Once upon a time . . . it was tradition to begin a story with those words. Today’s reader wants to be hooked. The reader will accept that “once upon a time” opening only for a certain type of story. Regardless of the genre or style of fiction, the beginning of the book is critical.… Continue reading Hooked
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Monday’s Bad Rap
Did you know that the average person will see about 4,040 Mondays in a lifetime? Do we really dread seeing Monday’s so much? What gave Monday’s bad rap? In a search of YouTube, songs about Monday you can find include: The Carpenters sing a sad song Rainy Days and Mondays. Jimmy Buffett’s Come Monday at… Continue reading Monday’s Bad Rap
Going to Mars: Word-by-Word Bear Style
Nominated for the Nebula in 1986 and the Hugo and Locus in 1988, The Forge of God by Greg Bear is our next stop in this series Going to Mars: Word by Word. It is a grim, relentless examination of what might happen if an alien society of machines wanted to destroy the earth without… Continue reading Going to Mars: Word-by-Word Bear Style
Fools Risk Magic
April Fools’ Day is one of my favorite holidays. Not because of silly tricks, but because it reminds me to take risks. It’s good that not only fools take risks.
March Madness!
I love the seasons, especially the change of seasons. And that’s a good thing because in the land of Oz we have our own brand of March Madness.