Victoria Janssen's Blog, page 83

Edward Thomas, "A Private"

A PrivateThis ploughman dead in battle slept out of doors Many's a frozen night, and merrily Answered staid drinkers, good bedmen, and all bores: 'At Mrs Greenland's Hawthorn Bush,' said he, 'I slept.' None knew which bush. Above the town, Beyond 'The Drover', a hundred spot the down In Wiltshire. And where now at last he sleeps More sound in France--that, too, he secret keeps. --Edward Thomas

Novelists, Inc. Guest Post - The Art of Letting Go

I'm a guest poster today at the Novelists, Inc. Blog on "The Art of Letting Go."Please drop by and check it out!And a Public Service Message:"Call for Manuscripts - Journal of American Culture Special Issue: Love and Romance in American CultureIdeas of romantic love suffuse our lives and guide our emotional experiences and behaviors. Romance comes in various forms of romantic entertainment--books

Writing the Senses

Have you ever done one of those writing exercises to make you think more about using all your senses in your writing?I've at least tried some, but I get bored pretty quickly with exercises, so instead I steal the ideas and try to use them in my normal writing.One thing I feel strongly is that it's not necessary to use every sense in every bit of description. For some writers that may be a

The Nerd Heroine - Louisa Edwards Guest Post

Please welcome my guest, Louisa Edwards!#When I sat down to write Just One Taste, I had only one thought in mind: I want to write about a nerd. And not a nerdy hero, either--I wanted my heroine to be a first class, grade A+++, Wookie-loving, Magic card-carrying friend of Buffy. If you know what I mean, and I think you do.Oh, I had justifications. I wanted to play with themes of emotional

How To Rest Your Writer Brain

After I learned the novel I'd been working on had been cancelled, I went with friends to Longwood Gardens and spent a gorgeous, idyllic afternoon and evening there.

Steampunk Themes

What are some common themes of steampunk fiction? (If you have suggestions, please comment!)I'm thinking along these lines:Punk, to me, at base means rebellion against an establishment. Because steampunk is influenced by the culture of Victorian England, I also feel there needs to be some kind of commentary on colonialism and empires, and on class divides. Looking at these issues through a "

Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, "The Joke"

The JokeHe'd even have his joke While we were sitting tight, And so he needs must poke His silly head in sight To whisper some new jestChortling. But as he spoke A rifle cracked-- And now God knows when I shall hear the rest!--Wilfrid Wilson Gibson

Edward Thomas, "Gone, Gone Again"

Gone, Gone AgainGone, gone again, May, June, July, And August gone, Again gone by, Not memorable Save that I saw them go, As past the empty quays The rivers flow. And now again, In the harvest rain, The Blenheim oranges Fall grubby from the trees As when I was young And when the lost one was here And when the war began To turn young men to dung. Look at the old house, Outmoded, dignified, Dark

Be vewy quiet; I'm adding geeky detail!

There are various schools of thought about adding historical detail to fiction. Sometimes you want more detail, sometimes less; partly, that depends on the book's genre. For example, in a Tom Clancy novel such as The Hunt for Red October, there is a lot--a lot of detail about nuclear submarines. But if you're reading that book, it's likely that one of the reasons is because of all that lovely,

Steampunk Research Books

I've begun basic research on the history of the American West for a western steampunk novel. My book isn't going to be a historical, but I want it to be informed by history and in dialogue with history.I chose Frontiers: A Short History of the American West as my basic overview book.The Encyclopedia of North American Indians: Native American History, Culture, and Life From Paleo-Indians to the