Traditionally, second-anniversary gifts are made of cotton. Last year, I noted that a paper anniversary is ironic for a Web site; this year, I saw no connection until I thought of the saying in the title, which made me think of how brief our stories are. Since that’s what’s passing for cleverness right now, I […]
We perch next to the glass, where window shoppers can press their flushed faces against the panes and ooh and aah at us. It is shopping season. We know because they cover their hands in cloth, and the sky falls white and fluffy around their feet. They hurry by in twos and threes, carrying bags […]
I didn’t notice the note under my windshield until I’d already gotten into the car and put the key in the ignition. Immediately, a sequence of future events came into my mind. I would open the car door. I wouldn’t take the keys out of the ignition as I got out. I would automatically push […]
This story is used as an exemplar for Bruce’s column, “Write Rites: The Ritual Story”. You may want to see all of Bruce’s writing columns; you can find them listed here. On that last morning, anyone who came to visit me could see that I was dying. I knew it myself. As if I had […]
In the previous column we looked at the advantages of writing about characters that the reader already knows. This strategy can be applied to other elements of stories. Anything that you might have to develop for a reader — setting, the rules of a particular society, the backstory for characters — doesn’t have to be […]
“Sabotage?” Chief Engineer Hoyle nodded. “I caught Officer Jarimath mucking about with the safety controls myself.” The commander turned around to stare at the dim yellow star that controlled this solar system. “And there’s no way to vent the fuel?” “The relief valve is frozen solid.” He paused a moment to consider how that might […]
“It’s perfectly simple,” said the Reverend Henry, adopting his lofty style. “We must cut the whole lot. There is no other course.” “I don’t consider that your opinion is of any value whatever,” said Eileen. “In fact you ought not to be allowed to take part in this discussion. Every one knows that you have […]