It Helps a Writer to Have a Large Vocabulary. Reading Helps Make That Large Vocabulary

Anu Garg on words

“A large vocabulary is like an artist having a big palette of colors. We don’t have to use all the colors in a single painting, but it helps to be able to find just the right shade when we need it.”

The True Horror Story in a Writer's Life

What next? Book burnings?

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jan/16/missouri-could-jail-librarians-for-lending-age-inappropriate-books-parental-oversight-of-public-libraries-bill


The Missouri Congress wants to jail librarians if they let minors check out books like Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. A friend of mine said Slaughterhouse-Five was required reading when she was in high school. Now, a librarian can be arrested for letting a high school student read the book. What will we have next? Book burnings in the street?

My Winning Story for Free at Flame Tree Press newsletter!

Here is your chance to read a marvelous (in my opinion) winning horror story, Skin Deep, written by the marvelous (in my opinion) writer, Linda J. Marshall who shares the same name as me.

Every month Flame Tree Press, our horror friends in London, has a flash fiction contest for horror and science fiction. They give the theme and writers write because that's what writers do.

You, too, could win this! Subscribe to their newsletter to see each months' themes and then write, write, write!

Meanwhile, read my story. The theme was Slaughterhouse. It's the second story down.

https://www.flametreepress.com/newsletters/flame-tree-fiction-newsletter-slaughter-pirates-2/

The State of Science Fiction and Fantasy Genre Magazines Today

This is a in-depth investigation into the state of Science Fiction and Fantasy magazines today, including the ability to pay writers and staff. It's a little long, but if you are a reader or writer of genre fiction, you'll find this interesting. Good news and bad news, but the best news is that there are still a lot of readers and some healthy magazines out there!

This is on patreon but it's a free article to read.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/sff2020-state-of-32729082?utm_source=Jane+Friedman+%2F+Electric+Speed&utm_campaign=44f8716b19-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_30_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b84a4334ba-44f8716b19-332644641

So Much Better Looking Than in the Movies

       

                                             

        Now, this is how witches ought to look. This painting is by David Gardner, 1775. and it's
The Three Witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth. I played one of the witches (don't remember which one) in a high school play and the drama coach put us in gray rags and white greasepaint, which took about a week to wash off. The greasepaint, not the rags. I'd play one of the Weird Sisters all over again if I could look like this. Of course, I don't exactly look like I did in high school.

Think about this as a writer. We picture the three witches as old and ugly because the movies show them like that. But, what if they weren't? What is they were old but pleasant? Young and adventurous? Why are they living in the wilds of Scotland all by themselves anyway? There is so much more to this story than Double, double, toil and trouble. Can you think of the story behind the Weird Sisters of  The Scottish Play?

Love this quote from Ray Bradbury

It's the story of my life.

Any writers hanging around out there?