books

A Very Cool Video

Sept. 15, 2010 — Hello Friends! Here is a very cool video from my friend, Michael McMillan. The subject is his book, Pink Bat, which I helped him edit last year. It’s an excellent book. But today, I just want you to watch this video. Michael is one of the most creative people I know, and this is one of the most creative videos I’ve ever seen.

100 Best First Lines

100 Best First Lines From Novels

from American Book Review

My favorite is 25:
“Through the fence, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting.”

I like 12 & 38, too.

What about you?

The Art of Language

June 28, 2010 — Hello friends! Here’s a treat for you: an inside look at the creative process from one of the most creative people I know. Stephen Parrish is author of The Tavernier Stones, a masterfully crafted story of a treasure hunt with memorable characters and fascinating details about cartography and gemology. Stephen also has one of the most entertaining blogs on the Internet at stephenparrish.blogspot.com, and he is sponsoring an online treasure hunt to win a 1 carat diamond!

I grew up among artists who encouraged me to draw and paint; my room always smelled of turpentine and linseed oil and my pants were often streaked with charcoal dust.  Since I write visually—I first see the scenes in my head and attempt to record them faithfully—it was only natural that I come up with an approach to writing that paid tribute to all those canvases I sacrificed.

Today Arrived Sooner Than I Expected

May 5, 2010 — Hello Friends! No, the headline is not a quote from Moe, Larry or Curly. I’m saying that after only a few months of accepting submissions, we are almost ready to publish the first Dream of Things anthology. Submissions will close for the “Saying Goodbye” anthology on June 30, 2010,

Writing for One Person

Whether you are writing a book, a short story or essay, or a blog post, it’s important to know who you’re writing for — and, ultimately, to remember that you are writing for yourself first and foremost. See my latest post on Freelance-Zone for more…