Speculations

Catching up on my DIY MFA columns

/ Melanie Marttila

Hi all you writerly people!

Over the summer, I fell behind in sharing my DIY MFA columns. I know, I said I was going to post to let you know when they were out … but life happened and sharing the posts was the last thing on my mind.

Now I’ve come home and life is more or less in order again, I thought I’d catch everyone up.

First, my latest Speculations column, the science in your science fiction: artificial intelligence. This was just published yesterday (October 17).

AIColumn

D’aw, isn’t this lil guy cute?

Earlier in the summer, though, I did a two part post on the hero’s journey. Part one: strengthen your writing by studying the hero’s journey. This was posted July 25, two days before I left for my European adventure.

herosjourney1

Part two: a deep dive into the hero’s journey. This one was due within days of my return and was posted September 7.

herosjourney2

I hope you enjoy.

And while you’re there, check out the other awesome columnists and all of Gabriela’s great resources. If you like what you see, join the DIY MFA community 🙂

See you tomorrow!

 

The latest Speculations is live at DIY MFA

/ Melanie Marttila

Hey all!

This time (lol) around, I’m tackling time travel:

The science in your science fiction: time travel

Come on over and visit, and while you’re there, check out all of Gabriela’s awesome writer’s resources 🙂

timetravel

 

How to dream your way to a great story at DIY MFA

/ Melanie Marttila

There’s this thing I do over at DIY MFA. It’s a semi-regular column called Speculations all about fantasy and science fiction.

dreams

 

This is my third column, on sleep and dreaming. Come on over and visit. There are a lot of great columnists on lots of different genres and topics. Plus, Gabriela has a tonne of great resources, a podcast, courses, and other tasty writerly goodness for you to check out.

I have a little anecdote to share with respect to dreams and writing.

It has to do with this little tip:

  • Sleep on a creative problem. Similarly, if you’re stuck on a scene or a plot point, ruminate calmly on it before you sleep. Even if you don’t dream up a solution, your mind will be working on the problem and when you head back to the page, the answer might just appear. Like magic.

So it happened, just the other night.

I’d just finished writing and posting my Next chapter update and went to bed thinking about the short story I’m hoping to write this month. I had an idea that’s been simmering since January.

That night I had a dream that, taken at face value, had nothing to do with my story idea. Except that it did in that weird way dreams have. And now I have three quarters of the story sketched out in my moleskine. I just have to figure out an ending that will work.

It makes me furiously happy when my dreams cooperate with the muse. Or maybe they’re scheming. Whatever they’re doing, it works. Like magic.