Lyssa asks:
“Do you think about ‘scenes and sequels’ when writing?”
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Questions 293: Mental Health in Fiction
Nicole asks:
“Does accurate portrayal of mental illness makes an interesting story?”
Resources:
The Life of David Gale
House, MD
Sherlock
Stephen King’s Misery (the film)
Misery by Stephen King
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Questions 292: Time Efficient Research
Rebecca asks:
“How do you manage your time between research and writing?”
Resources Mentioned:
Open Culture
Planet Money
EconTalk
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Questions 291: Reference Photos and Asset Management
Robert asks:
“How do you use and organize reference photos in your work flow?”
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Resources:
MediaWiki
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Questions 290: Balancing Science and Story
Rebecca and Robert both ask:
“How do I do good hard science fiction without overloading on the science and tech?”
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Resources:
Black Holes and Time Warps by Kip Thorne
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
The Open Source Woman by J. Daniel Sawyer
The Resurrection Junket by J. Daniel Sawyer
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Questions 289: First Person, Present Tense
DC asks:
“What tips can you offer for achieving depth in first person, present tense?”
Resources:
Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler
The Quiet Game by Greg Iles
Mortal Fear by Greg Iles
24 Hours by Greg Iles
The Girl With the Deep Blue Eyes by Lawrence Block
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Questions 288: Is There A Market For it?
Charles asks:
“I want to write a sprawling world with many different stories in it. Is there a market for this?
Resources:
A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony
On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony
Running With the Demon by Terry Brooks
Mort by Terry Pratchett
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Hadrian’s Flight by J. Daniel Sawyer
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Questions 287: Short Novels–Are They Worth It?
Dan Dan the Art Man asks:
“James Patterson’s Book Shots has me thinking about writing short novels. What are your thoughts on short fantasy novels?”
Resources:
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard
The Final Formula by Becca Andre
Ideas, Inc. by J. Daniel Sawyer
The Professor Challenger Books by Arthur Conan Doyle
Waldo & Magic, Inc. by Robert A. Heinlein
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag by Robert A. Heinlein
Suave Rob’s Double-X Derring-Do! by J. Daniel Sawyer
The Resurrection Junket by J. Daniel Sawyer
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Questions 286: Passive Protagonists and Coming of Age
DC asks:
“How can one write an effective and engaging passive protagonist?”
Resources:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Hadrian’s Flight by J. Daniel Sawyer
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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Questions 285: Recurring Heroes and Melodrama
Charles asks:
“How do you keep an adventure series with a central character fresh?”
Resources:
NCIS
Magnum, P.I.
The A Team
Dudley Do-Right
Star Wars
Poetics by Aristotle
Silent Victor by J. Daniel Sawyer
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