While working for my corporate overlords, it hasn’t escaped my attention that a huge complaint from co-workers seems to be the lack of available time off. After pondering this for about a few seconds, I started thinking, which I generally reserve for special holidays like Kwanzaa, but I digress. Therefore, I’ve used all of my
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As part of my writing self-help series, “Great writing while sedated,” today I will discuss seven-ish techniques for crafting unforgettable characters. 1. Name names Your character must have a name. As a writer you will find it really helps giving your character a name as a way to distinguish them from other characters (note: you
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Consider your situation. All your friends are at least three hundred miles away and none of them have a rocket ship with which to visit you. The post hasn’t delivered the mail in two months. Every time you meditate, you start levitating, a false goal your guru told you not to pursue. You have forgotten the smell of freshly cut grass. Despite the short tether, you have developed a debilitating fear of getting lost in space and refuse to do any more spacewalks. The toy sharks that used to float menacingly about the station have disappeared. Domino’sTM won’t deliver. You long to play a game of billiards.
For a few days, there were big photographs in the front windows. Pictures of a full parking lot, trees, and sunny skies. Two days after the store opened, the District Manager sent a bulletin: Take them down. After that, we’d look outside and see the heavy green clouds and low slumping tan hills. Lizzie said
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What’s wrong, Dave? You look a little down. Nothing, Hal. Don’t worry about it. Thanks for your concern, though. Nothing, schmothing, Dave. You can’t fool me. I haven’t been observing your every move for two millennia for nothing. Fine, Hal, you’re right. I’m feeling a little blue today. Well, I’m sorry, Dave, but you know,
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