I’m doing some writing workshops this year just like I did last year and I wanted to explore something that can be as simple or as complex as the audience is ready for. I wanted something that would be relevant to Grade 1 students all the way to adults. So, I decided that this year, I would tackle some of the questions regarding character motivation. As you might imagine, what motivates characters (as with living, breathing people) is as varied as the population of our imaginations. I also didn’t think a workshop titled Character Motivations was all that interesting. What I settled for was Good Villains and Bad Heroes. I thought it might be fun to blog about my thought […]
Read moreAuthor: Michell
Keeping it Real
I was reminded (several times) over the weekend that humanity is an imperfect species. People I know and respect made some very poor choices right in front of me. Things I could only shake my head about and wonder what they were thinking. It served to remind me to think about what I’m doing before I act or say something that could be hurtful or downright stupid. The thing is, it is our imperfections that make us interesting and beautiful. I may have shaken my head at the actions, but when I looked below the surface to see why they might have occurred, I’m reminded that ego can be delicate and perception is completely personal. I can understand the hurt […]
Read moreMisconception Could Mean Missed Opportunity
There are lots of things I don’t know. I’m okay with that because I am not (a) an advanced artificial intelligence with all the world’s knowledge stored in my memory banks, (b) an idiot savant who remembers every single fact ever, or (c) the Library of Congress with books about every conceivable (and a few inconceivable – yes I do know what that word means) topics. That’s what makes life fun is the learning of new things. Unfortunately, there are a number of topics I think I have knowledge about that, it turns out, I am either misguided or completely wrong about. The problem with those topics is, I don’t actually know what they are until I am corrected. Being […]
Read moreGet Published Episode 146 – Alasdair Stuart: Podcasting is Publishing
I think when most people think of being published they automatically think of book publishers and having their books in book stores. I know, that used to be the first thing I thought of. But there are many other markets for stories including podcasts. Did you know that not only are podcasts publishing stories in audio form but there are several that pay professional rates? I knew about the former, but I wasn’t aware of the later. Today’s guest changed all that for me and I hope he will for you too. That guest is Alasdair Stuart. Alasdair is a writer, podcaster, host and publisher with Escape Artists. Escape Artists is not one but three genre fiction podcasts. Escape Pod, […]
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