How to Get Published

by Al Kalar

Gordon R. Dickson was once asked, “What makes a story tick?” Dickson, one of the more prolific authors with a fan following in the millions, answered, “The time bomb that’s set to explode on the last page.”

He was talking about the type of story that becomes a race against time. The characters must accomplish something or be somewhere before the “bomb”, which can be a good or bad thing, goes off.

The Bomb

The beat of the time bomb needs to be felt throughout the story. Not necessarily on every page, but the reader should not be allowed to forget that it exists and it’s the main problem faced by the characters. (more…)

by Al Kalar

I was re-reading a great “how to” book from Ben Bova called The Craft of Writing Science Fiction That Sells*.  This book was a great help to me when I was getting started as a writer.

In the book, Mr. Bova gives us the following list of tips that can be applied to just about any good fiction: (more…)

by Al Kalar

“No battle plan survives contact with the enemy”. - Generalfeldmarschall Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

We’ll get back to this quote.

Fine. You know who your audience is, you can write well in your chosen language, and you know why you are writing your book (or pamphlet). Now we can start in on the elements of your story.

Developing Plot and characters

Mapping

Some authors know where they are going and how they plan to get there. These “super writers” can carry around a complicated plot in their heads along with all the twists and turns they intend to include.

But most of us in the mundane world of scrivening are better off if we make a “map” of our plot. (more…)