Robert E Howard Days in Cross Plains
T-Shirt. This one is hard to find. Howard’s personal books rescued from several libraries.
The front of Howard’s home. It was only 3 rooms when he lived there. He lived and wrote on this back porch.
Inside the house.
Festival goers and the annual dinner.
The Trouble with STEM – 8
The Truth in Hell Regarding WW2 and Other Historical Exposes.
How to Write Science Fiction – 9
More tropes to avoid, a discussion of ethnicity, n another example of an opening paragraph.
The Trouble With STEM – 7
My latest Substack post. This one is controversial.
How to Write Sci-Fi – 8
My latest on How to Write Sci-Fi – 8.
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Continuing my series of posts on how to write fiction with special emphasis on science fiction since that is what I write.
TROPES. Good writers don’t use tropes. These are off-the-shelf situations or characters that have been so overused that they have become unbelievable or tiresome to most readers. If you have seen it more than once before, it probably qualifies as a trope. TV commercials are awash in tropes, as are most Hollywood movies because it is easier to sell stereotypes than originality….
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My Latest Substack post: The Trouble with STEM – 6
To recap: I recently ran across an online post by a person trained in STEM, calling for colleges to no longer teach any subject except Science, Technology, Engineering, n Math. Others asked if he were serious n he said he was. Many people tried to get him to modify his position but he insisted that only STEM should ever be taught in colleges. IMO, this has led to serious mistakes n misunderstandings by this person, n by other persons, especially engineers in my experience, when they stray from their fields of expertise n decide they know something about human society when they may not.
- STEM types seem to think that A People’s History of the United States, by Howard Zinn, is genuine history when in fact it is mostly fake, n like King Leopold’s Ghost, it is not an academic work by an actual historian. Both works present a false picture to the public of what historians actually do n actually believe. STEM people, unfamiliar as they are with the discipline of history, remain unaware of this misimpression n accept the theses of these works uncritically….
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I have lots more coming. I’ll post more on this and similar topics soon.
Substack posts
I am continuing my series of posts on Substack on How to Write Sci-fi. I am not entirely sure if I am handling Substack correctly. I guess I’ll find out soon.
On the way: more articles on how to write. And more articles in my series on The Trouble with STEM. Not to neglect my posts on myth, religion, n the Cult of Wokism.
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More Writing Tips: How to Write Science Fiction – 5
When I worked for a publishing house, I edited dozens of manuscripts. In How to Write Science Fiction – 5, I discuss more common mistakes made by beginners. Please subscribe to my Substack to view the entire post.
I have lots more coming. I’ll post more on this and similar topics soon.
How to Write Science Fiction, from my Substack
Not to imply that there is something democratic about writing, with number of sales having something to do with quality, which it does not. Or to imply that some advanced degree might confer writing talent, which it does not if such talent doesn’t already exist. There is no such thing as a PhD in creativity.
Rather, I will simply report my experiences in running a writers’ critique group in my home for several years, devoted to developing the craft of writing fiction, in particular, science fiction, and my conclusions on how beginning writers can improve their work.
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