Clarion Call #17: Head Above Water

Click to enlarge the picture (courtesy of Pure Fantasy), but don’t stare too long.  Just look it over until your mind starts percolating, then close the window and let your own imagination take over.  Share with us what you see. There are only two rules for Clarion Calls: If you choose to try the assignment,……

Spec Tech: A Man Walked into a Bar…

A Man Walked into a Bar… in Early Modern Edinburgh. Welcome to the second in a series of posts on everyday life in pre-industrial cities. Last time, we took a stroll down a typical street in Ancient Rome.  Rather than spying on powerful emperors or pivotal one-off events, we considered the minutiae of everyday life:……

Never Be Ashamed.

There’s already a lot of advice on the Internet about how to break into professional writing. I don’t have much to add. In my experience, at least, there was no magic formula or kung-fu technique that finally did it for me. All I did was keep writing, every day, while trying to get people to……

Writer’s Craft #17 – Gotta go

In my 2003 novel, Throne Price, a toilet issue disrupts tensions between my hero, Amel, and his brother D’Lekker after D’Lekker releases Amel from the room he’s been locked in for the better part of a day.   Amel tried to slip past him. D’Lekker dropped the bar he was holding into both hands, despite the……

Clarion Call #16: Stud Brand

Your writing prompt for the week is “stud brand.”  Ambiguity is your friend; use it! There are only two rules for Clarion Calls: If you choose to try the assignment, do not read the comments section before you post yours. This is a critique-free zone, and that includes critique of your own offering.  Save your……