Disparate concepts make us stretch and twist to make logical connections. Unlike in life, things in fiction have to make sense, no matter how disconnected they seem to be. Trust your subconscious to find the logical links. Try this and … Continue reading
Random events that happen can often be used to reveal character in our writing. Whether our characters are happy about it, sad, angry or indifferent, their response to these events lets the reader understand them a little better. (And if … Continue reading
Sometimes an overheard comment or stray concept can trigger amazing results if we let our subconscious loose on it. Let this one start your creative juices flowing. Write Over the Hump Write about this for 10 minutes: “It was the … Continue reading
Don’t be afraid to explore what appears to be a simple concept. Sometimes simple isn’t as simple as it seems, especially when your subconscious gets in on the action. Try this one on for size. Write Over the Hump Set … Continue reading
Some of the best things happen when we juxtapose things that don’t go together. Surprises can be fun. Write Over the Hump Set your timer for 10 minutes. Start with, “It really happened.” Use these words or phrases as part … Continue reading
My photo blog is up and running again. Hooray! If you’d like to contribute a photo to see what I do with it, feel free to send one along, along with whatever attribution and link you want me to use. … Continue reading
Here’s a photo I snapped one dark night, when clouds boiled across the sky and the moon snuck into corners of shadow, hiding from its own light. What I see here is a UFO approaching Earth, ready to do—what? Destroy … Continue reading
Anna Unkovich (www.annaunkovich.com) sent me this fascinating photo, the third of the trio that told the saga of the setting: one without the cake, one with the cake, and the third with the cake eaten. I found the third to … Continue reading
Even silly snaps we take ourselves can spark some great story ideas. This one I took of my (late) cat, Sir Whikis the Weighty (aka Whiskers) not only makes people laugh, it also gives writers great fodder for story ideas … Continue reading
Sometimes even the most mundane, ill-composed snaps can offer story opportunities. I took this one Christmas while my Dad, Ed Tuttle, was still alive. I don’t remember what he and my cousin Dennis Sullivan were looking at, but my imagination … Continue reading