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Marc Bilgrey’s
Blog

Writer & Cartoonist

STORIES THAT HEAL

As a writer, my aim is to entertain. My stories are fiction, filled with adventure, magic, mystery, fantasy, or humor. But there is another class of story that has nothing to do with escapism, in fact, it’s the polar opposite. These are true stories of real people’s...

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What kind of writer are you?

 What kind of writer are you? It’s a question all writers get. People have a need to pin a label on a writer. That way they’ll know which file drawer to put him or her in. Let’s take a look at a few well-known writers and ask them the same question. First, Sir Arthur...

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Cancelled Too Soon, a few sit-coms you might like

by Marc Bilgrey The list that follows features some situation comedies from the 1960s that were only on the air briefly, yet left lasting impressions. These shows were well written and acted, but failed to find audiences during their original runs. Why were they...

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WHY FANTASY?

At the heart of most fantasy novels is the quest. The quest to destroy evil and restore order to the universe. Whether it’s to a pseudo medieval world, or a modern city, the theme is the same. What makes this story so powerful and enduring? From the ancient Greek...

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DEAD WRONG

Many years ago, the great George Carlin did a wonderful piece about euphemisms for death. Words and phrases that people use because they can’t deal with actually saying the real words. So instead of saying, “He died,” people will say, “He passed away.” I was reminded...

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BERNIE WRIGHTSON – ILLUSTRATOR

One of the worst things about getting older is learning of the death of people you admire. Bernie Wrightson, who recently died at the (I think, young) age of 68, was one of those people. Bernie was a great illustrator and comic book artist. He, along with Len Wein,...

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TEN POPULAR WRITING MYTHS

Writing and publishing is a field fraught with false beliefs, half truths and outright lies that are accepted as reality. Usually those that know the least are the most vocal. One of the worst myths is that writing is easy and anyone can do it. It’s not. Writing is...

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You See, and You Don’t Forget by Marc Bilgrey

This essay originally appeared in Mystery Readers Journal, summer 2016 issue. Contributors were asked to write about how New York City has inspired their fiction. If someone is looking for inspiration to write mystery or crime fiction, New York City is a very good...

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INDIE WRITER TELLS ALL
(OR AT LEAST A FEW THINGS)

Have you ever considered self-publishing an ebook? A lot of writers are choosing this path. Some reasons that people decide to do this are....well, why not let indie writer Kylie Betzner tell you about her experience, in her own words…  Q: What made you decide to...

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SOME GOOD BOOKS ON WRITING FICTION

I’m sometimes asked to recommend a book on writing fiction. I’m not sure that doctors get approached at parties to suggest a book on how to perform surgery, but, unlike writing, not everyone thinks they can do heart transplants in their spare time. I’ve read a lot of...

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THINGS NOT TO SAY TO A WRITER WHOM YOU’VE JUST MET

1. Where do you get your ideas?  This is often asked by would be writers looking for a secret formula that doesn’t require years of hard work and dedication. It’s as if the questioner believes that there is some magic place that one can go to find ideas. Perhaps a...

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WRITER’S BLOCK AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

This is not a definitive list nor a guaranteed cure. These are 12 suggestions that have worked for many writers and may work for you. Try them and see what happens. You have nothing to lose but a blank page and lot of frustration.  Write what you love.  It’s been said...

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FAMOUS WRITERS WHO SELF-PUBLISHED THEIR OWN BOOKS

Can’t get an agent to represent your novel?  Or maybe you have an agent but your book has been rejected by a lot of publishers.   What now?  Put your manuscript in a drawer and forget about it?  Cry profusely?  Curse the gate keepers?  (Darn you all!)  How about...

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MORT GERBERG CARTOONIST

Mort Gerberg’s wonderful cartoons have been appearing in magazines for a very long time.  You may have seen them in The New Yorker, Playboy, Harvard Business Review, The Huffington Post and many other publications.  Mort’s cartoons are always intelligent and...

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Ten Things a New Writer Needs to Know

I’ve noticed that beginning writers make a lot of the same mistakes.  Here are a few things I’ve learned that may be helpful to you. Some of these might look obvious and easy. So does juggling, ice skating and hang gliding. They are not easy. Neither are the things on...

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A Few Mini-Comics and One Graphic Novel

Most mini-comics don’t get a lot of attention. They’re usually self-published, and, with some exceptions, not sold in comic shops or bookstores. Mini-comics are often smaller than standard sized comics (hence the name ‘mini’) and are as a rule (but not always) printed...

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MURDOCH MYSTERIES

Tired of gritty, violent cop shows? Had enough of today’s most heinous crimes retold in thinly disguised fiction?  Need a show with wit and style? Want to escape back to a more genteel time?  If you haven’t discovered this polished gem, it’s not too late to get in on...

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WEBCOMICS WORTH READING

Are the only comic strips you read in newspapers or on syndicated comics websites? The internet is overflowing with cool comic strips that are too hip, surreal, or intelligent for mainstream media. Here are a few webcomics well worth checking out. The Awkward Yeti...

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Sam Gross – Cartoonist

Sam Gross (who signs his work S. Gross) is a legendary cartoonist. Sam’s single panel cartoons have been appearing in magazines for over fifty years. And he’s still at it! His odd, weird and wonderfully strange cartoons have been featured in many publications...

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Cartoon Blogs

If you like panel cartoons, comic strips and comic books, here are a few great blogs and websites you might want to check out.Inkspill - Is a blog about cartoonists whose work has appeared in The New Yorker Magazine. There are posts about and interviews with...

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IMPROV PRINCIPLES THAT MIGHT HELP YOUR FICTION WRITING

Just about everyone has heard of or seen an improv show. But what does a performing style that’s known for comedy have to do with writing serious fiction? Especially, since the definition of the word improv is  making things up as you go along and not writing a script...

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OTTO BINDER – WRITER

OTTO BINDER, THE LIFE AND WORK OF A COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION VISIONARY, by Bill Schelly. Schelly’s biography of writer, Otto Binder, is well worth reading. Binder wrote, (with his brother, Earl, and without him) ground breaking science fiction stories in the...

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SECOND ANNIVERSARY

This month marks the second year of my blog. I’d like to thank my many readers (and there are well over a dozen!) The second anniversary is traditionally cotton.  To celebrate,  I just went out and bought myself a box of Q-tips.And speaking of blogs, here are a few...

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ABNER DEAN, CARTOONIST

How forgotten is Abner Dean? If you Google, forgotten cartoonists, his name comes up. (Really!) I hope the reprinting of his 1947 book, What Am I Doing Here? will change that. Abner Dean drew cartoons for the New Yorker in the 1940s, and also did illustrations for...

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STAR TREK BOOK REVIEW

Star Trek may be the most written about TV show in the history of the medium. Now celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, (1966-2016), there are thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, blogposts, and hundreds of books about every aspect of the original show. The...

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WAYNE STINNETT – WRITER

Wayne Stinnett‘s success story is not sexy. He’s not a young writer who became an overnight sensation with one novel. His books are not on the best seller list. He did not get a seven-figure advance from one of the big six New York publishers. His manuscript was not...

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HOW TO START WRITING

I meet people all the time who say they want to write. Many of them don’t know where to start or even how to start. A lot of people are worried about “doing it wrong” or feel they can’t begin unless they get “permission.” They don’t know who they want permission from...

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MARIA SCRIVAN – CARTOONIST

Maria Scrivan’s cartoon panel, Half Full, was recently syndicated by Tribune Content Agency. Maria’s cartoons are a rare combination of cute and funny. Maria’s single panel cartoons are about daily life, including such subjects as dating, marriage, doctors, pets, all...

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JOHN D. MACDONALD – AN APPRECIATION

What writer does Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Lee Child and Carl Hiassen name as a major influence? If you answered Louisa May Alcott you would be wrong.  In fact, John D. MacDonald has influenced generations of writers. Even his contemporaries such as Kurt Vonnegut...

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INDIE COMIC BOOKS

In a field still dominated by super heroes, independent comic books and strips don’t often get the attention they deserve. Except for a few political or controversial titles many excellent indie comics and graphic novels frequently fly under the radar. Here are a few...

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HELENE PARSONS WRITER AND BLOGGER

Have you ever wondered how cartoonists come up with new ideas all the time? Some of them may have had a little help. Helene Parsons is one of those unseen and uncredited helpers. Helene has ghost written for many single panel syndicated and magazine cartoonists. She’s...

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STEPHEN WINER WRITER

You may not know Stephen Winer’s name but you definitely know some of the people (and shows) he’s written for. Winer was a writer for David Letterman, Dick Van Dyke, The New Mickey Mouse Club, and stand-up comedian, Robert Klein, among others.Winer (along with Karl...

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JOHN LUSTIG WRITER

John Lustig writes a unique single panel cartoon called, Last Kiss. The drawings for Last Kiss are not done by him, but instead, are taken from old romance comic books that were originally published by Charlton comics (a long defunct company) from 1957-1965. John...

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C.E. LAWRENCE: THRILLER WRITER

C.E. Lawrence, (the pen name of Carole Buggé) writes suspense novels that examine the dark side of human behavior. She’s fascinated by the criminal mind, how it got that way and why it does such terrible things. Her series character, Lee Campbell, is a criminal...

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TOM SOTER IMPROV MASTER

Tom Soter is one of the best improv teachers in the business. He’s been at it for over twenty-five years. Before he began teaching he was a street performer, then he studied with the legendary improv group, Chicago City Limits. After that he turned to teaching as well...

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WILLIAM F. NOLAN IS STILL RUNNING WITH LOGAN

WILLIAM F. NOLAN IS STILL RUNNING WITH LOGANAt the age of 86, William F. Nolan is still writing. Nolan is the author (with George Clayton Johnson) of the novel, Logan’s Run, which was the basis for the MGM film. (The book is much better than the movie), a TV series...

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Mike Lynch Cartoonist and Blogger

Welcome to my brand-new blog. I'll be writing about people whom I admire, especially, writers and cartoonists. Today's entry is about a wonderful cartoonist, Mike Lynch. Mike's cartoons have appeared in so many publications it's impossible to list them all here and...

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A Few Mini-Comics and One Graphic Novel

Most mini-comics don’t get a lot of attention. They’re usually self-published, and, with some exceptions, not sold in comic shops or bookstores. Mini-comics are often smaller than standard sized comics (hence the name ‘mini’) and are as a rule (but not always) printed...

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MARIE SEVERIN, CARTOONIST AND ILLUSTRATOR

I was saddened to hear about the recent death of Marie Severin. She was 89. Marie was a great cartoonist and illustrator who worked for Marvel comics in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. She illustrated many well-known characters including The Sub-Mariner, The Hulk and Doctor...

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