The Secrets of Story
Wednesday, March 18th, 2026 12:27 pmThe Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers by Matt Bird
A how-to-write book. Despite the title, mostly for TV and movie writers, down to and including explaining that a prose writer has it easier.
Nevertheless, some useful ideas, particularly about irony, such as the character's flaw should be a flip-side of a strength to add reason to not want to fix it. None of the jargon was impenetrable.
A how-to-write book. Despite the title, mostly for TV and movie writers, down to and including explaining that a prose writer has it easier.
Nevertheless, some useful ideas, particularly about irony, such as the character's flaw should be a flip-side of a strength to add reason to not want to fix it. None of the jargon was impenetrable.
The Secrets of Story
Wednesday, March 18th, 2026 12:27 pmThe Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers by Matt Bird
A how-to-write book. Despite the title, mostly for TV and movie writers, down to and including explaining that a prose writer has it easier.
Nevertheless, some useful ideas, particularly about irony, such as the character's flaw should be a flip-side of a strength to add reason to not want to fix it. None of the jargon was impenetrable.
A how-to-write book. Despite the title, mostly for TV and movie writers, down to and including explaining that a prose writer has it easier.
Nevertheless, some useful ideas, particularly about irony, such as the character's flaw should be a flip-side of a strength to add reason to not want to fix it. None of the jargon was impenetrable.
Prompt: #486 - Coincidence
Tuesday, March 17th, 2026 08:59 amThis week's prompt is coincidence.
Your response should be exactly 100 words long. You do not have to include the prompt in your response -- it is meant as inspiration only.
Please use the tag "prompt: #486 - coincidence" with your response.
Please put your drabble under a cut tag if it contains potential triggers, mature or explicit content, or spoilers for media released in the last month.
If you would like a template for the header information you may use this:
Subject: Original - Title (or) Fandom - Title
Post:
Title:
Original (or) Fandom:
Rating:
Notes:
If you are a member of AO3 there is a 100 Words Collection!
Your response should be exactly 100 words long. You do not have to include the prompt in your response -- it is meant as inspiration only.
Please use the tag "prompt: #486 - coincidence" with your response.
Please put your drabble under a cut tag if it contains potential triggers, mature or explicit content, or spoilers for media released in the last month.
If you would like a template for the header information you may use this:
Subject: Original - Title (or) Fandom - Title
Post:
Title:
Original (or) Fandom:
Rating:
Notes:
If you are a member of AO3 there is a 100 Words Collection!
The Snake Prince and Other Stories
Monday, March 16th, 2026 10:46 amThe Snake Prince and Other Stories: Burmese Folk Tales by Edna Ledgard
A varied collection. I think a little overwritten, but the tales are a new slice, fitting a new culture. Fairy tales, including a kind and unkind girls featuring a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and a unique take on burning the skin of the shape-shifted: the Naga prince is not killed but he is rendered mortal to live and grow old and die with his bride.
Also tales of fools and clever men, and animal tales.
Most are recognizable types, but not close to other variants.
A varied collection. I think a little overwritten, but the tales are a new slice, fitting a new culture. Fairy tales, including a kind and unkind girls featuring a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and a unique take on burning the skin of the shape-shifted: the Naga prince is not killed but he is rendered mortal to live and grow old and die with his bride.
Also tales of fools and clever men, and animal tales.
Most are recognizable types, but not close to other variants.
The Snake Prince and Other Stories
Monday, March 16th, 2026 10:46 amThe Snake Prince and Other Stories: Burmese Folk Tales by Edna Ledgard
A varied collection. I think a little overwritten, but the tales are a new slice, fitting a new culture. Fairy tales, including a kind and unkind girls featuring a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and a unique take on burning the skin of the shape-shifted: the Naga prince is not killed but he is rendered mortal to live and grow old and die with his bride.
Also tales of fools and clever men, and animal tales.
Most are recognizable types, but not close to other variants.
A varied collection. I think a little overwritten, but the tales are a new slice, fitting a new culture. Fairy tales, including a kind and unkind girls featuring a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and a unique take on burning the skin of the shape-shifted: the Naga prince is not killed but he is rendered mortal to live and grow old and die with his bride.
Also tales of fools and clever men, and animal tales.
Most are recognizable types, but not close to other variants.
Performing some traffic maintenance today
Saturday, March 14th, 2026 01:04 pmHappy Saturday!
I'm going to be doing a little maintenance today. It will likely cause a tiny interruption of service (specifically for www.dreamwidth.org) on the order of 2-3 minutes while some settings propagate. If you're on a journal page, that should still work throughout!
If it doesn't work, the rollback plan is pretty quick, I'm just toggling a setting on how traffic gets to the site. I'll update this post if something goes wrong, but don't anticipate any interruption to be longer than 10 minutes even in a rollback situation.
Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt
Friday, March 13th, 2026 06:54 pmTemples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz
A light discussion of Egypt. Admittedly covering a long period of history and so necessarily cursory in place. Discusses what records we have and what archeological evidence we have found, and various Pharaohs and changes.
A light discussion of Egypt. Admittedly covering a long period of history and so necessarily cursory in place. Discusses what records we have and what archeological evidence we have found, and various Pharaohs and changes.
Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt
Friday, March 13th, 2026 06:54 pmTemples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz
A light discussion of Egypt. Admittedly covering a long period of history and so necessarily cursory in place. Discusses what records we have and what archeological evidence we have found, and various Pharaohs and changes.
A light discussion of Egypt. Admittedly covering a long period of history and so necessarily cursory in place. Discusses what records we have and what archeological evidence we have found, and various Pharaohs and changes.