The Role of Prophecy

1 CommentWriting

I’ve been working on my fantasy world and thinking about prophecies.  Setting aside any discussion of whether people can have future knowledge (through inspiration, psychic ability, or what have you), there’s still the question of how the prophet communicates what they see in a coherent and believable fashion.  The early warning system. Suppose a prophet is in

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Daylight Saving Deja Vu

Home in the Rookery

We had friends drop in for a quick visit this weekend.  We hadn’t seen them for awhile so the conversation last night was going a mile a minute and doing double duty. Around midnight we discussed styles of fiction writers and compared books we’d been reading.  Around 1:00 am we talked of art and decor, and

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This Week In Words 10-29-06

Writing

dramaturgy >n. the theory and practise of dramatic composition: studies of Shakespeare’s dramaturgy. hippus >n. spasmodic or rhythmic contraction of the pupil of the eye, a symptom of some neurological conditions.  sniffer >n. a person who sniffs, esp. one who sniffs a drug or toxic substance: a glue sniffer. (informal) a device for detecting an invisible and

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Halloween Candy on Parade

Home in the Rookery

My daughter chose a candy corn costume for Halloween, and planned to wear it in her preschool Halloween parade today. But yesterday when she told the kids what she would wear, they said that sounded yummy–and apparently some of them were quite convincing.  She came home worried.      “Mom,” she said.  “The kids say they’re going to eat my

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Top Ten Reasons You Should Get a New Cell Phone

Just for Laughs

10. It doesn’t match your new motorbike. 9. Your roommate bought the same model and you keep taking his.  8. When you slip it in your pocket, it makes a slight bulge. 7. You’ve heard people in third world countries need old cell phones. 6. You gave your number to a guy in a bar, and he’s passed it out to all his

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Fantasy With No Sense of the Fantastic

Writing

I just finished a supposedly fantasy story in a well-known pro magazine (I won’t name names for fear this actually gets read) and was not impressed.  The story was only so-so, but the worst of it was that the fantasy element was nothing less than someone’s delusions.  The tale wound along, dancing around this concept

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Math: A Writer’s Best Friend

Writing

Anyone who read my blog on the Mathematician Conspiracy will look at that title and feel the urge to get their vision checked.  But as I was solving equations today I noticed that following algebraic steps and carefully simplifying a problem is a lot like editing and rewriting a story.  You start with the core plot issues

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Year of the Dragon

Home in the Rookery

According to the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, people (like myself) born in the year of the dragon are: healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. (okay, all true so far)  They are also honest, sensitive, brave, and they inspire confidence and trust. (hmmm . . . hoping so) Dragon people are the most eccentric

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