Welcome to the 3rd issue of The Observatory!
This extremely belated issue was definately worth the wait. And wait! Look! There's a new person writing this teaser message, so that must mean something extraordinary has happened. The Observatory has a new editor, and that one would be me, Eterah...
Four months ago, The White Lily and Dim Aldebaran decided to make a new, more appealing, site design for the Orion Awards. In that time period, they have worked quietly and diligently to get the site design ready for October 1st, Orion's first anniversary...
Once you’ve made up an interesting, unique plot, it’s time to start writing your story. However, if you feel the need to do some research for your plot to work, then research before you start to write...
What in the World Are You Talking About?
by The White Lily and Eterah
NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is a fun way to get yourself writing, and get yourself writing fast! The idea is to produce a novel of 50,000 words or more within a month. No starting before the 1st of November – and pens down on the 30th. No stopping, no editing, and no looking back.
So, with all you can’t do, what can you do? Well, you can write like crazy! And while your family and friends may think you have literally gone insane, there’s a whole host of things that make NaNoWriMo not only a fantiastically fun experience, but a worthwhile and productive one, too.
Spot Goes to School
A Primer in Avoiding Primer Style
Anyone who’s read a picture book in the years since their reading truly took off will recognise the familiar sing-song tone and simple phrasings of a reading primer. In a primer, the style is sought-after, making it easier and more fun to read for a small child. But in a serious story, the tendency to fall back into overly simple or repetitive sentence construction can be a curse.
It’s particularly on my mind this month, since I’ve been reading The Lost Colony aloud to my husband, and been severely disappointed by the climactic chapters. There certainly wasn’t any lack of action or emotional tension. But still, it didn’t suck me in. And why?
Writing With Grace
Often, it’s the subtle things that really add elegance to a piece. With this series of articles, Writing With Grace with provide detailed explanations of writing techniques that can give the piece that polished feeling, and make it a pleasure to read over and over again...
“Ma’am, could you please recount the incident for us?”
She began to reply, but before she could say a word the sobs started again.
