Category Archives: writing

Unforsaken reaches ScreenCraft Semifinals

Posted on October 10, 2019 by jguenther5

Unforsaken began as a 1500 word short story, Saguaro Flat — 1909, written for the Palos Verdes Library’s 2017 November Writing month. Audience reaction when it was read at the Library in early 2018 inspired me to adapt it for … Continue reading →

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A More Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy

Posted on March 15, 2019 by jguenther5

Yes, that’s our objective of the day: to turn your novel, novella, novelette or short into a hive of scum and villainy. Stories of any length thrive on villains. The more wretched, the better. For without him or her, there … Continue reading →

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Brainstorying–The Garden of Forking Paths

Posted on December 1, 2018 by jguenther5

The writing process, whether for novels or film scripts, has been characterized by many metaphors. Examples include building a bridge, painting a picture, hanging a clothesline, mapping an unexplored territory, opening a closet, making a sculpture, building a house, laying … Continue reading →

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Writers’ Rite

Posted on August 29, 2018 by jguenther5

A friend says: “How you write so many books is beyond my understanding.” My reply may be of general interest, possibly even helpful:

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The Awful Truth About Writing & Writers

Posted on February 22, 2018 by jguenther5

I was at lunch with a group of writers the other day, and something I said resonated with the group. I summarized it in the meme I’ve created, below. I’ve posted this on Twitter and Facebook; might as well put … Continue reading →

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“The Universal Plot”

Posted on October 23, 2017 by jguenther5

Take a trip back to the 80’s and see what was known then as The Universal Plot. Its origins are obscure, but I suspect that it was generated by someone in Southwest Manuscripters back around 1980. My copy shows no … Continue reading →

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Beta Readers Wanted

Posted on April 14, 2017 by jguenther5

I’ve slated another book for release this year. It’s currently in third draft, an enrichment draft where details will be fleshed out and the character’s arc enhanced. The current word count is 21,000, well into novella* territory, with about 80 … Continue reading →

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Recent Review, In the Mouth of the Lion

Posted on August 10, 2016 by jguenther5

A quote from a recent review for “In the Mouth of the Lion”: “…There is more fact than fiction in this novel…difficult to stop reading once you start…” http://www.amzn.to/2b7P5Sl  

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Another Thought on Haiku

Posted on May 9, 2016 by jguenther5

I woke this morning going ’round and ’round in my mind with a haiku: Haiku Upon A Haiku Enigma Why good ones have oft Just seventeen syllables But bad ones, always. Which is a roundabout way of saying that bad … Continue reading →

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In the Mouth of the Lion proofs

Posted on March 27, 2016 by jguenther5

The morning after uploading my cover and text files for In the Mouth of the Lion to CreateSpace, I got a notice that the input files met CS specs. I put in an order for four proof copies. A little … Continue reading →

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