CornerScribe

Archive for April, 2005

My postings have been pretty sporadic lately, as has my writing. That should change shortly.

I’ve been finishing up my grad degree, and I have five (count’em five!) more classes to attend. I’ll finish up mid-May, and then I’ll have more time to get back to what I really want to be doing.

Stick around (and thanks for sticking around so far!), and you should be seeing more from me in the near future.

If you’re like me, some of your writing inspiration comes from the world around us. I’ve been thinking of  some recent changes for a while now, and since I write speculative fiction, imagining where this might lead is a natural.

I’m sure the election of a new Pope can hardly have slipped your notice. He promises to continue the conservative (and, to some, controversial) positions of the Catholic Church. Of course, the last election here in the U.S. was largely determined by the conservative attitudes of voters. Look at the election map; folks on the coasts may well be feeling as if they belong in another country altogether.

Here’s a little writing/thinking exercise.

Let’s assume that the conservative leanings continue in the U.S. and all over the world. You may think this is a good (or bad) thing, but most would agree that it will change our culture in profound ways.

Think about the world in ten years (or twenty, fifty, whatever)…

• What sorts of things will be illegal?
  • Abortion?
  • Birth control?
  • Promiscuity?
  • Divorce?
• What kinds of movies, music, books, etc. will be read?
• What will be the state of politics?
  • Will politicians be more or less honest?
  • How much influence will large corporations have?
  • How much influence will the average person have?
• What kinds of classes will your children (grandchildren, etc.) take in school?
• What will be the state of science and research?
• What will the U.S. medical system look like?
  • Will we have universal healthcare (or socialized medicine)?
  • What about controversial research (cloning, stem cells, etc.)?
  • Will any euthanasia be allowed?

Those are a few ideas, and I’m sure you’ve thought of a few on your own already. Whether you think it’s a step forward or a step back, I think most would agree it’s a step away from where we are now.

Check out these comics on comics.com

Unfit

This one is only about a week old, and it’s quite funny. It’s about fitness instructors working with the "Unfit."

Pearls Before Swine

This one is a little dark, but still funny, if you enjoy a little dark humor.

You might remember that I started writing for writeforcash.com last month. I thought some of you might appreciate an update.

I wrote a few how-to articles. Average time to be accepted was one to three days. As for the big question… yes, they paid correctly and on time! The pay isn’t much, but the articles are short and easy to write. I think it’s a great way to get a few things for your portfolio, so be sure to check them out.

Here’s another creativity booster for those of you who like them.

Think about the funniest thing that’s happened to you in the last year. Now, write it.

1. Try writing it first while trying to be funny. I’m guessing that this approach will fizzle very quickly.
2. Next, try writing the same scene very seriously. This may work better, but you may find that it’s so serious some readers miss the funny part.
3. Finally, try to sprinkle in a few of the phrases from your first attempt into your second attempt.

In my experience, writing something funny is the hardest type of writing you can do. It also happens to me one of the most fun types of writing you can do, so give it a shot anyway!

Link: Piercing the peer–to–peer myths: An examination of the Canadian experience.

I imagine virtually everyone has read or heard about the music and movie industries’ push to tighten copyright laws because of peer to peer file sharing. I’m not convinced that it’s really had a big effect on either industry — I’d argue that most people who copy songs or movies wouldn’t have bought them in any case, so there’s no real loss to the companies. Of course, the companies in question feel differently.

To me, the important question is how this will effect the book industry. How long before we can download an illegal copy of just about any book we want? Is that a real loss to the publisher and author? If I had no intention of buying the book, ever, then if I get an electronic copy for my PDA, how is that different than borrowing from a library or friend?

As a writer, I certainly want to be paid for my work. However, I also realize there’s value in being popular, even when that popularity comes as a result of people sharing my work illegally. Should I find a way to entice my readers to buy my books, or should I seek to punish them for reading them without first paying the price?

I don’t think it’s a good idea to treat your fans like criminals. The person who’s downloaded three of your novels without paying may tick you off, but remember, isn’t he more likely to buy your next one because he enjoys your work?

I believe that it’s only a matter of time before the publishing industry faces exactly what the music and movie industries have faced over the last years. Writers and publishers should take a good look at how they’ve handled it and not make those same mistakes.