The cake was eaten by the boy."
My husband's family used to say to each other as a joke about certain things, "And a good time was had by all." Now I know what sort of verb they were using.
Rosslyn goes on to say:
"Progressive verbs occur when you use 'was' (or am, is, are, were) with the +ing form of the verb.
The boy was eating the cake."
Until Rosslyn set me straight, I though that progressive verbs were passive verbs. Now I know better.
Rosslyn again:
"Both passive and progressive are weak, but on the few occasions when they do appear, the appropriateness of the use will differ according to whether the verb is passive or progressive.
The progressive form of verbs might occur in dialogue where you must use the phrasing that sounds natural, even if it's progressive.
The passive form of verbs is weak in both narrative and dialogue. Once or twice in a novel, you may need to use the passive voice for clarity because of your sentence order."
Rosslyn really knows her stuff. Thomas Nelson published her debut novel, an historical romance, in April of this year. You can visit her website by clicking on the link below.
http://www.rosslynelliott.com/
Thanks Rosslyn for sharing your expertise.
Truer words about verbs have never been spoken. Without a verb you don't have a sentence. That can't be said about any other part of speech, not even the second most important word in the sentence, the noun.
As I mentioned before, in the sentence, verbs are where the action is, literally. And the most important aspect of a story is the action, what happens. And anyone who has ever tried to brush up on their fiction writing skills learns very quickly that authors need to keep the verbs active rather than passive.
But I must confess, even though I've known about avoiding passive verbs for some time, there was something that I've learned only just recently, like what a truly 'passive' verb is.
According to Rosslyn Elliot, historical fiction writer:
"True passive verbs occur when the action of the sentence happens to the subject:
The cake was eaten by the boy."
My husband's family used to say to each other as a joke about certain things, "And a good time was had by all." Now I know what sort of verb they were using.
Rosslyn goes on to say:
"Progressive verbs occur when you use 'was' (or am, is, are, were) with the +ing form of the verb.
The boy was eating the cake."
Until Rosslyn set me straight, I though that progressive verbs were passive verbs. Now I know better.
Rosslyn again:
"Both passive and progressive are weak, but on the few occasions when they do appear, the appropriateness of the use will differ according to whether the verb is passive or progressive.
The progressive form of verbs might occur in dialogue where you must use the phrasing that sounds natural, even if it's progressive.
The passive form of verbs is weak in both narrative and dialogue. Once or twice in a novel, you may need to use the passive voice for clarity because of your sentence order."
Rosslyn really knows her stuff. Thomas Nelson published her debut novel, an historical romance, in April of this year. You can visit her website by clicking on the link below.
http://www.rosslynelliott.com/
Thanks Rosslyn for sharing your expertise.
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Spider in the Chaparral
My second Avenir Eclectia installment is up!
http://www.avenireclectia.com/2011/08/spider-in-chaparral.html
And it has at least one enthusiastic thumbs up.
Thanks Walt!
http://www.avenireclectia.com/2011/08/spider-in-chaparral.html
And it has at least one enthusiastic thumbs up.
Thanks Walt!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Verbs Rule, Adverbs Drool?
I was planning to write this post about the importance of Verbs already. But comments on one of my writer's loops helped me to get to it quicker.
One of the 'rules' of modern writing is to avoid adverbs. But I like what one writer says about writing rules or laws. They really are more like suggestions than hard and fast rules. Kind of like the Pirate Code from the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Adverbs are not expendable and a well placed adverb is worth its weight in gold.
But all writers need to remember that verbs are where the action is, literally.
So when this is discussed, people get real defensive and bring up all the great writers of old who used lots of adverbs. This is completely understandable. Writers are nothing if they are not creative. And all creative people hate to be boxed in. So that's why I think, instead of saying that avoiding adverbs is a 'rule', it would be better to look at it as a suggestion for streamlining a modern story for smoothness and aerodynamics. A well place adverb could be like racing stripes rather that something that protruded from the body drawing too much attention to itself and causing wind resistance.
Or perhaps a writer can look at it this way. Verbs are the meat of the story, the action. Adverbs, along with adjectives, article, prepositions, etc., they are more like the seasoning.
This thinking is particularly important with flash fiction since the point is to get to the action and to keep things streamlined.
Adverbs are not to be avoided like the plague but rather used carefully and sparingly like the perfect spice to enhance the power base of the story which is the verbs.
One of the 'rules' of modern writing is to avoid adverbs. But I like what one writer says about writing rules or laws. They really are more like suggestions than hard and fast rules. Kind of like the Pirate Code from the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Adverbs are not expendable and a well placed adverb is worth its weight in gold.
But all writers need to remember that verbs are where the action is, literally.
So when this is discussed, people get real defensive and bring up all the great writers of old who used lots of adverbs. This is completely understandable. Writers are nothing if they are not creative. And all creative people hate to be boxed in. So that's why I think, instead of saying that avoiding adverbs is a 'rule', it would be better to look at it as a suggestion for streamlining a modern story for smoothness and aerodynamics. A well place adverb could be like racing stripes rather that something that protruded from the body drawing too much attention to itself and causing wind resistance.
Or perhaps a writer can look at it this way. Verbs are the meat of the story, the action. Adverbs, along with adjectives, article, prepositions, etc., they are more like the seasoning.
This thinking is particularly important with flash fiction since the point is to get to the action and to keep things streamlined.
Adverbs are not to be avoided like the plague but rather used carefully and sparingly like the perfect spice to enhance the power base of the story which is the verbs.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Why Flash Fiction?
I had already mentioned in the previous post that flash fiction fits well into the busy life-styles of the modern lover of fiction, both writer and reader.
I'm sure there are many other reasons for reading and writing flash fiction than what I can come up with. And I'd be interested in anyone else's opinion as to why they like to read and/or write flash fiction.
On reason that I have taken to it is that my writing style is already sparse and concise. Even back in college, when I had people proof read my essays I'd get complaints that they couldn't skim because there was too much info and not enough fluff. With former critique partners, instead of being told to cut words, I was encouraged to add words to add depth. And when I would critique other people's work, I could always find ways to tighten and to say the same thing using less words.
So this is one reason flash fiction seems to be a good fit for me. I can concentrate on 300-400 hundred words and work on a system to get my point across in the sparse concise voice I already have, plus work on deepening it using a few tool and tricks that I've learned along the way.
Anyway, this, along with natural time constraints, is the reason I'm experimenting with flash fiction right now. I wonder why other people read and/or write flash fiction?
I'm sure there are many other reasons for reading and writing flash fiction than what I can come up with. And I'd be interested in anyone else's opinion as to why they like to read and/or write flash fiction.
On reason that I have taken to it is that my writing style is already sparse and concise. Even back in college, when I had people proof read my essays I'd get complaints that they couldn't skim because there was too much info and not enough fluff. With former critique partners, instead of being told to cut words, I was encouraged to add words to add depth. And when I would critique other people's work, I could always find ways to tighten and to say the same thing using less words.
So this is one reason flash fiction seems to be a good fit for me. I can concentrate on 300-400 hundred words and work on a system to get my point across in the sparse concise voice I already have, plus work on deepening it using a few tool and tricks that I've learned along the way.
Anyway, this, along with natural time constraints, is the reason I'm experimenting with flash fiction right now. I wonder why other people read and/or write flash fiction?
Monday, July 18, 2011
What Is Flash Fiction?
I'm still learning.
But on Avenir Eclectia, the pieces can be anywhere between 150-400 words.
Also, I know that my children don't like flash fiction. I have them read my work before I send it in to see if it makes sense or there are spelling errors. 400 words is too short for them. They want a bit more to their stories. And that's a good thing.
But I'll tell you, I'm kind of enjoying reading the flash fiction from other contributors. Because I'm so busy, just a snippet of a story is better than no story at all.
So, flash fiction is a way to get a bit of a creative story into your fast paced life, a life just a little too busy for a full length novel at this time.
It is also a good way for an over-worked, frustrated novel writer to still work on fiction to sharpen her skills for the time to come when she's not quite so busy and she can actually work on that novel.
But on Avenir Eclectia, the pieces can be anywhere between 150-400 words.
Also, I know that my children don't like flash fiction. I have them read my work before I send it in to see if it makes sense or there are spelling errors. 400 words is too short for them. They want a bit more to their stories. And that's a good thing.
But I'll tell you, I'm kind of enjoying reading the flash fiction from other contributors. Because I'm so busy, just a snippet of a story is better than no story at all.
So, flash fiction is a way to get a bit of a creative story into your fast paced life, a life just a little too busy for a full length novel at this time.
It is also a good way for an over-worked, frustrated novel writer to still work on fiction to sharpen her skills for the time to come when she's not quite so busy and she can actually work on that novel.
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