Archive

Archive for February, 2012

What writers can learn from Battlestar Galactica, Part One

February 25th, 2012 2 comments

I’ve recently finished watching all of the Battlestar Galactica reboot. If you’ve watched it too, you’ve probably got an idea of what’s coming. Oh dear, oh dear.

I had already planned to pen an article on the writing of Battlestar Galactica, because it has been consistently excellent. I looked forward to extolling the virtues of well-realised, flawed characters; a definite sense of place; what science fiction is really for, and grounding your story (however fanciful it may seem) in realism.

Since finishing the show, let’s just say the focus of Part One in this series has changed. There may be spoilers ahead. Read more…

Going with the Flow

February 18th, 2012 No comments

Let us return, for a while, to this subject again. Matt made a comment on my last post that kicked off a thought process in me, on the subject of planning, and making things up as you go along. Common wisdom suggests that you shouldn’t do the latter. I tend to fly in the face of that opinion, because I disagree. Not entirely, mind. Read more…

Discovering what your story is about.

February 11th, 2012 2 comments

It is often said that a writer doesn’t necessarily know what his/her story is about when they start writing. It is sometimes said (normally in an English Literature class) that a writer doesn’t know what their story’s about when it’s finished, either. Another school of thought says that a writer should know what their story is about before they even start. Read more…

Specificity

February 4th, 2012 2 comments

Being direct and specific when writing can make a story, or a paragraph, or a sentence. I’ve long known that, but within the space of a week I came across two very different examples – one getting it completely wrong, the other spot on, in my opinion. Again, it was one of those reminders that feels like a mini-revelation, so I’m going to share it with you. Read more…