David Mamet on exposition

"The trick is to leave everything out. That's the whole trick to drama. ... You've got to leave the narration out, because anybody can say 'Well, well, Jim, welcome back to Antarctica, I haven't seen you since we cured cancer together in 1985, how's your wife and is she still an albino?'"

-- David Mamet on Fresh Air, 3/14/06

3/14/06: Sale!

Word count: 13385 | Since last entry: 601

"Titanium Mike Saves the Day" sold to F&SF!

My second sale of the year, and my second sale to Gordon (the first was "Tale of the Golden Eagle", of course). I am quite chuffed. I knew it was good news when I saw the envelope: it was an F&SF letterhead envelope, not my SASE, which meant a check or at least a rewrite request.

Of course, this does put a crimp in my Cunning Plan to increase my number of stories in circulation :-)

As it happens, at this moment of happiness I am driving my character deep into the pits of despair. Writing is more like acting than it is like directing...

( A snippet... )