E.B. Dawson's Blog, page 23

Plot Twist

So I’ve been in the proofreading stage of my third novel, “Into the Void,” the sequel to “The Creation of Jack.” Since I taught myself how to write, I know that I don’t always do things in the right order. I suppose by now most professionals would say all major plot edits should be complete. […]

Seasons

I grew up with two seasons: rainy and dry (less rainy). My parents moved to the land of four seasons about eight years ago. I started visiting them for holidays. The snow during Christmas was pleasant and magical until about four weeks in and then I was ready to migrate again. But a couple of […]

10 Reasons Why I Love Star Wars

It’s a little hard to believe that the new Star Wars comes out in a few months! Frankly, I’m afraid to be excited. I think I’ve pretty well braced myself to be disappointed…but regardless of how emotionally satisfying they are, they’re sure to be a fun ride. In order to protect my hopes I have […]

5 Awesome Advancements

You may know that I tend to rant like an old man when it comes to technology. I launch enthusiastically into “when I was a kid” speeches without invitation. And let’s face it: the SciFi industry has capitalized on apocalyptic visions of the future. I’ll be the first person to admit that it’s a whole […]

Overstimulation vs Real Life

My family went bowling the other night. It was a new bowling alley. My parents had never been on a Friday night and I hadn’t been at all. We were all a little taken aback when we found gigantic TV screens everywhere, lights turned down, and loud music pumping. Granted, half of the building is […]

Review of A Passage to India

I’ve heard E. M. Forster’s name thrown around in the literary world, but didn’t know much about him. I finally picked up a copy of “A Passage to India” in a used bookstore because I’ve seen it often pop up on those “100 books to read before you die” lists. But to be honest, I […]

Oh the Drama

So this post kind of springs off of one I wrote a few days ago about conflict. Not long ago when I actually started researching tips about writing I came across a common piece of advice, which I like to call, “Amp up the drama!” It boils down to this: Find a scene dull? Pour […]

Make ‘Em Laugh

It’s a line from one of my favorite movies. Actually it’s an entire song. Donald O’Connor for president! For a long time I relished the melancholy films. I still do now and then. But for the last few years I have been drawn to the feel good, comedic, and family films. Donald O’Connor was right: […]

Character Conflict

I’m not sure when I realized it, but disagreement can be one of the easiest ways to drive dialogue and plot forward. When people disagree they are forced to explain themselves more clearly. Plus, if one character is playing the devil’s advocate, you can lay out the strengths and weaknesses and potential perils. It’s a […]