Archive for the ‘The Craft of Writing’ Category

Telling Stories to Fix a Problem Telling Stories

by Clay Johnson

I’ve never been good at outlining before I write. If I know where the story is going, then the fun part is already done, and the writing becomes a chore. But this new thing, where I tell her a chapter, then think on it, smooth out the edges, and write it down, forced me into a mid-range style of outlining that really works for me.

What Makes the Monstrous

by Paul Jessup

Monsters and genre fiction go hand in hand. Or rather, claw in claw, if we’re being cheeky about it. From the mad  science creations and aliens of science fiction, to the supernatural and mythic of fantasy and horror, there are monsters everywhere, even from the very start.

Developing Humanity’s Competitive Advantage for the Future Workplace:  Empathy Through Fiction

by Katherine Quevedo

A lot of discourse these days builds up the case for why the world needs more empathy. It’s not a hard case to make. When placed against the backdrop of artificial intelligence (AI) and the possible technological singularity, I believe empathy could become a source of competitive advantage for our species as a whole.

Novelist as Poet or Philosopher

by Sally Wiener Grotta

I write to understand. My characters and plots are formed in a subconscious that churns with confusion or concern about how the world functions (or fails to function). As I write the story my characters tell me, I find myself posing questions that “reflect and even explain the differences and forces that relate them all… hold them together… or tear them apart.” The journey is what matters to me.