Erik Mercer

Anyone know of university creative writing professors who are organizing against use of AI in their classrooms (or resisting it in other interesting ways)? For something I’m working on. DM me here or contact info in my bio…

Photograph of a colorful truck with a magic spell painted on

To explain the "spell": It's fairly common in India and other parts of Asia, to find this and other warding spells painted on objects that might attract negative emotions toward their owner: like cars--or books.

It's a personal, friendly nod towards some good people in my life.

A book title, followed by the line बुरी नजर वाले तेरा मुँह काला spoken as Buri Nazar Wale Tera Muh Kala. A (very) loose translation would be: "Those who look at me with envy, may your face turn the color of your heart".

A while back, I began to open my presentations with "buri nazar wale tera muh kala", which are magic words to ward off the evil eye--I haven't had a bad response since.

While I'm not sure it's the spell's magic at work, it does give me something to talk about to break the ice.

A baking tray of cookies covered in various shades of sugar and chocolate glazing.

I recently attended a talk by a person that makes four digits per session as a "communication trainer".

She didn't have much to say.

Except that each presentation should be "an experience".

Ever since, I bring cookies.
It works.

Authors and their characters have one thing in common: Every living thing, fictional or not, is always a "work in progress".

#amWriting

The rain didn't intend to wash away the tent, it just did.

My mistake was to try to write a story about how you venture out, defeat the evil cloud, and live happily ever. But you can't stop rain from falling, you can only learn to deal with it.

That, right there, is the story.

Looking at the story with fresh eyes, the ending is obvious.

People come and go, things go wrong, and it doesn't need to be anybody's fault. Protagonists don't need to struggle with conflict, when living a meaningful life is hard enough.

Finding meaning in chaos is satisfying.

The mistake was pursuing a three-act structure and the hero's journey, not because it made sense, but because people told me it was the bee's knees.

Except, my book isn't a hero's journey. Life doesn't need good guys or evil villains, it's sufficient that life isn't always fair.

I finally realized why I had trouble writing the ending to my latest book, and it's that I listened to wrong advice instead of my heart.

Learn from my mistake, and if you know something to be true, write the way you need to.

#writingcommunity #amWriting

Hence, when you buy a violin, you always pick up a box of resin on the side. If you are an obvious newbie, some people will tell you to do so, while others… will only give you this wide, knowing grin that seems to say: “You will be back.”

You see, the bow is made of horse hair. Fresh out of the box, the hair is too smooth and running it over the instrument does nothing. Only after you treat it with a "stone" of pine resin, it roughens up the surface, causing the bow to grip the strings to make them "sing".

To entice a protagonist to pick up an instrument: Used violins are often dirt-cheap.

Novices buy them, to find they can't get a peep out of it. Disappointed, they sell it at a loss, unknowing that it needs not skill, but a tiny box labelled "colophony".
#amWriting

A symbolic picture showing a range of colorful milk-based desserts covered in flower pedals and pieces of fruits.

It's fascinating, how in #SciFi, protagonists regularly eat and drink at alien pubs, while back on Earth, even our local species can't digest food meant for humans and vice versa. Toxins, allergies, intolerances, you name it.

There may be unexplored plot points here.

#amWriting

What you won't necessarily guess is that it's a "music" store.

The "seashells" are shankhs--blown like a trumpet during a religious gathering, or… well, when you feel like blowing a shankh. The biggest--though impressive--are not the best. It all depends on the sound.

They had their work cut out for them. 😅

A roadside shop called Abraham Sea Shells featuring a display of local seashells in various sizes. The shoreline is on the other side of the road, just outside the camera view.

She sells seashells by the sea shore.

(I always wanted to say that.)

Small lizard sitting on a white wall next to a ventilation shaft.

The good thing about being in an affordable “homestay” hotel: Every room comes with a free lizard.

Broken rust-brown rectangular rods are suspended on stone benches in a garden for display

The magnet inside the temple was so strong, it affected ships at sea. Portuguese sailors found their compasses distorted. They made landfall, got to the source, and destroyed the temple. Only fragments of the magnetic pins remain, and are kept for display, hinting the true size.

But, the true marvel for a writer is the “floating temple” behind it. Held together not by mortar or nails, but magnetism. Giant magnetic pins kept several tons of stone walls in place, while the idol inside was kept suspended in midair, thanks to magnets in floor, and ceiling.

Konark sun temple in India, resembling the sun-chariot, with sun dials shaped as wheels, drawn by stone horses

Close-up of a sundial wheel. It is elaborately carved, rich in ornaments, and can tell the time with a precision of three minutes.

The Konark sun temple is a world wonder.
It's resembling the sun-chariot, with 12 wheel-shaped sun dials, drawn by 7 stone horses. Each of the elaborately carved wheels has a precision of 3 minutes.

#amWriting

Animals can provide exposition.

Take this monkey: He demonstrates what true courage means. True courage is taking an ice cream cart to the Hanuman temple.

These little fellows don't care for fruits, they live for sweets, and they will rob you blind.

#amWriting

Colorful temple entrance featuring three Hanuman figures, as well as the "holy family" to its side. The big Hanuman is holding his iconic weapon in one hand, while raising his other hand in a warding posture, his palm points towards the sea.

Stories are everywhere.

This is "Bound Hanuman" temple. Here, Hanuman was tasked by Vishnu to guard the costal town of Puri from flooding. However, Hanuman has a sweet tooth, snuck off for dessert, and the town was flooded. Upon his return, Vishnu chained Hanuman to his post.

Picture of a narrow alley with hundreds of tiny lamps and neon signs. The adverts promise a "clinic", "automobiles", and "chai".

Picture of a narrow alley with hundreds of tiny lamps and neon signs. An advert for "Mr. K" points out an "exclusive Korean café"

Picture of a narrow alley with hundreds of tiny lamps and neon signs. Under a tin-roof sky, waiters hand out food, while others offer haircuts and color printouts.

Narrow side-alleys that offer anything and everything from street dogs, haircuts, medicine, photo-copies, to food are a typical sight. Except: They are usually busier than this. (But, it's off-season on a Tuesday night at 2AM.) Best place to find some local stories.

Photo taken from inside an "AC box" restaurant in Delhi, looking out on the night-lid street.

Looking for a #cyberpunk book cover? Delhi got you covered.

This is an “AC café”. The only thing on the money they actually make is chai. But they have AC, and can get you whatever the neighboring stalls are selling to enjoy inside your little “cooler box”.

#amWriting

Which makes it great story material: It's legally gray, the crime is easy to understand for laypeople, the victims are relatable, there is an actual court case to study, the damages are in the billions, and there is an ambiguity that suggests a much bigger case.
#writingCommunity

What I find fascinating is: they are getting away with it. Technically, it's a legal gray zone; it's easy to implement, with virtually no risk for the alleged perpetrator.

I think, we are seeing the tip of the iceberg. Bets are on, more folks got their hands in the cookie jar.

We know this, because in Europe, one such investment in the billions went sour, losing all the money those managers had “invested”, and caused some major players to file for bankruptcy, to avoid having to pay back what they owe. Thus leaving millions of home-owners “in the rain”.

Most homeowners keep “rainy day funds” for catastrophes, or to save up for major repairs. And property managers have access to these funds.

Some managers went ahead to withdraw those savings, invest them in stocks and bonds. Presumably pocketing their winnings.

Interested in a true-crime story?

People who buy some small apartment for themselves typically own a tiny share in a big building. Because there are so many parties, the building owners hire property managers to handle repairs and bills for them.

And some managers are crooked.

We had a passionate English teacher who tore up the curriculum at the start of the year, and made time to teach creative writing. Later, I studied under an exceptional professor who taught about using cognitive effort to steer how readers perceive text.

The rest is practice, practice, practice.