Tag Archives: writing

Finding a Balance: Cultural Appropriation and Under-representation

Posted on February 12, 2015 by

Writing fiction has lately become a bit of a minefield where, if you write about another culture, you risk charges of appropriation, and if you fail to include representatives of other cultures, then you are exclusionary. I have always operated … Continue reading →

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The Mentor Who Knew Too Much

Posted on January 8, 2015 by

I often read unpublished manuscripts, either because I am paid to critique or edit them, or because I am trading beta-reading with author friends.  Recently, I’ve read several manuscripts with a common flaw:  a secondary character who knows almost everything, … Continue reading →

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Fan Fiction: intrusion or flattery?

Posted on December 17, 2014 by

I belong to a number of writers’ networks, and the topic of fan fiction arises on all of them from time to time.  Fan fiction, for the non-writers out there, is when a fan writes his or her own stories … Continue reading →

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The Uses of History: Inaccuracy and Injustice

Posted on June 4, 2014 by

One of my commenters on another post included the following: Kenneth Chase cites a book called “Teppo denrai” by Takehisa Udagawa who states: “If historical inaccuracy is ignored for the sake of the message then it is not clear what … Continue reading →

Posted in Elisha Barber, essays, fantasy, fiction, history, Uncategorized, writing, writing process | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dear Writers, Welcome the New Year with Change

Posted on January 1, 2014 by

Hey, it’s 2014! I have a lot to look forward to, like a royalty statement that will definitively answer the question, “How’s Elisha Barber doing?” And the release of Elisha Magus in July, which I’ll be sure to talk lots … Continue reading →

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Clarity of Writing, Thanks to Charlemagne

Posted on November 14, 2013 by

When I’m writing for the web, one of the things I keep in mind is to note the length of my paragraphs. Too long, and readers’ eyes will simply glaze over. We seem willing to focus a little longer on … Continue reading →

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Sowing the Seeds of the Perfect End

Posted on June 19, 2013 by

I recently submitted a story to an online journal, and received some feedback from the editor, a couple of changes she wanted to see: first, the character’s motivation was unclear, second, the ending didn’t work. Well, motivation’s not too hard, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, character development, editing, fiction, revision, writing, writing process | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment