Aaron Polson's Blog, page 66

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Yes, NaNoWriMos, sometimes things need to get physical. Sometimes characters need to physically assault one another, regardless of the genre of your book. Physical altercations amp up the drama, the threat level (hey, I could bleed here), and provide much needed umph when we've had too many pages of dialogue. Remember, any good fight scene is like a good sex scene: let the reader fill in as many blanks as possible. It's easy to overwrite both. No one needs a two page nanosecond by nanosecond ...

Faith at Every Day Fiction

...and yes, I've realized there is a misused word in the last paragraph. Yes, adsorbed is a "real word". It just doesn't mean to permeate the skin.

So, if you can stomach a little vocabulary infraction and some Nyotaimori, read "Faith". Let me know what you think. The story came about after reading a random news bit about the "dish".

Today, dear NaNoWriMos, investigate your protagonist's deepest beliefs. These will bubble to the surface in times of trial, either crushed by circumstance or stre...

Words Per Minute

The man with nine fingers leans forward, his face cut with shadows and light under the lamp. "You got 'em, Manny?"

"Sure." Manny places a crinkled paper sack on the table, reaches inside, and produces a rag. He unwraps the first layer of the rag, revealing dark stains on the folds underneath."Five choices this time...hope one works."
The man with nine fingers slides his right hand under the lamp. The pinkie is severed at the second joint, a clean cut with little scar tissue.
"This one ain't...

No Rules. No Guarantees.

Hey, nobody said NaNoWriMo (or writing in general) was going to be easy. But there's another message in that sign. Take chances, make the courageous, daring choice, write hard. No one wants to read another version of what's come before. No one wants the same thing, warmed over, and served cold. This is a time to be bold and foolish with your writing; you just might like the outcome.

WIP Wednesday: Yes, Danger

What nameless disease are these members of the Policia hiding from? Danger is vital to good fiction, regardless of the genre. Even literary tales have a solid dose, whether it be the threat of physical harm or more subtle dangers (living outside one's social circle, trying a new career...etc.).

My WIP? I finished another story (now I have two in the revision que). "_____" (insert story name here) is about a pair of mismatched friends growing up in a small town about to be flooded by an Ar...

Now, Let's Have A Traffic Jam...

So you've discovered what your protagonist lusts after, now frustrate her/him with a good old fashioned traffic jam (I'm writing metaphorically here, unless a real traffic jam works).

Nothing creates dramatic tension (uh, suspense) more than making the protagonist wait, and every good traffic jam carries an element of danger (more suspense!). Would you really want to find yourself in the middle of the cluster-$&#^ above?


Speaking of traffic jams (I don't have a better segue), A very nice review...

That's Right, NaNos: Lust.

Remeber your main character has to want something. Lust for something.

Sure, it can be a man, woman, what-have-you in a sexual sense, but lust can also refer to power, money, objects, etc. Lust is also a nice reminder that the best verbs really grab a reader.

Hop over to Nossa Morte when you have a spare moment and read "Tesoro's Magic Bullet". And have a great writing day.

Charge, NaNoWriMos!

Yes, that's you, NaNoWriMos. A charging rhinoceros on day one. Cruise past 1,667 words. Charge right toward 5,000. No one can stop you.

Halloween Treats

I've added a reading of "The Ox-Cart Man" to my podcast stable. One of my favorite (written-by-me) stories, "The Ox-Cart Man" appears in Northern Haunts and won the 2008 Whispering Spirits Flash Fiction Contest.

Enjoy the story.

Also...don't forget to read "Seven-Year Itch" by Joshua Reynolds at 52 Stitches today. This is a special, Halloween treat (our 53rd story). 52 Stitches also opens to submissions today. Pour 'em on.

Oh, the candy I'm going to eat later...

Treats - #FridayFlash

"I think I got everything." Zach dropped two plastic grocery bags on the floor.
"Everything?" Nick asked. "What'll it be this year?"
Zach patted one bag. "Apples."
"Going old school?"
"Sure. Why not?" Zach rustled through the other bag, producing a box of generic razorblades and package of caramels. The blades rattled together as he tossed both on the small table.
"Okay...what's with the caramels?"
Zach shook his head. "For the apples, of course. Helps hide the razor marks." His lips curled into ...