Archive for the 'Fiction' Category

“An endless fascination for others is a prerequisite to being a novelist - despite the common view of novelists as egocentric and self-absorbed. The self-absorption comes when you are at your desk writing. The rest of the time, you need to be pathologically curious.” from A Novel in a Year by Louise Doughty.
I like that.
“Pathologically […]

It has been quite a while since I posted a new list of my very popular short story starters. Quite a few people have written to me saying how useful these ideas have been. They consistently outrank every other type of article posted here on my blog.
Join in the fun.
Use any of the ideas in […]

George
George didn’t know why he was there. Or how he had got there. Well, actually he knew the method of getting there – several plane flights and then non-stop climbing for several weeks. Though it seemed like an eternity. The guides had said it was a trek. What an understatement. It was a trial, an […]

“Blue Skies”
Frank opened his eyes. He struggled to wake up fully. He heard a strident noise near his left ear. After about fifteen seconds he groaned and rolled over.
‘Stupid alarm clock,’ he muttered as he thumped the little monster into silence. His eyes felt as heavy as bricks. His parched throat screamed for moisture. His […]

In another life (an elementary school teacher for 35 years) I was frequently asked by my seven and eight year old students, “How much do I have to write?”
Good question.
In many cases I did not restrict the length of their writing and some were happy with this. Others, however, needed the security or reassurance of […]