Writing Tip: Cutting

If it doesn't drive the plot forward or illuminate some new aspect of the main character(s), cut it out. It's all too easy to fall in love with bits of dialogue, unnecessary scenes, and all the other little darlings that clutter up early drafts, but prune them as you would extra branches on a tree, and you strengthen what's left.

On Screenwriting

"What you leave out is as important as what you leave in." Alexander Mackendrick (excerpted from ON FILM-MAKING: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CRAFT OF THE DIRECTOR Edited by PAUL CRONIN)

Words From a Zen Monk

"Years of digging the earth searching for the blue sky,
piling up layer upon layer of mediocrity.
Then one dark night the ceiling blew off,
and the whole structure disappeared into emptiness." Muso

Words From Dune

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” ― Frank Herbert, Dune

Quote of the Day

"Ambiguity does not mean lack of clarity. Ambiguity may be intriguing when it consists of alternative meanings, each of them clear." Alexander Mackendrick

Concussion now up at Escape Pod

My story "Concussion" is now up at Escape Pod. If you like science fiction and football (I realize there is little overlap in these two worlds), then sit back in your chair or get in your car and give it a listen. Oh, and feel free to tell your friends.

2012 in Review - Published Works

This seems to be the time of year that everyone is releasing their list of published works from the previous year, so here are mine from 2012. I hope I haven't missed any.

SHORT FICTION

"Magnitude Seven" (Audio), (Pseudopod 303, October, 2012; originally published as a long poem in the print version of Nightblade, Dec. 2011)

"The Mirror With Six Faces" (Flash Fiction Online, June, 2012)

"Hoist With an Ark to the Stars" (Daily Science Fiction, May, 2012)

POETRY

"Ana Morphosis" (Ideomancer, 11:3, Beth Langford editor) (Online)

"I Am" (Star*Line, Volume 35, Issue 1, Marge Simon editor) (Print)

"Doorways" (British Fantasy Society Journal, Spring 2012, Ian Hunter editor) (Print)

"Soaked Through" (Eye to the Telescope, January, 2012, Jeannine Hall Gailey editor)

"Zen Fish" (Star*Line, Volume 35, Issue 2, Marge Simon editor) (Print)

Untitled Senryu (Beyond Centauri, April, 2012, Teri Santitoro editor) (Print)

Untitled Scifaiku (Scifaikuest, May 2012, Teri Santitoro editor) (Print)

Untitled Scifaiku (Scifaikuest, February, 2012, Teri Santitoro editor) (Print)

Untitled Scifaiku (Scifaikuest, May, 2012, Teri Santitoro editor) (Online)

"Traces" (Scifaikuest, May, 2012, Teri Santitoro editor) (Online)