Joseph Carrabis's Blog, page 10

Fains I (A John Chance Mystery) Chapter 11 – Lost Treasure of Atlantis

Oh, how exciting! Another brand new never-before-seen chapter! Enjoy. Fains I (A John Chance Mystery) Chapter 11 – Lost Treasure of Atlantis Monique headed to Albany and passed a tall, skinny kid not dressed for the weather walking about a mile north of town and checked her rearviews. “That’s the kid Martin has working for … Continue reading "Fains I (A John Chance Mystery) Chapter 11 – Lost Treasure of Atlantis"

Grandmother Spirit Dines

Such a beautiful lady. So regal. So tidy. Good housekeepers, these. Their threads extensions of themselves, their way of exploring their cosmos. But not to conquer, not to vanquish, not to acquire. When their needs are met, they rest. Never asking more than is required, never taking more than they need. Strong teachers, they.  

An Experiment in Writing – Part 28: Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone Teaches Writing

Today’s experiment comes from one of the greatest writing teachers ever to walk the planet. Bold statement, huh? And how parochial of me… Oh, come on. Laugh! Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone is better known as Saint Francis of Assisi. I recently read a quote attributed to him and my first thought was “That’s good … Continue reading "An Experiment in Writing – Part 28: Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone Teaches Writing"

A Twelfth of Carrabis (April 2025 Newsletter)

Musings Winners and Runners Up RoundTable 360° Space as Art – Are you and your space playing nice with each other? Greg Hickey’s Cover Reveal That Think You Do Volume 2 needs First Readers May Writers’ Workshop ATTENTION ALL UK-BASED FOLKS! A Little Game Depending on your half of the globe (people with a western … Continue reading "A Twelfth of Carrabis (April 2025 Newsletter)"

Fains I (A John Chance Mystery) Chapter 10 – My Cousin Vinny

Oh, how exciting! A brand new never-before-seen chapter! Enjoy. Fains I (A John Chance Mystery) Chapter 10 – My Cousin Vinny Martin caught the soft drink cooler’s light blink twice then go out. Sheriff Quarrals, at the Pavoni and reading the instructions for a coffee, also caught it. “How much you pay for that new … Continue reading "Fains I (A John Chance Mystery) Chapter 10 – My Cousin Vinny"

Muriel and Agatha in Carrabisville

Once a while celebrities visit us. Great authors. Great painters. Great vocalists. Great actors, musicians, poets, … The list is endless. For our part, all that’s required is ears to hear and eyes to see. Oh, and there is one more thing… A heart to appreciate.  

An Experiment in Writing – Part 27: How to Read as an Author

I started taking writing classes and attended workshops – some recognizable and prestigious…or so they told me – since the 1970s. In all that time – fifty years! – no teacher, instructor, writer, author, professor, wordsmithing professional gave me what I’m about to give you. And boy did that piss me off. I’m happy to … Continue reading "An Experiment in Writing – Part 27: How to Read as an Author"

Fains I (A John Chance Mystery) Chapter 9 – Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night (rewrite)

Minor changes to some of the other preceding files. Nothing worth mentioning. Yet. Fains I (A John Chance Mystery) Chapter 9 – Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night Rhonda Gilbert lost her Company tail in a fifteenth-floor custodian’s closet at Trump Tower. The custodian’s closet contained one of her many New York City caches, … Continue reading "Fains I (A John Chance Mystery) Chapter 9 – Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night (rewrite)"

Drunken Bees

The bees in my yard go belly to the bar. Often. This video is from a staggering hot spell, and we made it a point to have water available in buckets and tubs. It never entered our thoughts to offer something to our insect neighbors. And not to worry, they took care of it themselves. … Continue reading "Drunken Bees"

An Experiment in Writing – Part 26: World-Building via 1stP POV

A technique I love for involving the reader/listener AND providing necessary story information ASAP is world-building via 1stP POV. I won’t get into how the term world-building is a glom for all sorts of other things writers need to know in order to write well, things like atmosphere, character, dialogue, storytelling, style, tone, conflict, description, … Continue reading "An Experiment in Writing – Part 26: World-Building via 1stP POV"