I went camping with my family recently and decided to take a solitary walk to work out some thoughts that were knocking around in my head. Not story ideas—I have those in spades—but life stuff. Things that can only be clarified by an early morning commune with nature. For the previous two days the wind […]
Emotion As Fuel
Emotion is a basic component of creativity. As an angsty teen (weren’t we all?) I used poetry as a way to work through and express the confusion, sorrow, and joy that flowed through my adolescent years. In my twenties, I used writing to find my way out of the forest of grief that the loss […]
Writing What I Know: Guest Post by Leslee Hare
Writing what I know. That tired writer’s adage has taken on fresh meaning for me over the past couple months. I’ve been working on a memoir for a few years, and last fall I published two children’s books. These contain things I “know”, for sure. But lately, my imagination and fingers itch to try something […]
Using Science Fiction Conventions to Inspire Ideas
By Leslie C. Halpern As if attending a Star Wars Celebration, Worldcon, Dragoncon, Necronomicon, Comic-Con, MegaCon, or other similar event weren’t inspiring enough, these conventions can inspire out-of-this-world ideas for your writing. The trick is combining your powers of observation with your powers of imagination. It’s taking a step back and becoming an observer […]