Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 13
July 29, 2018
July 27, 2018
Even More Conversation about How and Why Writers Write . . .
So far, this conversation had posts on July 18th, 20th, 23rd, and 25th. [image error]
And, our discussion can continue today because the post on the 25th had a comment from an author in Germany, on the “Why” of writing:
“A Why –
“Now that is difficult. Why, for example, do I write instead of painting?
“When I was younger I painted a lot, so why have I taken to writing? There was a phase from my late childhood to my early teens when I worked on what I called “serials”. I think the idea came from watching s...
July 25, 2018
Still More Conversation about How and Why Writers Write . . .
This particular discussion began on July 18th and continued on July 20th and July 23rd… [image error]
And, the reader comment that let me continue the conversation today was from an author in the United Kingdom:
“My writing is usually inspired by some kind of injustice. I feel strongly enough about something in the news or someone I have met, to try to write about it and change people’s views. I want to leave a legacy of books that reflect life today while at the same time trying to right wrongs – the way...
July 24, 2018
A plea to authors – please speak out about piracy
Bonus re-blog…
Something to Ponder………
I’ve had a worrying experience with a local book club. I’m not sure it is as it appears, so I won’t name names. But either way, it raises worrying questions about the way authors’ work is valued.
Recently, a book club invited me to make a presentation about Lifeform Three. The club voted to read it. The organiser went out of the room. Ten minutes later she returned. The books were ordered, she said! So quick. Everyone went home happy.
Exce...
Going Analog
Today’s seemingly light-hearted plea for real paper and pen is fun yet very instructive…
Just pens.
In Taiwan, there are historic shophouses, cliffs crumbling into the Pacific Ocean, and a glorious day where gods are processed through the streets, heralded by firecrackers and bands.
There are also huge stationery stores. The first one I saw–9X9 Stationery Expert–I walked right into four aisles of pens. Just pens. Not erasers or pencils–those have their own aisles, th...
July 23, 2018
Yet More Conversation about How and Why Writers Write . . .
This discussion began on July 18th and continued on July 20th… [image error]
And, I’d expressed a wish in that last post:
“Please let me know, at some level of depth, how the craft of writing occurs for you…
“Not, perhaps, in the form of a ‘how-to’; but, in the form of the feelings that carry the writing to the page—the motivational urgings that form the words—the play of the soul that creates the message…”
There were two comments fulfilling that wish…
First, was an author from Germany:
“I’m not sure if u...
July 22, 2018
Five tips for writing good prose
Advice from Roz Morris is always worth paying attention to :-)
How do we learn to write good prose? Indeed, what is it? How do we develop our use of language, play our literary instrument with more elan and flair?
We were probably all encouraged at school to use difficult words instead of simple ones. I see plenty of work that still seems in thrall to that, thinking that ‘printable writing’ must mean to use the thesaurus as often as possible.
Now I’ll happily use a thesaurus t...
July 21, 2018
In the Beginning Was the Name by Adam Gidwitz
The re-blog today discloses a kid-lit author sensitive to the emotional investment kids have to make to read a new book; and, he’s also aware of kids’ “moral imaginations”…
In the beginning was the Name.
I was sitting in a hotel room, somewhere in America, during a long stretch of school visits. I was thinking about kids and their reading habits, which was pretty typical. Specifically, I was remembering my days teaching second grade, and a certain type of long, slow walk aroun...
