Unfriendly Giants

The Big Ceilidh Fiddle

One of the great landmarks in Sydney, Nova Scotia is the Big Ceilidh Fiddle. Canada seems to be a land of giant things. There's the giant hockey stick in Duncan, B.C., the giant Easter Egg in Vegreville, Alberta, the giant cross-country skis in 100 Mile House, B.C. and now, if you drive along Deep Creek Road between Armstrong and Salmon Arm, you'll pass the giant push lawn mower. Believe me, it's worth the trip!

All of these giant things inspired for the short story for adult readers, "Unfriendly Giants," which appears in the December edition of Other:_________ magazine. I don't want to disappoint any T.V. fans out there, so I'll forewarn you that Jerome and Rusty do not appear in the story. Nor is there a chair for one who likes to rock or a chair for two to curl up in. In spite of these shortcomings, please check the story out if you manage to get your hands on a copy of this magazine.

Happy Holidays!

On behalf of Buddy, Deedee, Arlo, Pinball, Rocko, Cedric, Mr. Butterworth, Trixi, Martin, and the newest members of our team, Max and Diggory, I'd like to wish everyone an enjoyable holiday season full of all the good things in life.

And, maybe it's just me, but I have a feeling 2011 could be a good one.

The Box of Shocks

NEWSFLASH!

The Box of Shocks

That's the tentative title of my new novel due out in 2011 with Orca Books!

Beware of hidden boxes buried in basement floors!

Watch out for dogs that chew on old cars and metal appliances!

Be cautious standing on the edge of bridges!

Never go trick or treating at a pseudo-zombie's house!

Never trust a parrot that doesn't talk!

Never use too many exclamation marks!

Watch for further details!

First Line Triggers

If you want to have some fun, try these first line triggers on for size and see what your mind conjures up.

I knew I was in trouble when . . .

My grandma always told me never to . . .

The last thing in the world I wanted to see was . . .

I should have known that it’s impossible to . . .

I’ll never forget the sight of . . .

It was confusing to see . . .

When I opened the washing machine, I looked in and found . . .

Who would have known that . . .

When I opened my birthday present, I was shocked to see . . .

My life changed with the arrival of . . .

It didn’t turn out to be a very good idea when my friend suggested we . . .

If you come up with some good first sentences, not so good first sentences, or whatever, drop me a line and let me read them.

Open With a Blast

Let's use those jumper cables for the imagination once again, shall we.

Great writing begins at the beginning– with a great opening sentence often referred to as . . .

THE HOOK

In writing a story, sometimes it’s that first spectacular sentence which launches you, as a writer, into the story. In other words, the story flows from the first sentence.

So, what makes a great opening sentence?

There are no rules, but it seems to me, a great opening leaves the reader in a state of curiosity, asking questions like, “What’s going on here?” “Where is this story going?” and so on. The reader’s curiosity has been tweaked, so they feel compelled to read on.

At least, that’s my theory. Stay tuned for some specific suggestions on how to create such mind-blowing opening sentences.

Spontaneous Writing

Quiet Chaos

Okay, so here's the result of thinking over those randomly generated words . . . Quiet and Chaos. This piece is short and could serve the basis for a longer piece of fiction.

A riot broke out at the Marcel Marceau School of Mime when it was announced that white makeup would be severely rationed. This dangerous problem was soon defused when an anonymous donation of twenty cans of white latex paint arrived at the front gates under the cloak of midnight. The donor remains a mystery, although the school's principal may know more than any of us could imagine. Since that chaotic day, a quiet peace has reigned at the school. How long this peace will last has been thrown into question as rumours persist that a worldwide shortage of invisible boxes is looming. Caution is advised. There’s nothing more dangerous, nothing more frightening, than an angry mime.

Writing's Mad Scientist

Here's another playful writing activity that is bound to get the creative sparks sparking, the creative flow flowing, and the creative juices . . . um, juicing? Anyway, this is one step up from the Dictionary Game. Instead of one random word, you generate two. I call it . . .

Adventures of a Wordly Mad Scientist

You throw two strange compounds together into a test tube. You give it a shake. You heat it up over a flame. Then . . . who knows what amazing chemical reaction you'll get? The test tube may even explode!

I found a great site which generates random pairs of words:

http://creativityforyou.com/combomaker.html

When two words, a noun and an adjective, are randomly thrown together, you get some interesting combinations that really get your creativity sparking, flowing and juicing (?) I've tried a few out. Sometimes it takes a number of tries with the generator before you see one that has that special intriguing quality about it. So far, my favourite one is . . .

Quiet Chaos

I'll put this combination in my little mind and let the creative dough rise. I'm not sure what I'm going to write, but I know this combination has some possibilities. I'll get back to you on this one.