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Absurdism is, in a philosophical sense, the idea that there are no gods, higher purpose, or order to things. At least, that’s what Wikipedia told me. With that in mind, it’s pretty easy to find humor in the mundane. For example, consider a rubber duck. Humans tend to be highly sociable but frequently feel self-conscious; hence the substitution of human...
Continue reading...self-publishing
Welcome to the truth: Dostoevsky
We used to believe that Dostoevsky had always been the beacon of Russian literature. How else could it be? He’s always belonged to the pantheon of great Russian writers: Tolstoy, Gogol, and Chekhov. Well, not everything is as it seems. Great recognition only came to Dostoyevsky and his books after a delay of a hundred years. However, the beginning of...
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...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...Aspects of the Novel
No book worth its salt is meant to put you to sleep, it’s meant to make you jump out of bed in your underwear and run and beat the author’s brains out. Bohumil Hrabal, Czech novelist There’s a book called Aspects of the Novel, a series of lectures from E. M. Forster, written in 1927. I haven’t read it myself...
Continue reading...“The Story Grid”, Shawn Coyne #takeawaykeys
What your characters say they are is NOT who they are… What they do is the key. Shawn Coyne 1. Think in 5 principles, the bricks for any successful story: TIME, SUBSTANCE, STYLE, STRUCTURE, CONTENT. 2. Learn your genre – there’s a great collection (with examples) of differences between each genre. I can’t mention them all (only some), but read...
Continue reading...Book Review “In the Calyx”, Libre Paley
“I want her to melt into me, like butter on toast. I want to absorb her and walk around for the rest of my days with her encased in my skin.” Sara Gruen 1. From Stefan (aka all male readers): Wow, this story had me glued to my wife like never before! Wonderfully written storyline and very detailed characters! All...
Continue reading...Book Review “The Contract: between heaven and earth,” John W. Howell, Gwen M. Plano
“Like flowers we grow, bloom, and whither – each day and each life. But although we blossom more grandiose in each new life, all our lives are perfect in their own way.” Stefan Emunds Unpredictable Mysterious Intriguing On the surface it looks like the usual thriller, but if you look deeper inside, you’ll find a kick-ass paranormal fantasy. Just imagine...
Continue reading...Book Review “Colder: A Collection of Poetry & Prose”, River Dixon
Winter. Somewhere in North Dakota. River: Do you know what I’d ask Santa if I’d ever met him? Dixon: Hot babe? River: I’d say “I want COLDER”… Dixon: Are you mad, it is already -16,6 F! Why do some young kids dislike poetry? Why do so many people unsatisfied with modern poetry? When Marianne Moore wrote a poem titled “Poetry,”...
Continue reading...“Write. Publish. Repeat.” by Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant, David Wright #takeaways
A book read by a thousand different people is a thousand different books.”Andrei Tarkovsky In the book “Write. Publish. Repeat” authors Sean Platt, David Wright and Johnny B. Truant explained how to build a thriving international publishing empire with no luck required… In two words – you have to work your ass off, never give up and see your “writing” as...
Continue reading...“How to grow a novel”, Sol Stein #takeaways
Be the first to see what you see as you see it. Robert Bresson (french filmmaker) Readers value and remember extraordinary CHARACTERS. Plot might be forgotten with a time, but never a hero. The goal is to involve the reader’s emotion, in this case a feeling of warmth for the central character. What the reader is experiencing in each scene...
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