Thursday, October 27, 2005

NaNoWriMo For Me!

I've decided to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month, and the challenge is to write 50,000 words between midnight, November 1, and midnight, November 30. I have my book outlined. Wish me luck!

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Bad Writing on the Web

The opening two sentences:

The camera rolls for the first time for a Reality TV show which the cast members are supposed to collect footage of another haunted place. The process of getting the cast members together would be a daunting task and each detail as it would become was the thought of how the viewers would really have their imagination captured.

Credit goes to Nickolaus Pacione. The story is called "In the Reflection of a Lens."

Don't read it expecting it to get better. It doesn't. Quick, toss Mr. Pacione a copy of "The Elements of Style" (thanks to an anonymous commenter for reminding me of this book.)

Thursday, October 13, 2005

A Few Good Books

I recommend the following books to writers:

"On Writing," by Stephen King

"Bird by Bird," by Anne Lamott

"Eats, Shoots, and Leaves," by Lynne Truss

"The Art of Fiction," by John Gardner

"The Triggering Town," by Richard Hugo (for poets only)