Category: Staff Articles

Writing advice and insights from the staff of Indies Unlimited.

How My Son Became Gollum

“Even my own masterful man skills couldn’t save me every weekend from the webs spun by the chore master. The fight wore on for some time but I am beginning to think I may have lost. My skin is pasty and white, my eyes are permanently adjusted to the grey air of the garage and tool shed. When did I become this thing you may ask. I suppose if I had to narrow it down it was probably around two children ago.”

Read the rest on Garrett’s blog, I Am The Man Letters.

Writing Exercise #1

As writers, we must constantly exercise our imaginations. Here is a fun workout: Write a one-paragraph story about the picture to the left. You can make it any kind of story you want, as long as it incorporates the elements in the picture. Try to make the story self-contained, and something more than just a clever caption.

So, go ahead and strut your stuff. Show us your chops and post your story in the comments. Most of all, have fun with it.

And Now—the Airing of Grievances

A while back, I was reading a novel written by a best-selling and highly acclaimed author. I had in my mind an image of the main character. Suddenly, the author decided to just tell me his main character looked like Denzel Washington.

As a reader, I felt insulted. Worse, I was robbed of part of the experience of reading because the author insisted I see this character exactly the way he did. He was evidently too lazy to describe Denzel Washington and let me come up with that image on my own. He wasn’t taking any chances that I might “cast the role” with someone else. Continue reading “And Now—the Airing of Grievances”