Here’s an oldie but a goodie from 2008 that I just stumbled upon, from one of my favorite people, physicist Michio Kaku. I did a blog a while back on teleportation that was based on a white paper I discovered when I worked at NASA, which you can find here.
Source: Teleportation? Very Possible. Next Up: Time Travel. | DiscoverMagazine.com
Need a story idea? Fill in the blanks using the formula for the classic “What if?” premise. What if a ____ and a ____ went to _____ and ______. For practice, fill in the blanks based on your favorite sit-com or movie. This works well for creative writing teachers to fire up students’ imagination. The crazier the idea, the better.
If a paragraph is too long, it’s hard on the reader’s eyes. Break them up for visual appeal, even if in a technical sense it’s only one thought. It also helps keep the story moving.
Paragraphs should contain connected thoughts and have an introductory and closing sentence. Of course, this is not always easy to do when writing a novel, but essential for nonfiction. Jumping around too much in a paragraph will confuse your reader. A new paragraph is a signal that something has shifted.
When someone asks a question, be sure to punctuate with a “?” However, this can vary with narration. “He wondered whether the police had all the evidence” is a statement but “Did the police have all the evidence?” is a question.
There are several ways to say “said”, such as replied; asserted; stated; opined; declared, etc., but don’t overdo it; too much variety gets annoying as well. When expression is required, use substitutes to avoid adverbs, such as “he yelled” vs. “he said loudly.” The feeling behind it can also be described by how the character looks, his or her expression, or body language. Only a small portion of communicating is done via words.
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Don’t slow down an action scene to describe the locale, whether it’s a room or city street. Do that in detail, long before the scene occurs, so the reader is already familiar with it. Then use a few keywords to trigger the image.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this beach-read-length story kept me entertained from start to finish. As a professional astrologer, I love mythological characters, and it was a hoot to see them in action in a quasi-modern situation. Of course, if they’re immortal, they would interact with our times as well as their own realm, and the author obviously had fun speculating on what would happen.
This erotic tale involved the forbidden love between Samael, Guardian of the Deep, and Layla, a Succubus, who is not supposed to be monogamous. However, their magnetic attraction for one another is undeniable, albeit a problem, particularly to Layla’s superior, Lilith, and her henchmen. Nonetheless, Samael and Layla plan a getaway to mid-20th Century Montana, which encounters numerous complications, some of which I found downright hilarious.
If you’re looking for a light, sexy, quickie of a read that’s not burdened down by a bunch of detail or plot complications, I highly recommend this clever story.
You can pick up your copy of “Guardian of the Deep” on Amazon here.
[NOTE–If you’re interested in mythology, you might enjoy my two short books on a similar subject with an astrological slant, i.e. “Lilith: Dark Maid of the Sith” and “Asteroid Archetypes: A Primer”, the latter of which addresses Ceres, Pallas-Athene, Vesta, Juno, and Chiron. You might also enjoy my book, “Whobeda’s Guide to Basic Astrology”.]
Your book’s interior should be formatted for readability. Both Create Space and Smashwords have “How To” documents you should read and follow. Poorly formatted books lose readers and mark indie writers as unprofessional. Learn how to do it correctly or hire someone to do it for you. Your readers will appreciate it.
Marcha's Two-Cents Worth 