Where Crime, Horror, and Science Fiction Meet – Discussing new discoveries, old mysteries, creepy tales, and dark storytelling
Good Bones and Simple Murders by Margaret Atwood My rating: 5 of 5 stars I read the first story of this book, “Murder in the Dark,” and when I was finished I turned to my husband, shoved the book in his hand, told him to read it and then he was to tell me HOW…
Read more Thursday Reviews!: Good Bones and Simple Murders by Margaret Atwood
Intro: In September I participated in the Colorado Springs Writing Marathon. I’d just finished reading Atwood’s Good Bones and Simple Murders (reviewed tomorrow) and really, really wanted to try something small and twisty like the stories in that book. The following is the result: The Crayon It’s robin-egg blue and hidden behind a potted plant. The…
It’s Tuesday! And every Tuesday you will be subjected to regaled by the writing progress I have made over the last week. But! I insist that I not be the only one exposing myself sounding off. Let your comments reflect what kind of suffering butt-kicking you have done too! Ah, it was a glorious week…
Read more Twitter and the Part I Smackdown: Tuesday Post of Accountability
This year, I’m doing it. Last year I did not. Last year, I didn’t even try it because I was in the middle of big project that I didn’t want to interrupt. This year, I can write an entire section of my current novel in one month – a section with its own beginning middle…
Okay, so first, the National Book Awards were announced. Congrats to everyone who made the cut. Unfortunately, in a bungling bungle to beat all bungles, they informed super-duper Young Adult writer Lauren Myracle that she was shortlisted…and then she was asked to withdraw: “Her [Myracle’s] book “Shine” was among the first five finalists announced live before…
Read more Mostly National Book Award Linkage for Your Friday!
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood My rating: 4 of 5 stars 3.5 stars…it’s a first of series and, while beautifully written (because Atwood just does that) I found that I could put the book down a little too easily. So I started it a couple months ago and just now finished. The Main IdeaSnowman…
Read more Thursday Reviews: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Atwood’s new book on science fiction/speculative fiction In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination is out and about! For an excerpt: From the National Post – “Margaret Atwood: Utopias in fiction and their failed real-life counterparts”
I’m not a writer who titles her chapters – though I’ve considered it for various projects, including my WiP. J.K. Rowling titled all chapters in the Harry Potter series, Neil Gaiman titled his chapters in The Graveyard Book, and there’s a whole host of other authors who title their chapters. It’s something I think we…
Read more What Do Chapter Titles Reveal About Your Book (Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake)
The writingThere was far less actual writing this past week, and definitely more thinking about writing. Here’s what I thought: “I’m almost done with Part I! I’m almost done with Part I!” Here’s what I did: False started the last Part I chapter about four times. First, I started it at the wrong time with…
Read more Reading, Writing; Writing, Reading: Tuesday Post of Accountability
The author of Norwegian Wood has a new novel out, a nod to George Orwell’s 1984, called 1Q84. I came across this interview and he makes a lot of interesting points, about being a writer and about being a person – my favorite being that you have to know what you love: “So, even though…
