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Randee Dawn

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Does good writing depend on looking under a story's hood?

You'd think writing was just about putting words on a page, in a coherent and potentially attractive and compelling order. And you'd be right. But as with any interest/specialty/art what have you thing that people focus their lives around, apparently there's a hell of a lot of technical jargon, too.... Continue reading

Posted Mar 13, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Going, going "Gone Girl": Read it now

I'm a little late to the party, but I can't recommend highly enough Gillian Flynn's terrific "Gone Girl." I ran through it in about ten days (which considering my schedule is pretty swift) and though it'll sound like a cliche, hadn't felt a book emotionally yo-yo me like that in,... Continue reading

Posted Mar 12, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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22 Rules for Storytelling

In lieu of anything significant from my pea brain today, how about a list from Emma Coates, the story artist at Pixar? 22 Rules for Storytelling Terrific advice there, including: "Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never... Continue reading

Posted Mar 7, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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How to deal with freeloading publishers: Look to 'Goodfellas'

When I got started writing for newspapers and magazines, I did it for peanuts. Not literally legumes, but CDs. I was writing reviews for a tiny paper in Boston called The Beat, which was essentially done out of a basement and given away free in stores, and if I got... Continue reading

Posted Mar 6, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Waving with my hand, smiling with my mouth

We've all got evidence from somewhere in our childhoods that mom thought our artwork was awesome. Frame-worthy. My mom's particularly great at this kind of stuff: She has a framed picture of a hamburger I did in pastel in an art class -- taken from an Arby's ad -- hanging... Continue reading

Posted Mar 5, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Why writers write what they know, even if they don't know they know it

Here's why I know anything about jazz, or Gaelic culture, or the criminal justice system: I wanted to write a book. Yes, NYU's continuing education program may have come in handy, a bit, on that latter one. But why would anyone bother to educate themselves on arcane knowledge just for... Continue reading

Posted Feb 28, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Type it, and the words will come. Trust me on this.

As I told M Sunday night around 12:15 am (so okay, it was early Sunday morning), it's easier than breaking rocks to get paid to cover the Oscars from the comfort of your own home office ... but six hours in front of the TV and computer screen ain't for... Continue reading

Posted Feb 25, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Why writers need to keep their eyes on the road

Me, writer's group last night: "The hardest part of writing a book is figuring out how to do it." Much raucous laughter. The thing is, that's true, even if completely obvious. People always ask "where do you get your ideas"? Ideas, frankly, are like flowers at a botanical garden. Everybody's... Continue reading

Posted Feb 13, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Life lessons in song, courtesy "American Idol" and Peter Cetera

"American Idol" is back on again, and it really is oh, so easy to look at those people and say: "Shit, I could do that." And though there's less meanness and crappy singers on than in the Simon Cowell years, it's even easier to say, "Those people are morons. Can't... Continue reading

Posted Feb 8, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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A big fat Stephen King novel? Thanks, I'll have another

Right now, there's nothing I'd really rather be doing than reading my current book. (Okay, maybe something involving a hot fudge sundae and a white sandy beach while getting a backrub might come out on top.) But when you've gotten your hooks into a book that just makes you keep... Continue reading

Posted Feb 4, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Good news: My writing group is preparing to start...

Good news: My writing group is preparing to start meeting again. Bad news: I haven't done any fresh writing since we last met. This should be an incentive, but it keeps feeling like the last Jenga piece you pull before the whole tower collapses in. More later today, possibly. Continue reading

Posted Jan 29, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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How to get lost, on purpose, in your own head

Went hiking yesterday, did about 6 or 7 miles in very light patchy snow up towards Gertrude's Nose in the Mohunk Preserve. Went with a small group of people I didn't know and had some light conversation along the way, but mainly I like to go hiking to be in... Continue reading

Posted Jan 28, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Why 'American Idol' has nothing to fear from me

Singing has a checkered past with me. I love singing, I love music, but put me in front of people to do it and things haven't always gone so well. (As a kid I was at a summer camp where we were all asked to perform in a pseudo talent... Continue reading

Posted Jan 25, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Size doesn't matter (or) how I sold a book to a total stranger

So what if you gave a reading and nobody came? Not the highlight of Arisia for me, but it happens. The programmers ask if you're an author, and if you are, they'll generally slate you in with a couple of other people to sit behind a table and read some... Continue reading

Posted Jan 23, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Sci-fi/fantasy will eat itself (or) HBO's bid for literary success

Just returned from the sci-fi convention Arisia, up in the surprisingly temperate zone of Boston, in which I spent several hours on panels talking about sci-fi/fantasy films and TV. (I also sold a book, but that's for another post.) Lesson learned: It is possible to get about 20 people in... Continue reading

Posted Jan 22, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Something for the weekend

Off to the Arisia con up in Boston this weekend; stop on by if you're in town. Will be doing a reading from some piece of fiction (not totally decided yet), moderating and appearing on panels and, if I'm very lucky, selling a few books at the Fantastic Books booth... Continue reading

Posted Jan 18, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Talking with De Niro, and what you leave at the door

And then, sometimes, the interviews you expect to be the toughest are -- if not, say, the easiest -- at least go more easily than you expect. Interviewing someone is exciting, but I recognize it's a challenge for the person being interviewed, unless they're on autopilot. The one time I... Continue reading

Posted Jan 17, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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On Stone Roses and other teachers: Yeah, I'm talkin' to you

Having done this journalism thing since high school -- and now for over 25 years beyond -- it's probably safe to say I've done thousands of interviews. In the recent vast cleaning out prior to a move I finally dumped most of the old ones, recorded on 90 and 120-minute... Continue reading

Posted Jan 16, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Seem a little off this morning; forgot to put on...

Seem a little off this morning; forgot to put on my FitBit (long story there) to work out, and haven't had caffeine. Will try and post a little later once the brain is back up to running speed. That said, watched a segment (while working out) on free divers. Amazing... Continue reading

Posted Jan 15, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Awards Season adrenaline rush: Thank you, Joan Cusack

One of the reasons I got into journalism originally was the newsroom rush. You've seen it -- on just about every Hollywoodization of how a TV news or newspaper room works; the hollering, the deadlines, the last-minute frenetic typing or calling of sources, the figuring things out in the moment,... Continue reading

Posted Jan 14, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Truth and consequences in flying drunk, or: Fly me, Denzel Washington

I enjoyed "Flight," for the most part. I wasn't sure what Hollywood had still to tell us about the dangers of alcoholism, and I was concerned it would turn into a big-ticket version of an Afterschool Special. But as most everyone recognizes, Denzel Washington is a terrific actor, deeply felt... Continue reading

Posted Jan 11, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Oscars today. Things will be crazy busy. Get back...

Oscars today. Things will be crazy busy. Get back atcha on Friday. Continue reading

Posted Jan 10, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Whatever gets you through the night

Is there anything better than a virtually unbroken night of sleep? (Does anyone literally have an unbroken one? I mean, where you don't even get up to pee?) I had that last night, just one quick up and then back down. When the alarm went (gentle NPR, no buzzer) I... Continue reading

Posted Jan 9, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Getting rekindled, and no, not in the e-book way

Feeling a little stuck lately with the writing. There, I said it. Also: Not feeling it at all with the writing. Which, I'm sure most people would say is a signal to take a breather. Thing is, I've been breathing a while. The fiction just isn't coming as easily these... Continue reading

Posted Jan 8, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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Reading all the words

I'm juggling a lot at the moment, but two of the things I'm juggling at least give me a significant amount of pleasure: I'm in the middle of two books at once. "Earth Abides" by George Stewart is possibly one of the first of the modern postapocalyptic novels; it came... Continue reading

Posted Jan 7, 2013 at Randee Dawn

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