The true hero of the novel or story is always the one who has the more exciting journey. What will really fix the life of that hero? What are their problems, and how is it affecting their days? Who is the most resistant to change in the book? These are the questions to ask yourself if you want to create...
Continue reading...relationships
Upside Down or Completely Married
(short story, written summer 2021/1498 words) When someone asks if I’m in a relationship or not, I always answer: “Of course, I am.” Usually, as a sign of acceptance, the person pats me on the shoulder with the following question: “So, how is it?” “It’s demanding,” I sigh. My understanding interlocutor winks and coughs, or sometimes an unexpected alien laugh...
Continue reading...Interviews with Authors – Dave Williams
Congratulations on your beautiful new book, “Nobody Will Like This Book”. Could you tell us a little about the idea behind it and about your writing journey; how it started out, whether it changed much along the way? Thank you for calling it beautiful! I was having fun creating my book “The Dancing Fish” (poems and drawings), and I wanted...
Continue reading...Author Interview – Alexander Raphael
Alexander Raphael discusses his new (third) book, his place in the literary world, the power and challenges of writing daily. His first book of short stories – THE SUMMER OF MADNESS – is famous for moving, funny, heartbreaking, informative, and utterly captivating plots. His second book – ILLUSIONS, DELUSIONS – is famous for a wide range of characters, twisted and...
Continue reading...Grotesque: abnormally large, shockingly ugly, distorted, and ludicrously odd
I have a remedy against thirst, quite contrary to that which is good against the biting of a mad dog. Keep running after a dog, and he will never bite you; drink always before the thirst, and it will never come upon you. François Rabelais, Gargantua and Pantagruel, book 1 Have you ever wondered what a grotesque world would look like?...
Continue reading...Author Interview – John W. Howell
We chatted with John W. Howell about his new novel Eternal Road: The final stop, the transformation of the heroes, and the meaning behind historical and supernatural elements. 1. What is the significance of the book’s title Eternal Road? The title came to me one day while I was writing one of the scenes. Eternal Road is the avenue to...
Continue reading...Author Interview – Sabina Gabrielli Carrara
I spoke with Sabina Gabrielli Carrara, the author of The Last Witch, about her tricky plot progression, whether she hates this century or no, and what comes next. CAUGHT BETWEEN MYSTERY and CRIME 1: We tend to know you as the author of the blog Truly Madly Ordinary and thriller/crime novels Field of Lies and Black Souls. At the end of...
Continue reading...Book Review. Eternal Road: The Final Stop by John W. Howell
Time is endless in thy hands, my lord. There is none to count thy minutes. Rabindranath Tagore The idea of eternity as it relates to God is an essential concept in any religion. We all know that God is eternally existent = God exists outside the human concept of time, but also inside of time. If eternity can be as...
Continue reading...10 Eye-Opening Writing Rituals from Great Writers
The author should die once he has finished writing. So as not to trouble the path of the text. Umberto Eco The truth is (social distancing or not), I am still a very disorganised author. How could I publish so many books? 🤨 I don’t know. That’s why I’m diving in into some rituals of the greatest, in hope to learn a...
Continue reading...Urmuz – the genius beneath the boffoon
Written by Andreea Padurean (Her Goodreads Profile – here) One of the most controversial figures of the Romanian Literature – Demetru Dem or Demetrescu-Buzău, known as Urmuz, a genius who left behind a literary work of 50 pages at most. His pen name (Urmuz) was interpreted in various ways, one of the attributed meanings being ‘I amuse’. And yes, he amused...
Continue reading...Interview with Sabina Gabrielli Carrara
I managed to grab a quick word with Sabina Gabrielli Carrara, author of the murder mystery novels ‘Field of lies’ & ‘Black Souls’, for a short interview… Q: Why do you write? What motivates you to write? Sabina: Simply because I like it, I always did. Q: What kind of books did you love growing up? Sabina: As a child, I liked fantasy....
Continue reading...Book Review: “Left Waiting”, River Dixon
Foreword: This is a poetry book. I often hear the words, “I hate poetry,” “I don’t understand poetry,” “Poetry is so boring”… and yes, I agree – poetry is a very subjective art, just like paintings: some love Dali, some love Ruben. I just want to remind you about the time when you were a kid and your parents bought...
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