Back to Novel Writing

Now that I'm through with classes . . . man that still seems weird to write . . . I guess when something has been a daily part of your life for 3 and a half years . . .  when it goes away, it's a bit of a loss. 

Regardless, now that I'm through with those classes, I'm thinking of . . . I'm going to get back into my novel writing. It won't be immediate. I still have to finish my dissertation, but just the experiment and the report on it over the course of the next few months is nothing compared to taking 6 or 7 Masters and PhD level classes every year. 

Not the Martian

I remember reading The Martian when if first came out. It was a terrific novel. It was geeky but sci-fi-ish. It was raw but well-written. It was fresh and interesting. 

Then the movie came out. It was good. But nowhere near as good as the book. 

No Characters in Ripcord

I don't have time for bad books anymore. What am I? Almost 50? Close enough were I can say I am 50! Let's say 50. That's a good deal past half my expected expiration date. Who wants to spend the few remaining days I have reading bad books. 

Some bad books I have to read . . . for work? . . . for school (hopefully that's coming to an end soon) . . . for other myriad reasons. But if I read for fun . . . I don't want to waste my reading time on bad books. Ripcord, it's a good book about a battle, but it's a horrible story. 

What's that mean?

Essentials for Novel Writing

Thayer Rules are my little way of cataloging things I hear from James Thayer's podcast Essential Guide to Writing a Novel. Thayer is a wealth of information. Its presentation is a bit long and slow but there are nuggets in there that are incredibly worthwhile. Additionally, in episode one he references positively Donald Maass. I love Donald Maass.

The rule I liked today was "Characters don't engage in small talk." 

A Great Line About Fantasies

Every now and then I run across a line that resonates. I put them all in my Great Lines group  . . . see HERE. Or if you'd like to see the other "great lines" you can click the label on the right of the navigation bar. 

This one hit me. I don't know why, but it did. Maybe I've come close to fulfilling my fantasies and realized it wasn't what I thought. Maybe it's the context, where he realizes that the girl he used to fantasize about really isn't what he wanted or needed in life. Maybe it's all of that.