Fans are a mixed blessing. I've been reading about True Fans and I've been reading commentary by the fans of Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and Torchwood. And it seems there's a lesson in there about Fan Rage. Fan Rage may be more prevalent in sci-fi and fantasy genres sicne they're the genres in which fans …
Author: mapelba
Coffee, Action Figures, and Love
The other day one of my students (remember, my students are all adults) said (with affection) that I was a child inside. This was because I said I was going to the midnight release of the last Harry Potter film. Since I don't have any friends who will stay up that late, I'm going on …
Go hula!
See things from another perspective. Like a hula hoop. I've been reading a lot over at Tribal Writer. Justine says a lot of things I wish I'd said. Now I wish I could figure out how to say what I want to say. She has a post about having True Fans. I don't know how …
It’s not what you think.
How often do you look back on a past moment in your life and wonder if you missed what really happened? I am very good at this. The other day I was reading about some hubbub going on over a storyline on a television series. I don't watch the series but the issue of writer …
Hug me! I’m a blog post!
Have you started laughing and been unable to stop? Most likely this has happened when you weren't supposed to laugh at all. Years ago, I went with friends to Steve Martin's film LA Story. In one scene, Martin's character, Harris, stops to talk to one of those highway signs that light up and give drivers …
Faking
I got through high school and college without a boyfriend. I had a few dates, but no one you could call a boyfriend. (By boyfriend I mean someone who would actually refer to me as his girlfriend.) So after dating (and I use the term loosely) guys who seemed incapable of anything resembling a actual …
High School, Facebook, and Who the Hell Am I Anyway?
Former high school friends find me on facebook. This happens to everyone who ventures onto fb-land. Maybe this makes you happy. Most of the people who "friend" me, are nice people. They never did me any particular harm back in school. In some ways, catching up on their lives is good. But here is the …
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Publishing My Way
I've stopped participating in online conversations about self-publishing vs. traditional publishing. Every person has to follow their own way, as we know, so I don't see the point in even having those conversations. I mean, who cares anyway? But I love the idea of making my own books. I've made a few in the past. …
Shut the hell up, you silly writer!
So. I finished (well, as much as I ever finish) the story I was pontificating about yesterday. The problem with talking about things is that I leave the conversation wondering why I make such a big deal out of...whatever. Now I feel this story has an impossible burden placed upon it. At this point I …
To Write or Not Write That Sex Scene
Why not fade to black and leave it all to the imagination? The reader's imagination is a great thing and shouldn't be underestimated. The comments on yesterday's post made me think about several issues when deciding whether or not to write a sex scene. I'm no expert at writing such things, so this is mostly …