R.K. MacPherson's Blog, page 10
July 3, 2012
The Value of Failure
I recently looked back on my very first novel, written many, many moons ago to impress a girl I had NO chance with (Hi, Allison!). One of the things that struck me as good in that giant morass of crap is that the hero, who looked nothing like me whatsoever, failed a lot. It was the first time I realized that tension and conflict were part of the formula for good storytelling, not “And then Captain Big McLargeHuge fired the mega-proton-totally-not-a-euphemism-for-my-penis cannon and obliterate...
July 1, 2012
Prisoner No. 21828…
The Man in the Iron Mask. Wait, no…the Man with the Iron Lung. No, that’s not right. Oh, yeah–the guy who got killed eating Chinese food.
C’est moi.
My productivity took a mad hit this weekend. I made a few cuts adding up to about 1400 words, then went out to celebrate with the last of my disposable income at E. Coli’s Cantonese House of Culinary Wonders and Macaroni and Cheese. Remember the scene inMission: Impossible? The pretty lady smiles at the hapless geek and squirts a clear, odorless, t...
June 29, 2012
Silence
I left my headphones aboardWhite Raven this morning. Naturally, I didn’t discover this until I sat down on the ferry to continue my Write-a-thon project. Some writers need the quiet. Some like background noise. Personally, I can write without music, but it’s not nearly as much fun.
Worse, I don’t like random bits of annoying noise, like herds of children sugared up and caffeinated before being set loose aboard the ferry. Actually, I could put up with the children if the law wouldn’t unduly obj...
June 24, 2012
Clarion West – Week 1
Yesterday closed out week 1 of the Clarion West Write-a-thon. I did all right. Made my goals each night, though sticking to the outline proved difficult past the third sentence. No matter how cool my outline looks, my brain sees something obscure, yet shiny, and bolts in that direction. Might as well yell “Squirrel!” each time.
Week 1 Goal: 10,500 words
Day 1: 2294
Day 2: 1794
Day 3: 2385
Day 4: 1754
Day 5: 1554
Day 6: 1880
Day 7: 1514
Actual Word Count:- 13175
While I’m writing a first draft, I chose...
June 20, 2012
Profession and Progression
I recently started attending a writing group in one of Seattle’s numerous coffee shops. I love the venue because it’s packed withFireflyand other scifi memorabilia, but since I don’t drink coffee, its other charms are lost on me. I do enjoy writing with others, however. The format is write for 45 minutes, then talk for 15 minutes. Lather, rinse, repeat.
So far, I get tons done in the 45 minutes of writing, but I really like the 15 minute chit-chatters. For one thing, it forces me to talk about...
June 12, 2012
Building a Legacy
I’m having a fun week thus far. I spent most of the weekend fiddling with my new phone and outlining the novel I’m going to work on as part of Clarion West’s Write-a-thon. The beginning of a project is always my favorite part. My brain goes wild with ideas, characters and storylines keep me awake at night, pleading with me to incorporate them into the novel.
This novel’s a little different than any I’ve written thus far.Stormcaller is an origin story for my heroine, and while it lays down a lo...
June 8, 2012
Help Support Clarion West!
Summer is just around the corner (which in Washington means we’re still in winter), but good things are afoot. I finished revisions to my latest novel, Stormcaller, and am setting up work on the next book. Here’s the fun part—a good chunk of it will be written as part of the Clarion West Write-a-thon!
You do like reading, don’t you?
The Write-a-thon (WAT from here on out) raises funds to help the next generation of writers hone their craft under the tutelage of some truly great authors. In 2012...
June 5, 2012
Checking Out
With the last of Stormcaller‘s feedback in, I’m almost finished with the revisions to the manuscript. This isn’t my favorite part of the writing process. I love the creating, the brainstorming, the “What the heck do I do now?” Polishing words isn’t fun, and mostly serves to remind me about what a pitiful command I have of English.
And I are educated. How pathetic!
Still, I’m glad the end is near. Now I can start waiting, waiting, and waiting. When I get tired of that, I’ll wait some more.
Just k...
May 22, 2012
My First Interview!
As I mentioned in my previous post, an awesome young journalist named Norelle interviewed me forSeattle Wrote. She posted the article today, and I’m actually blushing. It’s a nice read, if I do say so myself. Check it out, and follow her blog, particularly if you love books, authors, kittens, and freedom.
But mostly books and authors…
May 10, 2012
It’s About People
I gave my first interview yesterday to a very cool young journalist named Norelle, who keeps a blog highlighting Seattle writers and reviewing books. The blog’s called Seattle Wrote and I encourage you to check it out, particularly if you’re a new writer—or just one who needs a bit of inspiration. As we talked, one particular thought kept striking me in the face like a fat salmon in the hands of one of the stooges: I’m incredibly lucky. Following this came the realization that my writing is a...
