Tag Archive

How to support authors

Published on October 11, 2012 By kmooney

These days we all know authors and want to support them, but sometimes we don’t know what to do. When someone is in a band, you go to one of their shows, you buy a drink at the bar and if it is really painful, you may leave early. For authors, sometimes there are readings [...]

Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Published on August 7, 2012 By kmooney

A little while ago I was having coffee with a new friend, the writer of the very entertaining personal-adventure blog Semi-Rad. We were talking about good travel writing, and he mentions Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which happened to be in my bag that day. When talking about personal journeys, self-discovery, [...]

E.M. Forster’s Aspects of the Novel

Published on August 21, 2011 By kmooney

Last year I read Percy Lubbock’s THE CRAFT OF FICTION, which was insightful and entertaining in a slightly dated way. Reading it made me realize how few books have been devoted to the structure of the novel, and I believe this is one reason E.M. Forster’s ASPECTS OF THE NOVEL receives so much praise. Forster [...]

On revising

Published on February 25, 2011 By kmooney

Came across a great site called DRAFT today that contians pdfs of revised manuscripts. One that has been catching a lot of attention is the first page to David Foster Wallace’s INFINITE JEST. A nice coincidence as I start the revision of my latest project. I’ll be interested to comb through te site a little [...]

On Mamet’s Writing In Restaurants

Published on February 15, 2011 By kmooney

Aristotle’s notion of unity in effect is basicaly a story should be about one thing. The one thing is “what the hero is trying to get.” This works because the audience only cares about what is going to happen next.
Obeyed strictly, it is difficult because it needs a good plot. Not bad plots filled [...]

Insular Thinking

Published on November 22, 2010 By kmooney

I started a new writing project today. I took a stroll on the roof and realized my thinking very insular. Usually a walk on the roof helps clear them out, but with my head digging into a new manuscript, it is hard to get out. Perhaps this is just recast it will be until I [...]

Canoodling Hedgehogs

Published on November 12, 2010 By kmooney

Somewhere, in all probability, I know there are two hedgehogs canoodling.
I do not have to see them to know that they are there. By their very existence and nature, hedgehogs have created the conditions such that right now I know two are canoodling. It is similar to the black swan: for years it was [...]

List of writing aid sites

Published on November 5, 2010 By kmooney

Here is a list of websites designed top help writers. I have not checked all of them out, but a good reference.
http://writeitsideways.com/23-websites-that-make-your-writing-stronger/ 
And one on story structure:
http://writeitsideways.com/story-structure-demystified-by-larry-brooks-a-review/

Beware of writers

Published on October 18, 2010 By kmooney

A humourous post on being around writers. Funny because it is true. Found here:
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2010/10/12/beware-of-writer/
BEWARE OF WRITER. (an excerpt)
Conflict And Misery Make For A Much Better Story!
In life, we avoid conflict. In fiction, we strive for it. Except, remember how I said something about the lines blurring? Mmm. Yeah. We get to a state where escalation [...]

Surviving NYC 101

Published on October 1, 2010 By kmooney

Over the past week I have talked with many people who live outside New York who have asked how do people survive a city like New York. Here’s my answer:
You have an inside face and an outside face. The inside face is for cocktail parties and meetings. The outside face is for walking dow nthe [...]