LK LohanLeave a comment

Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding is the bread and butter of any fantasy writer. Of any writer, really. In fantasy, though, only our imagination is the limit. The idea of making up my own rules, of playing god in my own world, has always appealed to the control freak in me. Also, I never liked to do the in-depth, meticulous research I’d have to do if I wanted to credibly set a story in a place that actually exists. That doesn’t mean, though, that as fantasy writers we’re spared any research. In my own writing, I take elements from our world, natural or cultural, Read More …

LK LohanLeave a comment

The Taste Gap

Ira Glass raised a very interesting idea in an interview once. The idea of the taste gap. What it means is that we get into creative endeavors because we have good taste. We want to make good art. We know what good art looks like, feels like, reads like. But in the beginning, our skill set isn’t nearly evolved enough to produce the kind of art we like. So we practice and we expose ourselves to other people’s art. We refine our taste and we build our skills until we’re starting to produce work that we’re proud of. And then Read More …

LK Lohan

It’s the Little Things

It’s the little things that often make the biggest difference. It’s a truism for many aspects of life, but especially for success in habit formation. While there have been times when I’ve made big, lasting changes on the strength of one powerful insight, there have been many more times when the changes have been incremental. Sometimes these incremental changes were what paved the way to a big transformation. More often, though, the changes weren’t sustainable. I’d keep up the new habit for a week or two; a few months even. And then a minor disruption would kick me off the Read More …

LK Lohan

Relentless

Relentless. For some reason, the word’s always resonated with me. It implies perseverance. Discipline. Grit. The qualities of the warrior monks that figure prominently in my stories. Qualities I admire in others and try to cultivate in myself – up to a degree. There’s a fine line between dedication and obsession, and if I’ve learned anything about myself over the years it’s that I don’t have much of an obsessive personality. Some people might disagree, but they see the outside. The truth on the inside is that I’m dedicated to a few pursuits, but I don’t have it in me Read More …

LK Lohan

Using Media Deliberately Instead of Reactively

I’m too old to be reactive in my use of media. As my birthdays stack up, the rational understanding that this lifetime is limited is being replaced by visceral certainty. With that realization comes a certain existential dread, but also an urgency to work on what matters, and an increasing unwillingness to live my life reactively. A live of reactivity precludes a life of reflection and creativity. The always-on lifestyle takes reactivity to the extreme. When each notification requires a quick check-in, when you’re compelled to refresh your various social media feeds every time you’re bored or distracted or facing Read More …