Terry Persun's Blog, page 7
July 8, 2013
“Writing Characters” at the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference
This week I will be leading a workshop at the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference.
“Writing Characters”
Character-driven novels, short stories, or poems demand a certain level of attention to all other aspects of the work. This is where setting, scene, conflict, and point-of-view become essential tools. This workshop will help you infuse character into every aspect of your work, whether it’s in action, scene, or internal dialogue.
Will I see you there? View the schedule.
July 4, 2013
One Moment
"When asked about writing, I once told my daughter to get up early. Look around the room, out the window... and just sit there as the sun sneaks into the world... [Y]ou will live better in the long run if you take a moment to be in the moment. And you’ll find that one moment that you can use in your novel, story, or poem..."
Check out my guest post on Author Magazine, "One Moment."
June 27, 2013
Day Trips
"Taken out of our normal routine, we increase the energy in our bodies; we look at everything in a fresh way, even our routines when we get back to them appear different somhow; and we open the channels for new information to come into our lives. Fresh ideas need fresh perspectives..."
Check out my guest post on Author Magazine, "Day Trips."
June 21, 2013
Free Story Friday
JEREMY'S WORLDThis was written when Twilight Zone magazine was publishing.
A man gets a black box that will let him have anything as long as he can concentrate enough.
What happens when he enters that world?
Grab your copy of JEREMY'S WORLD here.
Read Eclectically
"I’ve been a reader my whole life... Reading helped me to know that I wanted to write. I believe that most of us know what we enjoy because of what we used to do a lot of as children. I’ve mentioned this sort of thing before. What tipped me off to my future love of writing should have been the way I read and what I read..."Check out my guest post on Author Magazine, "Read Eclectically."
June 15, 2013
Orwell, Kafka, or Persun?
So, according to WebProNews book sales have spiked for Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four where the phrase “Big Brother” came from. Other dystopian novels have seen an increase in sales, too, like Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and Huxley’s Brave New World . Sales have also increased for my own novel Cathedral of Dreams (thank you very much). People want to understand what is going on in the news, how important is it that the NSA is collecting data via phones and internet? And I, for one, think it’s great that people are turning to books to read different opinions on the subject. That’s the only way you learn enough to make up your own mind. Research. Know your enemy (if there is one at all).
And now, it’s Kafka’s The Trial that’s being suggestive of looking at the situation in the right way. In a recent piece in The Atlantic, Rebecca J. Rosen quotes Daniel J. Solove who purports that, “This issue is not about whether the information gathered is something people want to hide, but rather about the power and the structure of government.” Is it? I’m not convinced that’s what this is about. But, then again, it’s just another opinion, and I have more books to read.
I’ve got to say that I’ve attacked this subject straight on in my novel The NSA Files . The difference is that I’m a fiction writer (oh, yeah, so are all the rest of those being mentioned above). Yes, fiction gets to explore ideas and concepts more thoroughly and more emotionally than non-fiction for the most case. And, most nonfiction on this subject refers to fiction. Look, I don’t have any answers, but I do know what happens in The NSA Files, and it’s all about when the government might be doing the right thing. Even if you don’t agree with all this surveillance that’s going on, sometimes the government actually does the right thing. So, it’s one thing to run and buy all the dystopian novels, but doesn’t that mean that you’ve already decided that the government is wrong? Let’s say what they’re doing isn’t always bad. After all, it’s our government.
To close, I’m not here to tell anyone what to believe, but only to encourage your reading to go in both directions. Don’t make a decision based on only one side of the coin. After all, we’re giving Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn a hell of a lot of information about us, and few people are too worried about that—or about what they’re doing with that data.
Here’s a thought: what if several of the major social media sites were bought out by aforeign high-tech company? What would they do with all our information?
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Terry Persun writes in many genres, including historical fiction, mainstream, literary, and science fiction/fantasy. He is a Pushcart nominee. His latest poetry collection is And Now This . His novel, Cathedral of Dreams was a ForeWord magazine Book of the Year finalist in the science fiction category, and his novel Sweet Song won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest novel, Ten Months in Wonderland , is the story of one Airman stationed in Thailand at the end of the Vietnam War and how he gets caught up in the seedy underworld of booze and prostitutes. Find Terry online at TerryPersun.com and on Amazon here.
June 14, 2013
Guest post on Susan Wingate's Blog
Today I stopped by author Susan Wingate's blog to discuss The NSA Files and share an except:
"Where are you taking us?" Marian asked.
"Not sure yet," Dan said. "I’m following my instincts."
He glanced into the rearview mirror. "You look nice."
"Shut up." Marian pulled her jacket over the front of her blouse.
"He’s just being nice, Mom."
"I don’t want him to be nice," she said softly to Jason. Then louder, so that Dan was sure to hear, she said, "Look what he’s gotten us into again."
See the rest here.
Intrigued? Learn more about The NSA Files (a Dan Johnston, Shaman Detective novel) below:
A retired shaman is contacted by the NSA to find out who’s coercing politicians into passing bills that they have fought up until now.
Dan Johnston
The NSA pulls Dan Johnston out of a comfortable, but boring, retirement to help them with a very unusual case where they believe politicians are being swayed through the internet and the use of totem animals. Dan has known for years that it’s a strange world, but he’s not exactly a technical geek, and has little knowledge of what it is the NSA wants him to do. As a shaman, he’s used to going to other worlds, but not a machine world. So, he does what he knows how to do, he enters through the people being affected.
Jason Johnston
To make matters worse, his son, Jason, just returned from shaman training, which wasn’t going well at all for him—something about a giant snake. So, he wants his dad to train him. But this might not be the right time, since people are being shot at already. And, Dan’s not sure how to work with the son he hasn’t seen in a while.
Jeremy Scroggins
The NSA agent in charge isn’t easy to discourage. He’s read Dan’s file and knows what Dan did at one time for the CIA. You can’t escape your past that easily. Besides, someone has to push the project forward, and Jeremy is the right man for the job.
Pick up your copy today: Amazon.com/Shaman-Detective-ebook and Amazon.com/Shaman-Detective-Paperback
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Terry Persun writes in many genres, including historical fiction, mainstream, literary, and science fiction/fantasy. He is a Pushcart nominee. His latest poetry collection is And Now This . His novel, Cathedral of Dreams was a ForeWord magazine Book of the Year finalist in the science fiction category, and his novel Sweet Song won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest novel, Ten Months in Wonderland , is the story of one Airman stationed in Thailand at the end of the Vietnam War and how he gets caught up in the seedy underworld of booze and prostitutes. Find Terry online at TerryPersun.com and on Amazon here.
Free Story Friday
VOYEUR & OTHER STORIESFlash fiction: These stories vary in length and theme, from watching others to doing the unthinkable.
Grab your copy of VOYEUR & OTHER STORIES here.
June 13, 2013
New Release!
As promised, I have released a new book.
Learn more about The NSA Files (a Dan Johnston, Shaman Detective novel) below:
A retired shaman is contacted by the NSA to find out who’s coercing politicians into passing bills that they have fought up until now.
Dan Johnston
The NSA pulls Dan Johnston out of a comfortable, but boring, retirement to help them with a very unusual case where they believe politicians are being swayed through the internet and the use of totem animals. Dan has known for years that it’s a strange world, but he’s not exactly a technical geek, and has little knowledge of what it is the NSA wants him to do. As a shaman, he’s used to going to other worlds, but not a machine world. So, he does what he knows how to do, he enters through the people being affected.
Jason Johnston
To make matters worse, his son, Jason, just returned from shaman training, which wasn’t going well at all for him—something about a giant snake. So, he wants his dad to train him. But this might not be the right time, since people are being shot at already. And, Dan’s not sure how to work with the son he hasn’t seen in a while.
Jeremy Scroggins
The NSA agent in charge isn’t easy to discourage. He’s read Dan’s file and knows what Dan did at one time for the CIA. You can’t escape your past that easily. Besides, someone has to push the project forward, and Jeremy is the right man for the job.
Pick up your copy today: Amazon.com/Shaman-Detective-ebook
Children
"We must be children our whole lives. Don’t let the world steal that innocent outlook. Try anything, whether someone said to or not, whether others think you can or not. It’s your life and only you can live it." Check out my guest post on Author Magazine, "Children."
