by marissa | Apr 21, 2013 | Science (Cosmos, Mind & Psychology of Reading)
One of my favorite podcasts is the consistently brilliant Brain Science Podcast hosted by Ginger Campbell. She interviews loads of fascinating brain-science researchers and writers, and somehow manages to keep a nice balance between complex science and plain-speak....
by marissa | Jan 16, 2013 | Craft of Storytelling (Writing Techniques & Ideas)
Accomplished writers know that to write a great story, you need characters with internal conflicts that motivate them in a plot full of external conflicts. But something less often talked about is how to put conflict into language itself. Turning sentences or...
by marissa | Dec 16, 2012 | Craft of Storytelling (Writing Techniques & Ideas)
OK, I admit it, I’m addicted to quotes about books and writing and art. When I’m supposed to be taking a break from the computer, perhaps to go drink a tea at the window and let my eyes see the Outside World instead of just pixels, I usually come-to after...
by marissa | Jun 20, 2012 | Craft of Storytelling (Writing Techniques & Ideas), Science Fiction
I just had the best evening drinking wine and eating licorice while reading Cat’s Cradle. Kurt Vonnegut is damned fine company (I’m gonna refer to him in the present tense because being a great author makes you immortal). The way he takes care of his...
by marissa | Feb 4, 2012 | About Editing, Craft of Storytelling (Writing Techniques & Ideas)
Writing “in the moment” without pausing to review is a perfect way to create, because you don’t want the critical half of your brain self-consciously poking at the less-inhibited, imaginative half while it’s doing its thing. However, a side effect of...
