Category Archives: Rhobin’s round robin
What draws you into a story?
I wish I didn’t have quite such a quirky a mind. My immediate reaction is a cartoonist, drawing a funny-looking Bob. This Bob is resisting with all his strength, but has no hope. A rope around his neck is inexorably … Continue reading
No, I won’t jump off the planet
Once a month, I participate in Rhobin Courtright’s round robin on writing. This month’s topic was how politics influences what I write. Well, it STRANGLES MY WRITING! The issue inspired me to write a major essay on how to cope … Continue reading
No, I won’t jump off the planet
Heaven knows, I have plenty of inducement. But there is a reason for being, and continuing, and striving for sanity. Every day, I feel the need to check the news. Every day, I wish I hadn’t. Worldwide, politics has gone … Continue reading
The Obsolete Present
Rhobin Courtright’s topic for her fellow bloggers is “How can contemporary fiction cope with the rapid changes of today’s world?” Last century, this was no problem. While life has always been full of surprises, at least there was an illusion … Continue reading
Oddballs from an oddball
Our November topic is: What is the oddest or most unique character you have ever dreamed up, and how did they fit into a story? The dictionary definition of an oddball is “a strange or eccentric person.” I certainly qualify, … Continue reading
Hey, what?
Rhobin Courtright set her group this topic: “What unique situations have occurred in the writing process of any of your novels? Perhaps, but not limited to things like where what you planned changed, or the direction you thought the story … Continue reading
Thickening the plot
In September, 2019, Rhobin wants to know, “In designing your plots, what do you rely on most: personal experience, imagination, or research?” Well, Rhobin, all I can say is, I don’t know! Twenty years ago, I could have given a … Continue reading
The page that won me an award
Well, that award was so long ago that the people who ran the contest, the New Zealand Writers’ Association, no longer have a website. Still, a prize is a prize. I have returned to it because Rhobin Courtright’s topic for … Continue reading
Writing fun, July, 2019
Winston Churchill once said, “The problem is not to find a solution, but to choose from the dozen possible solutions.” I don’t claim to be another Winston, but do share this affliction with him. So, I ALWAYS have more projects … Continue reading
