Google always likes to honour the birthdays of dead people whose achievements are mostly unsung. My recent favourite is March 5th’s Momofuku Ando, inventory of Instant noodles, whose Google page caused quite a stir. However I will heartily congratulate the man who should be considered the grandfather of university cuisine. So I heartily salute you, Momofuku Ando for … Continue reading How to Write Instant Poetry
If, really there is no if, excuse me, when I win the Nobel Prize for Literature, I will accept it with a beer in one hand, my speech notes in the other (and seeing as I still have the armspace, a hooker under each arm). After taking a swig from my glass, I would begin my thank you’s to my creative lit professor, myself for being awesome, and the funny voices in my head that give me all my wonderful ideas as well tell me to set the mailboxes on fire. Then having brought the room to an awed awkwardness, maybe a couple chuckles from the cooler suits and dresses, I’ll say just kidding, silly voices be damned, it was Orson Scott Card who taught me how to write.
Yeah let’s hear it, Ender’s Game was the shit (no it wasn’t, I’d give it B+ at best), but it wasn’t Ender’s Game that makes him one of my literary heroes, no it was for “Elements of Fiction Writing: Characters & Viewpoint”. Yah, reading How-to-Write guides do work, but not in that I-m-a-millionaire-and-you-can-be-one-too kind of way, but in the way how I learned nothing from 11th grade Chemistry except that potassium when exposed to air explodes (hilarious to watch though). Continue reading “Wordplay: The Q & A”
Dear Writers With this post is a Manual for all your party needs. Parties of six specifically. How to have a fun play at the workings of said manual: 1. 1. Print out the Manual for the Machine that Doesn’t Exist. (Note for any group party, this responsibility would usually be of the host or … Continue reading The Manual for the Machine that Doesn’t Exist
If narrative elements were a family, plot would be the father who leads the rest of the family in his own familiar treading, setting would be the wife to add a dose of reality to anything plot does and dialogue and character would be the siblings, being the centre of Plot and Setting’s life, running … Continue reading Dialogue makes Character
Okay my dear writers, time for a Wordplay! Now for this Wordplay to work you will need a book that’s been on your reading list forever (read: all of you, being writers you must have stacks of unread books waiting to land on your head out of neglect) I want you to appease this … Continue reading Let’s Write! Write! Write!
So some guy called Seamus Heaney died a month ago. He was considered “one of the greatest poets of this generation” as plucked from any obituary from the major papers. Funny thing is I wasn’t aware of this man’s existence until after he ceased to exist. Or even much less read any of his poetry, … Continue reading Raise your hand if you are a poet
I once met a professional author at her launch for her short story collection and after purchasing her book and waiting in line to upgrade it to a limited sign edition, I asked her how long it took to write just one of her short stories. “A year” was her reply. A. Whole. Freaking. Year. … Continue reading First-Drafters
