D. Thomas Minton
writes speculative fiction from his home in the mountains of British Columbia.
Monthly Archives: July 2011
Inspiration: “The Fine Art of Surfacing”
I often get asked by friends and family where I get story ideas. I usually find that no single thing inspires a complete story, but often a significant piece of the story can be traced to a specific thing, place, or event. … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration, Writing
Tagged Fine Art of Surfacing, OG's Speculative Fiction, Short Story
2 Comments
Publish or Perish
Publishing stories is a multi-step process. While I’m sure many people have different versions of this process, I break it down into three steps: (1) write the story, (2) finish the story, and (3) submit the story. If a breakdown occurs … Continue reading
The Power of Data
As a scientist, which is my day job, I am always amazed at the power of data to tell me something I didn’t know about the world. When I examined the traffic data for this website yesterday, I noticed a … Continue reading
Release of IN SITU Delayed
Originally slated to hit book stores today, I’ve learned that Dagan Books has decided to delay the release of the IN SITU anthology. According the publisher Carrie Cuinn, the book isn’t quite ready yet. While disappointing, it’s not necessarily bad news. I’d … Continue reading
Travel Magician
Living on an island in the Pacific Ocean means traveling frequently by airplane. To do that, you increasingly need to be a magician. Not the type that wears a suit and pulls rabbits out of a hat—although that might be helpful … Continue reading
Fiction and Advertising
Tracie McBride, a fellow member of the Hopefull Monsters writing group, posted a fascinating blog entry about lies and advertising. She elegantly ties pending legislation in Australia that would to limit the way cigarettes can be packaged back to fiction … Continue reading
The Life Aquatic
As an aspiring writer, I don’t pay my bills with my fiction. I have a day job. I’m fortunate that I’m one of those lucky people who loves what he does. I work in the ocean, which is an incredible … Continue reading
Daily Writing Targets
I’ve had debates with other writers about the value of setting daily writing goals. I know every writer is different, but I find daily goals valuable because they give me something to strive for every day, and as I’ve mentioned before, … Continue reading
Fellow “Monster” Sells a Tale
I belong to a writing group called Hopefull Monsters (yes, the extra “L” is not mistake—at least that’s our story and we’re sticking with it). We’re all aspiring writers obsessed with speculative fiction. We’re sprinkled around the world, so I don’t think any … Continue reading
Goals
Not everyone is a goal-oriented person, but I am. I think it’s important to have concrete goals to work towards. If nothing else, goals give me the opportunity to reach milestones, which, if nothing else, makes me think I’m making … Continue reading
D. Thomas Minton 