wifofoo

WATCH: Fantasy Authors Play D&D

May 14, 2013 § Leave a Comment

Where: Immortal ConFusion in Detroit, MI.

DMs: Myke Cole and Saladin Ahmed

Players: Peter V. Brett, Jim Hines, Mary Robinette Kowal, Pat Rothfuss, Diana Rowland, Sam Sykes, Dave Wohlreich

Mission: Solve the dark mystery festering in The Village of Hommlet.

New Podcast for Writers and Geeks

May 14, 2013 § Leave a Comment

Tea and Jeopardy is a podcast about “writing, geekery, and guilty pleasures.” Episode one features Blackbirds author Chuck Wendig.

Tea and Jeopardy Episode 01 – Chuck Wendig

I touched greatness today

May 10, 2013 § Leave a Comment

It’s about 1 am, and I just got back from Little Rock, AR where I attended a Q&A for Pat Rothfuss on behalf of Heifer International.

I’m tired and my brain isn’t capable of forming complete sentences, so I’ll sum it up by saying that Pat is an amazing, fascinating individual. Also, he’s surprisingly funny. And handsome.

Beginning Sentences With But

May 9, 2013 § Leave a Comment

There’s this common misconception that writers are not to use the word but at the beginning of a sentence.

“But, what do you mean ‘misconception?’ “

Well, I’m no grammar expert, but there are a few rules I learned in my high school english classes that stuck with me over the years; one of which states you should never start a sentence with but.

But here’s the deal… That’s not entirely true.

In fact, according to the Chicago Manual of Style, it is perfectly fine to open a sentence with but, so long as you are using it correctly.

And since I’ve been on a bit of a Pat Rothfuss kick lately, I thought I’d run a little test to see just how often he begins a sentence this way.

To find out, I wrote a short computer script to count the word’s usage in his book The Name of the Wind. Turns out, 1305 sentences in his book begin with this word.

And since this is a post about grammar, which, again, is something I’m not particularly good at, I thought I’d mention a few other tidbits I picked up while writing this post.

1. There is no need to capitalize the word english when referring to a high school subject such as english class.

2. When referring to a specific word such as but, it is up to you whether or not you italicize it or use quotations.

3. Semicolons are used to form a bond between two statements, typically when they are related to or contrast with one another.

About Your Darlings

May 7, 2013 § Leave a Comment

In my hometown, there is a woman who loves to garden. Not vegetables, but plants and flowers and things.

When you drive by her house, you almost don’t know it’s there. It sits not far from the road; a small brick facade with a window peeping out from behind heaps of rose bushes, ivy, and shrubs.

When you drive by, you remember what that house was, before the flowers, and you wonder why this woman feels the need to add more, year after year.

Now, I have a story. I’ve been working on it for some time now. I go through it often, adding prose, adding color (mostly purple). To me, the words I’ve added are making it better. They fill my story with depth. They are good, strong words.

The problem with all these extra words is… they’ve taken over.

Much like the woman whose house is lost behind disheveled heaps of green, my story is lost in the midst of purple.

You’ve heard the phrase “kill your darlings.” Well, it turns out that this isn’t an easy thing to do.

When you write a story, remember that the story is not meant for you. It can be, if you want it to (this is art, after all); but, if you want your work to be enjoyed by others, know that it is the story they care about, and not your words.