Posters from My Lit/Comp Classroom

I was looking for particular posters to promote diversity in reading for my classroom, and I couldn't find what I was looking for exactly, so I got on Illustrator and made them. 

Motivational Monday: Welty Resolves It as Art

Eudora Welty

Sunday Funnies: Get Out of Weird Card

[Link] 3 Writing Tips From Terry Pratchett

These are invaluable tips from one of the most successful fantasy writers ever.

by Sreenidhi Podder

Pratchett is renowned for his sharp satire and thought-provoking humor, which is evident in his fantastical world and characters. His everyday tools include parody, irony, and comedic comparisons, which he uses brilliantly to critique the evils of social institutions such as religion, politics, media, and more.

Another aspect of his writing that is often celebrated is his versatile writing style, which is both layered and straightforward, yet accessible.

He was one of those writers whose stories transcended age. In a 1992 BBC interview, when asked about whom he considers his average audience, Pratchett said, “I wish I knew. The youngest fan letter I’ve got, if you understand what I mean, was from a girl, age 7, and the oldest one was from an 85-year-old academic in Oxford, and they both were about the same book.”

His writing is so relatable because, as a writer, he effectively conveys themes through meticulous layering, allowing readers to choose their level of indulgence—surface-level comedy, adventure, or a deep dive into philosophy and ethics.

In this article, we’ve broken down Sir Terry Pratchett’s top three writing tips that are sure to come in handy for writers, both experienced and beginners, across genres.

Writing Tips from Sir Terry Pratchett

1. Believe In the Lies of Your Fiction

Read the full article: https://nofilmschool.com/writing-tips-from-terry-pratchett

Mission Accomplished! Achievement Unlocked! A Novel in 8 Weeks!

Some of you who also follow my social media in addition to the blog may be aware that I have been working this summer to write my first novel. 

Surprising, right? Most people just assume that I've written novels with 35 years of professional writing behind me, but no, my career has primarily been in short stories with a few novelettes and even fewer novellas. So, for me, this was a big deal. 

I've started several novels before but never finished them. 

However, I'm thrilled to say that this one is done. Finished. Finito. The end. Over and out. 

If you've been a regular reader of the blog, you may also know that I use mock-up covers to help keep me focused and excited about my stories. For this new novel, called Another Dangerous Driver, here is the mock-up I put together. 

Not that I'd ever be one to try to get snotty or above my station as a write (/sarcasm), but my goal for this novel is to find not only a sweet spot between cozy and hard-boiled, but also to be as true to Fitzgerald's characters as possible and capture the social consciousness of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes in terms of the treatment of women and minorities, sort of like Gary Phillips and Walter Mosley did with hard-boiled in their mysteries. That intersection of Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Langston Hughes is a tricky place to aim for. (And that means a lot of room to fail, sadly. We'll have to see.)

Just to tease you a bit, Another Dangerous Driver picks up the story of Jordan Baker, yes, THAT Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby. During a golf tournament in Charleston, while trying to deal with the emotional fallout from what she called The New York Incident, and the subtle trauma it has triggered, she stumbles across a body floating in the water hazard that brings all the drama crashing back into her mind. Of course, when she is implicated in the crime, she must try to solve the mystery to clear her name. 

Folks, just in case you don't realize the magnitude of the joy I'm experiencing right now, I gave myself a goal to write a novel during my summer break. I'm a teacher and I get roughly eight weeks of summer break. I am pleased to say that it is done. 

I have graduated from novel starter to novel finisher. 

Viva la Sean! (And thanks, Jordan. I couldn't have done it if you hadn't been so much fun to write.)

Note: For those interested in the "behind the scenes" stuff, as I'm pictured Jordan Baker for the novel, I saw a lot more of Lois Chiles from 1974 than Elizabeth Debicki from 2013. A large part of that is because Debicki looks more like Miss Fischer, and if I see her that way, then that colors my voice when I write her. Her attitude also comes more from the 1974 film as well since Jordan's role was severely downplayed, in my opinion, in the 2013 movie -- regardless of how amazing the actress was. Of course, the bulk of the attitude comes from F. Scott Fitzgerald's book and my own speculation on how Jordan might have changed after the events of New York.

Sunday Funnies: Book Math

[Link] 10 Writing Tips From Famous Authors That Will Change the Way You Write

by Saads Abrahams

Whether you are a new writer or a seasoned one, you can always learn something new and grow your skill. Something I've learnt as a writer is that you are only as good as you are willing to grow. 

There are about a million tips out there that can assist you in your writing journey — we've put together 10 of the best tips we could find that span across different genres and eras, which altogether prove that good writing principles are timeless. 

So, keep scrolling to take a look at these nuggets of wisdom that can help both new and experienced writers refine their craft.

1. Write Every Day — Even When You Don't Feel Like It

Author: Stephen King

Quote: "Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration; the rest of us just get up and go to work."

Tip: The brilliant author Stephen King, in this quote, is emphasising consistency over perfection. You need to write a lot and often — this is the only way you can improve your skill. If you want to improve your writing skills, build writing into your daily routine, even if it's just for a few minutes.

2. Kill Your Darlings

Author: William Faulkner 

Quote: "In writing, you must kill all your darlings."

Tip: As writers we can get attached to what we write — and although this might be one of the more common / cliché writing quotes, it is a great tip to have. If you want your writing to be powerful, you have to be willing to cut out the parts that you love if they don't serve the story.

Remember, to make your work impactful, you need to edit ruthlessly, as this will sharpen the story's effect.

Read the full article: https://www.mediaupdate.co.za/media/159472/10-writing-tips-from-famous-authors-that-will-change-the-way-you-write

AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTION PROUDLY PRESENTS DOC ATLAS VOL. 2

Airship 27 Production is thrilled to present the second in a series of books starring Doc Atlas. Created by Michael A. Black and Ray Lovato as their homage to the classic 30s and 40s characters such as Doc Savage, Jim Anthony etc. etc. In no time at all Doc and his team became huge fan favorites appearing via multiple publishers such as Eclipse Publishing and Crossroads Press. Now at long last, the dynamic trio of Doc, Thomas “Mad Dog” Deagan and Edward “Ace” Assante have found a new home with Airship 27 Production.  

In this collection, Doc and his team face four puzzling mysteries and take on a mixed bag of villainy. One such is called the Dark Destroyer is threatening New York with a supposed ray gun built from old Nikolas Tesla files. Then Doc confronts the mysterious murders of prominent men by a gangster who was executed weeks earlier in the electric chair. Later a deadly plague has been unleashed on a group of homeless men and threatens the entire country unless Doc and his team can discover its source. Finally at an isolated scientific post in the Arctic Circle, Doc and team investigate a possible alien landing.  Award winning Art Director Rob Davis provides both the cover and thirteen gorgeous interior illustrations.  So, can there ever be too much action adventure? Not if Doc Atlas is on the scene.

AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTION – PULP FICTION FOR A NEW GENERATION!

Available now from Amazon in Paperback and soon on Kindle.

Sex Workers in Crime Fiction: Sex Work is Work

Christa Faust: 

When I realized that I was probably never gonna get the chance to moderate my sex worker protagonist panel at any of the big crime writer conventions we all attend each year, I decided to take matters into my own hands. One of the writers I would have wanted to participate in that theoretical discussion is the wryly observant, fearlessly outspoken and wildly prolific Greg Herren. Seriously, I think he wrote three novels in the time it took me to type this intro, but he still took the time to share his thoughts on this topic.

Greg Herren:

I grew up in a very conservative family. Sex and sexuality were dirty dark secrets to never be discussed. Being a gay child born into this kind of environment, I had some serious hang-ups and issues around sex and my sexuality that took years to unpack and unlearn and finally let go of as I came into my own as a gay adult male in a homophobic, sex-stigmatizing society.

As I often like to remind people, of course the American society has issues about sex and sexuality. The country was originally colonized by Puritans, and that puritanical mentality carried over to sex and sex work.

This stigmatization, this refusal of Americans to feel free to talk openly about sex and sexuality, has led to some repression — women, queer people, people of color, and most especially of sex workers, who are often demonized and rarely appear in crime fiction as anything more dimensional than a stereotype, and certainly never as a fully developed, complex character. Sex workers, or those who did the work in their past, are always stigmatized; how many times has a soap opera heroine had her life ruined when her past as a sex worker was exposed? And they were never really given any back story about the sex work — it was always depicted as degrading, humiliating, something they should be ashamed of, and the good decent people of the town should shun her for her horrific past.

And how many times have we seen the proverbial hooker with a heart of gold? While it could be said these are more positive portrayals of sex workers than we usually see, it’s still a stereotype — she’s clearly a good girl gone bad for some reason.

Sunday Funnies: Where Did It Go?!

Reese Unlimited Anounces Grimalkin!

REESE UNLIMITED is proud to present an exciting new adventure set within our ever-expanding pulp adventure universe!

She was one of America’s greatest heroes in its darkest days… She is now the world’s most powerful and alluring sorceress…. And She is working her magic in prose in the debut of her first novel -- GRIMALKIN!

A mystery spanning decades rears its head in the modern day, plunging Grimalkin onto a globetrotting adventure that poses a threat not only to her immortal soul but to all life on planet Earth! Will her magic be enough to save the world again? Find out in GRIMALKIN by award-winning author Barry Reese!

Cover artwork is by Gilbert Monsanto with interior art pieces by Lee Gaston!

The e-book version of the book retails for $2.99 and can be purchased at this link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FF63FKZN

The novel is also available in print for $12.99 and can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FFB9L9XV

Part of the Reese Unlimited Universe!

Sunday Funnies: Pockets!!! It has pockets!!

Bubba's Back!

It's finally time for Bubba the Monster Hunter to face his most terrifying challenge yet - marriage!

That's right, Bubba's back and more ridiculous than ever, and this one ends with wedding bells! But you know Bubba, and that means you know something's going to go sideways before all is said and done. But before he gets hitched, he's got to get all up in a swamp, get lost on a mountain, get an involuntary haircut (yep, I said what I said - Bubba's getting a haircut!), and deal with the most ridiculous bachelor party in the history of bar fights!

Old, New, Borrowed, & Blue collects the following novellas -

• Swing Low
• Unholy Ground
• Wampus Rumpus
• Church on Time

Available from Falstaff Books and on Amazon.