When an independent author takes on the task of writing a novel then adds to this challenge the goal of marketing the thing, that combined work represents a very full plate. (I would have written “a very, very full plate” except the late Mrs. Dawson, my old high school English teacher, would spin in her … Continue reading The Author’s Plate
Head hopping allegedly occurs when a writer begins a scene from the point-of-view of one character, only to "hop" to the point-of-view of another character. Most English and creative writing instructors would condemn such "hopping." I'm not so sure. When it comes to the concept of head-hopping, I have a cartoonist's advantage. Working in multiple … Continue reading Head Hopping: Good? Bad? Something Else?
As a mystery novelist, I tend to be cavalier about murder—most authors are. The typical fiction writer thinks nothing of crafting a scene of mayhem. Death comes easy. Books on writing and writers’ workshops traditionally refer to eliminating fictional characters, wonky plot-lines, or even unruly sentences as “killing your darlings.” As media consumers, we’ve viewed … Continue reading What Have You Killed Today?
After high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Army for a three-year tour of duty. Never having traveled farther than a car trip from Colorado to Iowa, I took the train to basic training in Missouri. Before I completed basic, President Kennedy was assassinated, and our inexperienced platoon of raw recruits and reluctant draftees was … Continue reading Famous Writers School
Once upon a time, I taught cartooning and storybook illustration to elementary school children. At our first class meeting, I came prepared with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and inanimate objects like a stapler, a bottle, and a cup. I lined these objects up on a raised box and invited the children to tell me … Continue reading Googly-Eyes and the Writing Life
The English language is resplendent with homophones—words which are spelled differently but pronounced alike. By some estimates, there are more than four hundred such conundrums. Examples are the words ail and ale, bate and bait, cheap and cheep, and so on. My favorite pair is cereal and serial. A misuse of this duo gives a … Continue reading Breakfast Serial
d.p. BENJAMIN 