The Fat Lady Tunes Up

I’m writing this post because my last one only touched on part of what I really wanted to say. That’s what I get for writing it late on a Sunday night. Part of my recent string of reminiscence has been brought on by my current circumstances at work. You see, after joining the company over four years ago, we’ve been split up and pared down by the parent company. And, what was once a, seemingly, thriving office of 86 people is now a token of its former self. The end is nigh, and the refugees, soon to be but 3 of us (not a typo), head off into an uncertain future.

Don't Look Back...The Past Might Get You

I've been reminiscing a lot lately. I guess it's a bit strange to say that as I'm sure we all spend a good amount of time looking back. They say you shouldn't spend too much time looking backward, or you'll never move forward. But, sometimes, you can't help but look back and wonder how you got from point A to point B, and whether or not you should have done something differently.

Ugh!

No good excuses for not posting lately. I've really been busy lately trying to be more writerly. I've been busting my buns to keep up with NaNoWriMo, but I'm already two days behind. Once you get behind, it's a hard thing to overcome.

A Product of Bullying

A recent hot-stove topic has been the slew of bullying-related suicides. I've read and watched this topic with a sordid sort of interest. Having been a "victim" of bullying for much of my childhood, it's been easy for me to condone the vilification of those who are doing the bullying. However, doing so simply turns the tables while ignoring the true problem at hand and that is eliminating bullying at its source...if that's even possible.

November is National Novel Writing Month!

So, you want to write a novel, but you don't want it to take 5 years of year life? Have I got the solution for you! In just 30 days, you too can have a novel (albeit a 50,000 word novel, but who's counting). Crazy? Perhaps. But, it can be a lot of fun too.

Writing a Novel is Like Moving a House

You wouldn’t think there’s a clear correlation between writing a novel and moving house, but when you’re a writer, you tend to draw similarities between everything in life and writing.

Forgive me...

...for it's been a really long time since my last post. It's not that I don't love you...it's just that I really haven't had anywhere to put my laptop down since the move! It's a lame excuse, but honestly, all of my energy has been going into unpacking, organizing, and such. It's been a really long couple of weeks. But, I promise I've got some good material to share. Just need to make some time tonight.

Deus ex Machina

Sometimes, when we ask for a higher power to step into our life, like a life preserver tossed from stage left, we're left to tread water. Sometimes, no matter how much we ask, that little orange flotation device never appears and we're left to drown. And then sometimes, just when we've given in and stopped asking, like a god out of the machine, a submarine surfaces beneath us, just as we were going under for the last time.

Thoughts From the Wrong Side

My apologies for the distance between posts. I've been struggling to find blog time lately. Between packing for the move (T-minus 10 days...and counting [in German accent]), writing my novel, sneaking a page or two from several books I'm reading, working, playing with my son, and more packing, it's been a struggle just to breathe. Anyway, I've got a couple of thoughts to share.

A Matter of Perspective

As a storyteller, I can spin a yarn about myself in any given conversation with little trouble. However, when it comes to writing, I've recently been locked into a third person perspective. And, you know what? It's all right.

Why Do the Squeaky Wheels Tend to be the Most Stupid?

Caution! Strong opinions ahead! I’m not one to stand on my soap box and rant for very long. And, I hate to give more space to a topic that doesn’t deserve it. But, the recent BS involving the burning of a particular religious tome has me fuming.

Opinion: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

It took a bit, but I finally finished the third and final book of The Hunger Games series, Mockingjay. And, while I have a deep respect for the series, I can’t deny that I was left a little flat with the somewhat anticlimactic ending to the book/trilogy.

Moving

I had every intention of crafting some well thought out piece for my blog tonight, but instead, you'll have to settle for a low-key diatribe about what's been on my mind the most lately: moving.

Characterization: Add a Touch of Grey

I'm sure all of us at one time or another has wished for things to be simple. A or B. Yes or no. Black or white. We get caught up in the grey so often that we often seek some monochromatic stability. Well, that's all well and good for the real world, but this is fiction we're talking about, and no one wants to read about a world of absolutes.

Top 5 Writing Fears to Overcome

We all have fears about writing. Some of us stop in our tracks because of them. If you're going to be a successful writer, you've got to overcome your fears, plain and simple.

Great, Kid. Don’t Get Cocky.

It’s a classic line from a classic movie. Luke Skywalker (you know, from a little movie called Star Wars?) has just bagged his first enemy bogey and is just a giddy little Jedi wannabe before Han Solo turns around and tells him where he can stick his can of happy powder. It’s good to give yourself a little pat on the back every now and then, just don’t lose sight of the big picture.

Bad Dialogue! No Cookie!

Ah yes, we’ve been here before. That moment where the exposition has ended and it’s the characters’ time to open their mouths and carry the story. This is where the story takes off. This is where the characters reveal themselves. This is where the reader falls asleep, or worse, closes the book. “He had me up until the characters started speaking…then the invisible wall was removed and I could see the author plain as day.”

Frustration

There comes a time when all you want to do is walk away. It happens to all of us, at one time or another. In life, it can mean major changes are ahead. But, for writing, it may be a necessary part of the process.

Schooley's

I went on a hike today in an old stomping ground. It had been at least ten years since I’d been there. It was my 4-year-old son’s first trip there. Here was this place that brought back a plethora of memories, and I had ignored it for years.

Rushed

So, something occurred to me today when I read a fellow writer’s blog, and it really has nothing to do with writing. More about life. But, I said this blog was going to about more than writing, so here goes.

Tools of the Trade

The ability to communicate in written language has come a long way since letters were chiseled into stone tablets. What the ancients might have given for copy and paste or spell-check! Today, our most archaic and commonly used form may be the reliable pen/pencil and paper. And, there's nothing wrong with that. But, let's face it...they're looking more and more like the chisel and stone tablet of our day.

"Writer's Block" or Excuses, Excuses, Excuses!

Let’s dispel a myth here. Let’s shine a light on the boogeyman in the closet…that’s really just your raincoat hanging at a funny angle. Say it with me, “There’s no such thing as writer’s block…there’s no such thing as writer’s block…there’s no such thing as writer’s block.” Feel better? No? Well, suck it up and read on.

Word count

Do a search on Google for “how long should a novel be,” and you’ll come up with some interesting answers: 200,000 is boring, 50,000 to 60,000 is for young adult, and “as long as it needs to be.” And while this last answer may be the most vague and accommodating, it may also be the most true.

Criticism

Alone, this word may strike fear in the heartiest of writers. We've been trained to believe that the word criticism leads to bad things. We've even come to preface it with a term like "constructive" to soften the potential blow. But, in all honesty, in the writing world, we need to consider the word's secondary definition: the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work.

Inspiration

So, what inspires the story teller? Why do we put pen to paper (a phrase that may go the way of the Dodo in a not too distant future)? Personally, I write stories because I feel guilty not using one of the few unique talents I have. But, I also write because I enjoy the process.

Welcome!

Hi, my name is Scott Mulraney and you don't know me...yet. I'm a thirty-something unpublished (as of yet) writer with big ambitions. I have an idea that I'm working on right now that I think will be huge...if I can pull it off.