Tag: Lane Diamond Author (Page 8 of 8)

Flash Fiction

August 6, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 2 Comments

Let me first say that I’m not a fan of flash fiction, particularly the 55-word variety. In my experience, 9 out of 10 pieces are not worth the reading, even if it does take only a few seconds. People don’t tell stories; they write anecdotes, ask questions, set up a possible story.

Yet I entered a flash fiction contest. Go figure.

I found Austin Briggs’ contest on Twitter, liked what he was doing (Hey, I love any opportunity for a writer to make money!), and decided to both spread the good word and enter my own piece.

He provided this prompt: “Eccentric Woman.”

His essential guidelines were clear: 55-words max (includes the title), must contain a setting and at least one character, and must present a conflict and resolution.

Those are ambitious guidelines for a 55-word piece, and that’s ultimately why I decided to participate (my entry, Sipping, took 2nd place in July). Did all entries adhere to those guidelines? Did all the winners? Hmmm…. As I said before, flash fiction so rarely gives us a story.

Nonetheless, Austin is doing a good thing for writers. If you like flash fiction, and you’d like an opportunity to make a little money in a contest, please check it out. You’ll find the July results here: Austin Briggs’ Flash Fiction Contest.

‘Til next time, and as always, remember: To write well, you must work hard. To succeed in this tough gig, you mustn’t be lazy (or discouraged).

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Is Time Even Real?

August 5, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 0 Comments

I watched The Science Channel yesterday while having breakfast, a show hosted by Morgan Freeman called Through the Wormhole, and the subject was time. The essential argument related to the properties of the so-called fourth dimension.

One scientist went so far as to argue that time is an illusion, not real, a construct of the human mind. Only space exists, and it does so whether or not time is real.

I responded with a literary metaphor, and I think I should copyright it right here and now, before it slips away from me. So here it is.

Time is the page upon which the story of space is written. Burn the page, and the story is lost.

Someday, I think, we’re going to throw out the rest and decide that there really is only one dimension: space-time. We’ll see.

‘Til next time, and as always, remember: To write well, you must work hard. To succeed in this tough gig, you mustn’t be lazy (or discouraged).

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Re-Engaged

March 19, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 1 Comment

I’ve been working for the past week or so not just to establish this website, which is getting there, but also to update accordingly all of my other online presences. In the process of doing so, it has occurred to me just how disengaged I’ve been, at least at most of those sites, over the past year or so.

I was so distraught over the state of the publishing business—specifically, the old mainstream, brick and mortar publishing business—and the sheer folly of trying to break into that as a first-time author of thrillers, I just checked out. I told myself I would re-engage when the market recovered. Sure.

Now that I’ve concluded that the old mainstream market wallows in the throes of slow death, and now that I’ve decided to move forward in the e-Publishing arena, I feel positively reinvigorated.

Yes, I have re-engaged. Feels good.

I still have plenty of work to do, not the least of which is a final polish (I swear it’s my last one!) of my manuscript. I just wanted to take one last spin through, and should finish that by the end of April. I also have to finalize the plans I’m kicking around to develop a team, an e-Publishing Group, to maximize the likelihood of success. I’m a bit apprehensive, simply because this is a new arena, yet I’m fired-up for the same reason. I love putting on my troubleshooter’s cap and brainstorming new possibilities. Fun stuff.

I’m a couple weeks away from announcing my full plan (I should say our plan, as I’m working it out with my first teammate) to some select individuals, and possibly opening it up to potential participants (primarily writers with similar goals), but I can’t keep my brain from running a thousand miles per hour.

Man! I should have listened to my own advice, which I offer at the end of all my blog posts:

‘Til next time, and as always, remember: To write well, you must work hard. To succeed in this tough gig, you mustn’t be lazy (or discouraged).

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