Monthly Archives: August 2010

Commonplace Lovecraft

“Where do you get all your ideas?” That’s a commonplace question for writers of fantastic fiction – horror, science fiction, fantasy. A very uncommon author wrote down a lot of his story ideas in a list called a ‘commonplace book.’ … Continue reading

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Hook Them Early

I remember the sweat under my armpits, a dry throat, and gripping the edge of the podium hard to keep from throwing up. Hell is [speaking in front of a large group of] other people. Sometimes I have to speak … Continue reading

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Cudgel and Blade

There’s a short story that’s been staring me in the face for a year or more now. It’s a good science fiction tale, with an underdeveloped narrator and two possible endings. The penultimate chunk of words (about 1,200 or so) … Continue reading

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