Slam dunk

Well, calling a book I haven’t seen a slam dunk may be premature. But I couldn’t resist. I mentioned before that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes children’s books. Now he’s added to the tales of the Holmes family, writing about Sherlock’s brother Mycroft in a book to come out this year. Apparently, he carried the idea in his head for several years, further demonstrating that writers work all the time, not just when they’re sitting at the keyboard.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Publish a Novel About Sherlock Holmes’s Brother Mycroft – NYTimes.com

http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/artsbeat/2015/01/08/kareem-abdul-jabbar-to-publish-a-novel-about-sherlock-holmess-brother-mycroft/?_r=0&referrer=

Critiques made easy

I came across this article and read it out of curiosity. It’s a method for teachers to help children ask the right questions, but it struck me as a potential tool for writers’ groups. Looks like an easy way to get out of the “oh-it’s-really-nice” rut. There’s even a pattern for making a die you can roll to pick which question to answer.
You could probably use it by yourself if you aren’t part of a group.

The Question Game: A Playful Way To Teach Critical Thinking
http://www.teachthought.com/learning/question-game-playful-way-teach-critical-thinking/

On Memory Lane

Yes, making things up is a big part of writing fiction. But unless you’re writing science fiction or fantasy, there are limits in our universe. Here are some tips for traveling believably through time.

5 Ways to Take Your Readers Back in Time: The Importance of Historical ResearchWritersDigest.com | WritersDigest.com
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/5-ways-to-take-your-readers-back-in-time-the-importance-of-historical-research?et_mid=713491&rid=245636318