There are as many types of programs on TV these days as there are stars out on a clear moonless night, from documentaries and journalistic truth-seekers, to soap operas of one kind or another, to Talk Shows and its latest variation, part of the all-new, all-improved Generation-Zzzz programming, reality television.
I was glad to see the back of dialogue (see below), and we adjourned for lunch. A simple exercise followed upon our return. The brief was to capture “our last meal”. We were given the following cue – your last meal – to capture the immediacy and wealth of the senses. I opted for a [...]
This is a series of posts about a 2-day writing workshop that I attended in late March. I wanted to keep track of what I had scribbled on various pieces of paper and so decided to post the results of those exercises here. After handling motivations (see below), we moved on to dialogue. I hate [...]
I must tell you all about the new kid on the block, Books2Anywhere.com (www.books2anywhere.com). Their website is basic, without screaming graphics or user ratings; you can’t read excerpts and individual book information (publishers, etc) is non-existent. Oh, and they “only” sell books. But their pricing is very competitive and they don’t over-charge on shipping either, [...]
I am old enough to remember when KFC was Kentucky Freid Chicken, when Colonel Saunders hawked his “secret recipe” fried chicken. Back then, in 70s Singapore, there was no concept of fast food, partly because as a child growing up, I didn’t know what “fine dining” meant. I don’t recall why I liked Kentucky Fried [...]
Allow me to indulge myself in a rant. One of the reasons why this site has seen little activity is due to the near completion of my new abode, The Berth. It is the first development on Sentosa, an island off Singapore. Unfortunately, the excitement in anticipation of finally moving into my apartment is being [...]
I stood next to the President of Iran this morning, as the Heads of State of the Eight Developing Countries that make up the D-8 toured briskly around the business forum. He’s kinda short.
We moved from motivations to context and were given briefs on locations in the home. I chose the bed-room as it seemed the most personal and familiar of spaces. the piece: They had bought the bed only recently, while the mattress also was specially chosen. Neither survived their first year together. Once in equal measure [...]
Motivations were next on the table. Characters need motivation to move, just as we are moved to write. There were options, but I chose this. I think I began to enjoy myself as I wrote this, again within a 10-15 minute time frame. the piece: The thunderous roar of those dread machines was enough to [...]
I cannot see the point, actually; what’s the difference between writing for this site, during private, leisurely moments, and the writing that takes place during socially constructed time frames? In other words, what is the benefit afforded by the writing workshop? The person behind the writing is one and the same, with the identical grim [...]
