“Good-bye then, and really good-bye!” said Gandalf, and he turned his horse and rode down into the West. But he could not resist the temptation to have the last word. Before he had passed quite out of hearing he turned and put his hands to his mouth and called to them. They heard his voice …
Category: Writers
Mar 01
Chicken Coop and Dale Carnegie Course
Kwang was in middle school just before the Korean War in 1950. His school was built by Queen Min, second to last queen in the Rhee dynasty in Korea. She recognized the imminent problem in Korea was the education of the men and women in the middle class. The school building is a small two-story …
Feb 27
What if?
There are many ways to come up with a story idea. Some of the best stories start with the simple question of what if? The what if can be reasonable, i.e., what if a boy meets a girl and they fall in love and then break up? Or the what if can be outlandish, i.e. …
Feb 24
Food for Thought: On Being Read and Reread
Every once in a while, I go to a website where I can listen to people tell stories about their lives. The tales are entertaining and inspirational and represent, to me, the ancient tradition of oral storytelling that is all but gone today. Sure, grandma and grandpa may share memories with their grandchildren, but the …
Feb 23
What makes a story suspenseful?
Reality makes fiction writing suspenseful. That may sound like an oxymoron, but fiction also includes science fiction and fantasy, both of which skirt reality, and in so doing also skirt suspense. For example, ever met Superman? Me neither. His character is suspenseful though, and great fun to read or watch. But I know it is …