inspiration « Storytellers Unplugged

Thomas Sullivan: BREAST-FED BRAINS vs. NOITANIGAMI

By Thomas Sullivan, on May 15th, 2012

Think back. Way back. Lying-in-your-bassinet back. What kind of formula were you raised on? No-no…I don’t mean breast milk/formula. I mean how was your life orchestrated? Dr. Spock baby? Schedules/organization/chaos/mommy-was-on-Valium? Meat and potatoes lifestyle? (Dunno…I’ve repressed all that)? The answer is very important to your imagination and creativity. No question, creativity can either be given [...]

A Room With a View

By Carole Lanham, on May 2nd, 2012

Last month, I went hiking off into the desert and completely forgot what day it was. By the time I realized I’d missed my April Storyteller’s post, I was a good fifty feet into the black depths of a dusty mine and at least thirty or more miles from the spot where the last lone [...]

Thomas Sullivan: AMERICAN “IDLE” or HOW I MET RANDY, JENNIFER AND STEVEN AT A MOTEL 6

By Thomas Sullivan, on April 15th, 2012

Well, actually the Motel 6 was a Best Western War Bonnet Inn, but that makes the title of this essay too long. In any case, that’s where I was the night a pet theory of mine was severely wounded if not shot through the heart. See, it was my belief that listening to radio as [...]

Thomas Sullivan: SORTING OUT GERONIMO IN EAST MUNGLEOPOLIS

By Thomas Sullivan, on March 15th, 2012

Wazzup, World? Goin’ for the jugular here. This month’s column is gonna lay out the case for: What You Should Spend Your Hard-Earned Moolah and Precious Time Reading. Too glib? Okay…rephrase. This month’s column is: A Discussion of the Best and Worst Genres. Too blunt? No problem…upgrade to: A Polemic on the “A Priori” Attributes [...]

Thomas Sullivan: OF SILVER SOULS AND CAROUSELS

By Thomas Sullivan, on February 15th, 2012

Like some infamous interrogation room, the designation “Q&A” is starting to take on the ring of doom for me. I know I’ve been weaseling away from my prior commitment to use that format, but please do not doubt that I am exceedingly grateful for your questions and your interest. No one could have more sensitive [...]

Patchwork Dreaming

By Gerard Houarner, on February 4th, 2012

Or…”interrupted by a person on business from Porlock” — sustaining the vision of the story you want to tell as life’s storms rage around you.

Trust me, it’ll make sense.

Quite some time ago in a LOCUS interview, Jay Lake talked about the challenges of containing the story he’s working on in his mind, or living in [...]

Thomas Sullivan: SEGAMI RORRIM

By Thomas Sullivan, on January 15th, 2012

If something has to be kept secret, it must be true. Secrets are self-proving. Lies are loud and wear red hats, e.g. Santa Claus. Okay, I’m being a tad glib here. I do not mean that only secrets are true or that all red hats – i.e. loud proclamations — are lies (your red hat [...]

Thomas Sullivan: ANGELS IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR

By Thomas Sullivan, on December 15th, 2011

There have been moments — bound in some way to a place or a period of time — that have taken my compassion to another level and made me a more complete writer. Such a time and place was a bitterly cold Christmas when I was living in an old men’s hotel filled with human [...]

Thomas Sullivan: FATE, DESTINY, SERENDIPITY, KARMA, KISMET AND STAR-CROSSED IRONIES & COINCIDENCES

By Thomas Sullivan, on October 15th, 2011

As one control freak to another… Uh-oh, way to go, Sully. You’ve alienated your entire readership already. But the essential thing about being human – about being anything with a pulse and choices – is trying to control one’s living conditions to make them beneficial to one’s self, isn’t it? AKA survival. Like I was [...]

Thomas Sullivan: SEX & ROMANCE, BORING BINGES, and WHY MOSQUITOES SHOULDN’T HAVE GUN PERMITS

By Thomas Sullivan, on September 15th, 2011

The Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition hisself – Torquemada – has nothin’ on you guys! What a bonanza of questions and comments came in from around the globe last month in response to the Q. & A. format. Probing, intelligent, deep and even beastly stuff – and damn near Truth or Dare. You’re having [...]

Storytellers Unplugged

Categories

Archives