It is the first day of December, a day I think of as a sort of literary groundhog day. Each December 1st, a large contingent of aspiring novelists come out of their NaNoWriMo caves, blinking in the sunlight, surprised to find that the world is still there. For many, this is a day in which…Read more NaNoWriMo: How to extend an imaginary deadline
On Writing
Where I’m at and Where I’m Going
Writing and I have a long history together. Best friends through grade school and high school, sometimes my only companion through hard times. We were like this (holds up two fingers, crossed) long nights spent over the scratching pencils and clicking keys, pouring reams of paper into the inferno of our love affair. We seemed…Read more Where I’m at and Where I’m Going
A Literate World
Outside of my family, there are two people who inspired me to become a writer: Jim Henson and Dr Seuss. But that would have been a meaningless dream if there had not been someone inside my family who told me it was okay if I wanted to write that novel... as long as I got my homework…Read more A Literate World
A sense of place
It seems counter-intuitive, but writing is a visual medium. Authors have the delightful task of imagining vivid worlds, peopling them with interesting characters, and then inviting readers to join us for an adventure in our own peculiar land beyond the wardrobe. We can see it so very clearly in our heads, and we just want to take you…Read more A sense of place
WRITE A NOVEL IN THREE EASY STEPS!
It is November and you know what that means: Writing advice season has begun. It seems to get here earlier every year. The stores are stacked with new keyboards and copies of Bird by Bird. The interwebs are humming with tweets tagged #amwriting and Pinterest boards are filling up with pictures of typewriters and inspirational quotes, some…Read more WRITE A NOVEL IN THREE EASY STEPS!
Why we write
Write. Whether or not you want to be a "writer" you must write. Inscribed on metal, incised on clay tablets, ink on paper, you must write. Your life is an historic moment, a unique part of the vast tapestry and your story will be lost if you do not write it down. To refuse to…Read more Why we write
On the Edge: Random thoughts on mountains and manuscripts
If I had one talent as a mountaineer, it was the complete absence of a voice in my head telling me to be afraid of the edge. I have zero fear of falling and an absolutely unfounded belief in my own sense of balance. Maybe I am stretching my metaphor too far, but my brain's…Read more On the Edge: Random thoughts on mountains and manuscripts
Dropping the Dime On Ray Bradbury
On the day Ray Bradbury died, I was sitting at a computer loaned to me by a local library, working on the first draft of Howard Carter Saves the World. This is important because Mr. Bradbury, you see, didn't own a typewriter when he started out. He rented one in the basement of UCLA's Powell Library…Read more Dropping the Dime On Ray Bradbury
Scott Perkins, Author 