Good Writing. |
Flash fiction is a short piece, often less than 500 words. I have three flashes from a challenge I did with fellow authors that I’m sharing today, each under 100 words. I hope you enjoy them. Each is a complete scene or story.
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Tips about writing, suggestions for better writing, how to write.
Good Writing. |
Flash fiction is a short piece, often less than 500 words. I have three flashes from a challenge I did with fellow authors that I’m sharing today, each under 100 words. I hope you enjoy them. Each is a complete scene or story.
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“Photon torpedoes! Fire!” If you thought that was a line right out of Star Trek, congratulations. You were right. The show has been on television, in movies, books, and other media for fifty years now. The imaginative people who created and wrote it have amassed a galaxy-sized universe in which they can release stories. There are entire wikis devoted to the Star Trek series.
Writing good Science Fiction is more than the product of a good imagination, however. Along with writing and editing skills, marketing, networking, and willingness to work hard, a scifi storyteller also needs science fact on which to base that fiction.
When I’m researching a story, I start at the bottom and work my way up. I subscribe to Astronomy Magazine and read it both digitally and in print, skipping few words in either edition. Because I’m no science expert, I depend on material created by those who are. When I don’t understand a concept, one way to grasp the basics to start with a book or website geared toward young readers. A good one is Ducksters which has a science section called Physics for Kids. It contains simple information in an interesting way and suggests other places to continue research. According to them, a photon is not made of smaller units, which means it’s an elementary particle. It has no electric charge or mass, and it’s stable. There is a list of other qualities. To read more, visit http://www.ducksters.com/science/physics/photons.php
There are numerous other resources a writer can use to research and learn. In the Astronomy Word of the Day series, I’ll be sharing material I’ve gleaned over the years, as well as resources where I’ve found them. While I won’t share a word every day, there will be one at least once a week. Be sure to bookmark this page and follow the blog for more.
A photon is one of the basic units of light. It has properties of both a particle and a wave, which allows light to be diffused and refracted. A photon has no mass and does not carry a charge. They form the most visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The word comes from Greek (phos or phot) meaning light. Combined with electron (an English word), the word photon means “particle representing the smallest distinct and separate amount of light.”
In the Star Trek universe, there are multiple types of photon torpedoes and were fired in a tube-shaped case. The warhead itself contained a detonation chamber filled with antimatter. When detonated it created a a matter-antimatter explosion and ion radiation (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan).
So are there really photon torpedoes? Would they work? Not according to theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. He says a photon torpedo would have as much power as a flashlight. I can see the battles now… Captain Kirk (or another Star Trek captain – take your pick) orders the photon torpedoes to fire, and the entire crew of the ship whips out flashlights and shines them on the enemy. That would, in truth, be as effective as a “real” photon torpedo.
So while “photon torpedo” sounds good in scifi usage, the actual definition of photon means torpedoes won’t be in our future. At least, not like the ones in Star Trek.
Like this type of post? Want to see more? What other words would you like to see? Please leave a comment and let me know.
TRAIL – Trace, Rescue, and Identification League. |
I’m currently working on a new series, while also continuing work on a book under contract. I kept getting “stuck” and so many friends suggested that I try switching to another project for a bit that I decided to go with it.
The logo/art is by my son, Jamin Allen of Nimajination Studios.
The new series is about TRAIL, a company that exists in the far future, and is contemporary with my Tarthian Empire series. The two do not overlap, and take place on different sides of the galaxy.
I will soon have a page on my website for TRAIL, but for now, here’s some insight. The meaning of the acronym TRAIL is Trace, Rescue, and Identification League. However, rival companies and independent agents have their own versions. Most common is Thieves, Ruffians, Assholes, Irritants, and Losers, followed by Their Roughneck Arbitration Is Laughable. The official company response is to grin and bear it, laughing while you cash your fat paycheck. The unofficial response is a quick jab to the mouth. Scars on knuckles are a thing of pride among agents.
My plan is to self-publish TRAIL stories, and to begin with a giveaway short story. I’ll detail that as the date nears.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear what others are working on. If you have a new series, new book, or just want to share your FF&P, SciFi, Fantasy, or Romance novel, feel free to leave links, blurb, and buy info in the comments.
No Sex. |
Just Plain No. |
Retro Turntable. |
When I heard this was Rownd Two, I kept looking at that word and wondering what was wrong with it. Finally realized it was not Round but Rownd and that bothered me. I’m one of those writers who has to make things perfect before moving to the next step. Which is why I need the ROW80 program. It helps me move on and stop looking at the step I’m on now. Click here for more on ROW80.
I tend to edit and nitpick rather than create. Well, this afternoon I wrote about three pages of a hot scene because I was able to stop playing with details and just get the words on the page. Knowing I had to commit a solid hour to writing made a huge difference. When the timer went off, I was stunned. I was just getting into it! Can’t wait to get back and finish the scene.
Today’s theme is for the Twitter party is retro. I picked a turntable as my image because I have turned around the way I do things. I am a fairly modern person, so a retro theme idea was not easy for me. I write Science Fiction Romance, and I’m usually the one who tries new software and programs first. My friends come to me to figure out how to make things work. ;)
So here’s how to do a ROW80 Twitter party for those of you who want to know! What is a Twitter party? This is where we all stop in to the #ROW80 hashtag all day long and play and party together?sharing news, pictures, music, and merriment. It?s going to be a great time! Come over to Twitter, put in the hashtag, and then visit all the fun sites that feature throwback themes and talk about writing. That’s it. Hard? Nah! Fun? You betcha.
Look for me on Twitter. I’ll be the one in the 70’s glam garb. Try not to get glitter on yourself, okay? ;)
Do you need a way to get past writer’s block, or solve a problem? What is it? What’s holding up your writing?
I didn’t report on Sunday because I had an Easter themed blog up for a hop. So today covers an entire week.
The challenge is turning out to be a wonderful encouragement for me. The people have been helpful and kind, and I’m gaining discipline in my writing.
At 2pm, I get offline and take one solid hour without interruptions, and write. It often stretches into longer periods. During that hour, I create new work. The other time periods are for editing and tweaking.
It isn’t as hard to write as I thought it would be. For whatever reason, I thought it would be hard for me to be creative while a clock was ticking, but I’ve been surprised each time the alarm goes off and the time is up. I’m always eager to get back to it once I reset the alarm.
I’m enjoying writing again, and that is the biggest surprise of all. I’ve written four chapters, edited multiple pages, written six blog articles, critiqued three chapters for my crit group, and created a video for my company. I also studied a book on how to write non-fiction. A productive week, and one whose lessons I look forward to repeating. Thanks to the Row80 crew for putting this idea into practice.