"Ever read The Brothers Karamazov?" I asked. "Once, a long time ago." "Well, toward the end, Alyosha is speaking to a young student named Kolya Krasotkin. And he says, Kolya, you're going to have a miserable future. But overall, you'll have a happy life." Two beers down, I hesitated before opening my third. "When I …
A job?
Is it just a fantasy? Could writing ever make ends meet? Sometimes I feel like money's got me crawling on the floor. The things we love rarely pay the rent, but we do them nonetheless. Don't quit your day dream. You should love what you do, not do what you love--bullshit. Can we manufacture passion? …
Finishing things
I feel as if I have a new super power, ever since finishing a draft of a novel. I can finish anything! Short story? Cake. Novella? Pie. Another novel? Doable. All it takes.. is starting. It's like I blinked and the sky moved ever so slightly, and now I can do things I couldn't before. Required …
Transitions? Forget about them
The obsession with transition negates a basic truth about writing, a magical truth. You can get anywhere from anywhere, always and almost instantly. - Verlyn Klinkenborg We've all been there: cold moon, dark sky, watching our minds disappear as we try to figure out how to get our character from point A to B. She's …
The part where everything is explained
We all know the part. Whether it's movies, books or tv shows, often the story builds up all the intrigue and mystery until a breaking point, where all the answers burst forth. This can be satisfying, or overwhelming, or confusing, or boring. All depending on how well you do it. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End …
Jonas David 