A short little post today.
I stumbled on this fun video from Tokyo Incidents.
It’s called Much Ado about Nothing, but in French.
And I decided it’s time to start writing the sequel to The Ministry of Thunder.
Now I have an opening track.
Tag Archives: writing
Reading for writing
On the subject of writing handbooks, I think I already expressed my unorthodox views – as far as I’m concerned, if it works for you it’s fine.
Me, I collect the things – and my friends know, and often give me writing books for my birthday, or for Christmas.
One thing I think is a pity is, most writing handbooks are written with the absolute beginner in mind – they spend all of the time talking about Point of View, Show Don’t tell, Infodumps and Exposition, and then maybe they give us the short version of the Hero’s Journey.
Nothing really wrong with that but, ok, let’s say I got that part by the time I was 16 and by the time I was 20 I had learned – thanks to authors like Tom Robbins or Elmore Leonard or Lawrence Block or Karl Hiaasen – that all of that stuff was good and fine and writing was something else altogether.
So I do collect writing books, but I really really cherish advanced books.
And I was given one for my birthday – it’s called Narrative Design: working with imagination, craft and form, it was written by Madison Smartt Bell, and it is a book about reading. Continue reading
A new story’s coming!
And so I started a new story, a novelette that’s supposed to be the first in a series.
I already discussed this project in the past – a series about the adventures of a lone character moving around the Mediterranean in a small sailing ship called The Corsair (or Le Corsaire, French-like).
I have started and stopped dozens of times – despite detailed outlines and tons of research material.
But today I needed to write, to get the gears in motion.
It felt like a good idea, starting something new on my birthday.
And while I was waiting in line at the supermarket, the right idea came to me, and I saw where my story should start. Continue reading
Italian style
Many years ago I met a guy that was an excellent comic artist, in a sort of “classical” Japanese manga style.
And I mean, he was really good.
So one day he picked up his portfolio, bought a ticket to Tokyo, and did the tour of the comic publishers there, showing his stuff around.
And the Japanese publishers were absolutely impressed.
There was just a little glitch – they had buildings full of people doing exactly that kind of artwork.
“This is very good,” they said, “but can’t you do something… Italian? Like I dunno, Pratt, or Toppi, or Crepax…”
I thought about this story last week, when the usual “Italians should write Italian stories in Italian” popped up on the web, as it usually happens once every two or three months.
I am in a pretty awkward situation. Continue reading
Starting up again
And so, having delivered my manuscript to the editor, and having spent a long weekend basically reading, eating and sleeping – not necessarily in that order – I am ready to start working on the next project.
Or am I?
Right now, there’s a full plate of stuff to do for my game writing job – books to author or co-author, stuff to be researched, plans to be made.
This is not much a matter of inspiration – the projects are more or less solid – but of scheduling the work to be done and then stick to the timeline. Continue reading
Five things to do after you send your final draft in
Ok, so the final draft of my second novel, Tethys is in the mail, and on its way to the editor’s desk.
Now what?
Because me, at this, point, I normally feel a sort of post-whatever depression.
Like I had to say goodbye to old friends, my life is empty and all that.
So here’s a few things that might help – certainly they help me. Continue reading
Writing on spec – further developments
And so we got to 3000 words and a total of just ten scenes, nice and compact.
Not bad at all.
Granted, the writing is a little bit drab here and there, and I’ll have to find a way to better characterize two characters… but I have a full day to set it straight.
All in all, it’s been a fun run.
Tomorrow, revision and delivery.
And now, as a prize – I promised myself an ebook!
Karavansara 