Here’s another seven-sentence short story! I ran the workshop again at Ganbatte, an anime convention in Saskatoon. It went well, and here’s the one I created, again with the instructions, created by noted SF short-story writer James van Pelt. The illustration above is AI-generated by Bing. Introduce what the main character wants and the first …
Tag: writing
The Cat of Enlightenment: A Seven-Sentence Short Story
Another When Words Collide, another Seven-Sentence Short Story workshop, as I once again led a group of writers through this plotting exercise devised by noted science fiction short-story writer James Van Pelt. As always, I created a story myself. I usually call this a plotting exercise, but since I was also on a panel called …
The Space-Time Continuum: Neologisms
Here’s my latest Space-Time Continuum column from the January 2023 issue of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild’s magazine, Freelance. “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” —Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass Humpty Dumpty, noted wall-sitter and …
A new seven-sentence short story: Swinging to the Guru
I just completed this year’s Seven-Sentence Short Story workshop for the When Words Collide writers’ convention, at which I’m one of the Guests of Honor this year. This exercise, created by short-story writer extraordinaire James Van Pelt, has been a great success every time I’ve conducted it. Below is my story, written extemporaneously during the …
A new seven-sentence short story: The Quantum Beast
Earlier today, as part of this year’s online version of When Words Collide, the great annual writing conference in Calgary, I led about forty writers through the Seven-Sentence Short Story exercise, created by science fiction and fantasy author (and former English teacher) James Van Pelt, who was on hand and took part himself! I’ve used this …
The Space-Time Continuum: Why do we write?
This is my latest “Space-Time Continuum” column for the Saskatchewan Writers Guild‘s news magazine Freelance. Have you ever asked yourself why you write? Or asked your writer friends why they write? I have. In fact, I literallyasked myself that question in one episode of my ongoing podcast, The Worldshapers (www.theworldshapers.com), featuring conversations with science fiction and fantasy …
I talk about worldbuilding!
On Tuesday of this week I gave a presentation at the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild office, part of its Write After Lunch series of authors’ talks, entitled “Worldshaping.” The topic was what is usually called “worldbuilding,” but since my upcoming eighth novel for DAW Books (for which I just received the page proofs) is called Worldshaper, …
The Space-Time Continuum: Steam-Engine Time
Here’s my latest column from Freelance, the magazine of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. All forms of art, from the visual to the theatrical, from motion pictures to literature, tend to go through movements. One reason for this is simply copycatting, something that is most clearly seen in the motion picture industry: somebody makes a movie …
The Space-Time Continuum: What do writers owe their readers?
Here’s my latest column from Freelance, the magazine of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in George R.R. Martin’s bestselling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, still doesn’t have a release date, six years after the release of A Dance with Dragons. (And there’s a final book, A …
First description of Worldshaper, my next novel for DAW Books
The release of Worldshaper, Book 1 in the Worldshapers series, is still 10 months away (it’s set for September 2018), but that’s not very long in publishing terms. My editor at DAW Books, Sheila Gilbert, and I are already talking about cover art. And I’ve also been asked to write “sell copy” describing the book. …
The Space-Time Continuum: What’s the Big Idea?
Here’s my latest “Space-Time Continuum” column from the Saskatchewan Writers Guild‘s magazine Freelance. “Where do you get your ideas?” is a question every author has heard multiple times. I usually say something about how story ideas are all around us, and give some examples. But recently I’ve realized there are two different kinds of ideas …
The Space-Time Continuum: Aliens in Science Fiction
Having just posted my column from the February/March 2017 issue of Freelance, the magazine of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild (see previous post), it behooves me to be more timely and post the most recent column, from the April/May issue. And here it is! I remember being confused, as a kid, the first time I encountered the …
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Episode 148: Christopher Rowe
An hour-long chat with Christopher Rowe, Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy (and others) shortlisted author of the critically acclaimed novellas The Navigating Fox and These Prisoning Hills, as well as the story collection Telling the Map. Websitechristopherrowe.net Facebook Instagram@cvrowe1234 Twitter/X@ChristopherRowe Bluesky@christopherrowe Christopher Rowe’s Amazon Page The Introduction Christopher Rowe is the author of the critically acclaimed… -
Episode 147: Kerstin Stanford
An hour-long chat with Kerstin Stanford, author of the middle-grade fantasy novel Escape from Portaliege: A Sam Harte Adventure. Websitekerstinstanford.com Facebook@kerstin.stanforddorren Twitter/X@StanfordDorren Instagram@stanforddorren TikTok@kerstinstanford Kerstin Stanford’s Amazon page The Introduction Kerstin Stanford is a California-based author, marketing professional, and event construction enthusiast. Her debut novel, Escape From Portaliege: A Sam Harte Adventure, follows 12-year-old Sam… -
Episode 146: L. Jagi Lamplighter
An hour-long chat with L. Jagi Lamplighter, author of the YA fantasy series The Books of Unexpected Enlightenment and the Prospero’s Children series. Websiteljagilamplighter.com SuperversiveSF Blog Fantastic Schools and Where to Find Them X/Twitter@lampwright4 L. Jagi Lamplighter’s Amazon Page The Introduction L. Jagi Lamplighter is the author of the young-adult fantasy series The Books of Unexpected… -
Episode 145: Omari Richards
An hour-long chat with Omari Richards, “lifetime blerd” and author of the new The Kimoni Legacy fantasy series, as well as the Tales of Nahawalla short stories. Websiteomari-richards.com Facebook Instagram@omari_a_richards Omari Richards’s Amazon Page Omari Richards was born to Dominican immigrants in America and grew up in a household filled with laughter, music, fellowship, and… -
Episode 144: Nick Stitle
A 45-minute chat with Nick Stitle, the 17-year-old author of the epic fantasy Stormless. Websitenickstitle.com Facebook@nickstitleauthor Instagram@nickstitle_author Twitter/X@nickstitle Nick Stitle’s Amazon Page The Introduction Injuries forced Nicklas Stitle to stop playing tennis after his freshman year of high school, and he realized that was an opportunity to begin working on the story he had been… -
Episode 143: Genevieve Gornichec
A long chat with Genevieve Gornichec, author of the historical fantasies The Witch’s Heart and The Weaver and the Witch Queen. Websitegenevievegornichec.com Facebook@gengornichec Twitter/X@gengornichec Instagram@gengornichec Genevieve Gornichec’s Amazon Page The Introduction Genevieve Gornichec earned her degree in history from Ohio State University, but she got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could, and her… -
Episode 142: M.J. Kuhn
An hour-long chat with fantasy writer M.J. Kuhn, author of the internationally bestselling Among Thieves and its new sequel, Thick as Thieves. Websitemjkuhn.com X (Twitter)@mjkuhnbooks Instagram@mjkuhnbooks TikTok@mjkuhnbooks Facebook@mjkuhnbooks The Introduction M.J. Kuhn, author of the internationally bestselling Among Thieves and its new sequel, Thick as Thieves, is a fantasy writer by night and a mild-mannered… -
Episode 141: Hayden Trenholm
An hour-long conversation with Hayden Trenholm, award-winning playwright, novelist, and short-story writer and member of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame. Websitehaydentrenholm.com X@HaydenTrenholm Hayden Trenholm’s Amazon Page The Introduction Hayden Trenholm is an award-winning playwright, novelist, and short story writer. He has also been a public servant, an actor, a bartender,… -
Episode 140: Edo van Belkom
An hour-long chat with award-winning Canadian horror writer Edo van Belkom, author of the Wolf Pack YA books, now a Paramount+ TV series. Websiteedovanbelkom.com Twitter@edovanbelkom Instgram@edovanbelkom Facebook@edo.vanbelkom Edo van Belkom’s Amazon Page The Introduction Edo van Belkom is an award-winning Canadian author who began his career as a reporter for newspapers in and around Toronto, mainly… -
Episode 139: Natalie Wright
An hour-long chat with Natalie Wright, author of the new fantasy novel Season of the Dragon, as well as the H.A.L.F. series and the Akasha Chronicles. Websitenataliewrightauthor.com Facebook@nataliewright.author Twitter@nataliewright_ Instagram@nataliewrightauthor Natalie Wright’s Amazon Page The Introduction Natalie Wright writes fantasy and science fiction novels and short stories. She’s the author of the award-winning H.A.L.F. series…
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