Babel–Meaning or Madness?

Into the plethora of genres and sub-genres in today’s fiction rockets BABEL, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution, by R. F Kuang. The title says it all. History, deeply interwoven in a fantastic view of what might have existed, the long (500 pages …

Young man with sunglasses at desk writing with strange pen.

The Six Narrative Perspectives

As a writer who has been critiqued and often critiques other authors, point-of-view (POV) is a common topic. However, talking about POV is not enough because it is intertwined with the overall narrative perspective of the work. That perspective is a mix-and-match of several concepts that should stay fairly consistent …

A humanoid robot posing like Rodin's The Thinker, sitting with chin resting on hand.

Creating Convincing AI Characters

You’ve got a brilliant idea for a story about an AI. Time to get writing. You sit at your desk. You boot your laptop. You dismiss those notifications about pending updates. You launch your word processor. You spend five minutes setting the font, paragraph indent, and line spacing. At last, …

Evil and Angle statue

Problematic Authors: Can We Separate the Art from the Artist?

PART ONE: THE PROBLEM What do L. Frank Baum, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Orson Scott Card, Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman. H. P. Lovecraft, J .K. Rowling, and J. R. R. Tolkien have in common? Each is a beloved author who has written foundational speculative works that continue to inspire today. In …

Big truck stuck on the edge of a cliff.

Eight More Common Problems for New Writers

2nd of 2 parts Writing speculative fiction is a nuanced craft that demands a blend of creativity, discipline, and technical skill. New writers frequently stumble over specific hurdles that can hinder their storytelling. Here are eight additional common problems beyond the typical advice: Weak Beginnings The beginning of a story …

Truck about to fall into a giant pothole.

Eight Common Problems for New Writers

1st of 2 parts Writing speculative fiction can be a rewarding and challenging experience. New writers often encounter several pitfalls as they hone their craft. This blog post will discuss eight common issues and provide tips on how to overcome them. Point-of-View Slips One of the most common problems for …

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Author Elaine Clark

Elaine W. Clark is a native of New Mexico where she has lived all but eight months of her life. Reading was a joy she discovered from the yearly Christmas present books she received as a child from her uncle and aunt who were both librarians. Influences The first book …

Man on pier, smoking

La Jetée: A Classic, Mindblowing SF Experience

Chris Marker’s 1962 film, La Jetée, clocks in at a mere twenty-eight minutes, but once seen, will stay with its viewers forever. In French, the phrase la jetée denotes “a pier,” and it is one man’s childhood memory of standing on a pier, watching planes take off, that forms the linchpin of this sf …