Alesha L. Escobar

Fantasy, Mash-ups, and Mayhem

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Red Tails

I thought the trailer for this movie looked amazing. If you haven't read up on the Red Tails, now's a great time to do it (the movie's to be released January 2012). The Tuskegee Airmen were a squadron of African American fighter pilots during WWII. Despite the discrimination and setbacks they endured from some of their own countrymen, they managed to run missions for the Allies. Not only is ... View Post

My Mother’s Purse

"It's practical," she said, not caring that I laughed. I promised to buy her a prettier one, but now I won't have that chance. My mother's purse is in my house, and my mother is with God. If I could spend another moment with her, I'd wrap my arms around her and never let go. But all I have are memories and pictures, and of course, her black purse. The awkward long strap now ... View Post

NaNoWriMo

It's that time again! National Novel Writing Month :-) Wanna join? Get thee to the Nanowrimo site and sign up. I'll be joining in spirit, of course, since I'm technically almost done with DARK RIFT. However, while on this journey I've learned a few important lessons about writing a novel (and doing it well). Don't underestimate the OUTLINE. Even if it's a skeleton, I do believe an ... View Post

Choose Your Words Wisely–A Lesson in American Slang

Sorry to tell you, but Joe is a masher. Also, he's messing around with dynamite! Now, will you kindly hold my roscoe? A g-man is headed this way. Lost? Check out this online American Slang Dictionary to decipher what I just said :-) When writing urban fantasy, usually language and slang is a no-brainer since the setting is usually a contemporary city or even one in the future. However, if ... View Post

64 Baker Street

We all remember 221B Baker Street as the famous address of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, but 64 Baker Street was the actual address of the Special Operations Executive. They didn't let the coincidence escape them, either. One of their nicknames (after the street urchins who sometimes hung around Sherlock) was The Baker Street Irregulars. My favorite one is "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly ... View Post

Fear: how to use it in your writing

Although I don't write full-on horror, there are aspects of it that creep into my stories--but hopefully not my dreams! Whether it's a frightening monster or the prospect of succumbing to dark magic, the bits of horror that one could find in fantasy (especially dark fantasy) could add an interesting layer to the story. So what scares us? Why? The answer can vary with each person, however ... View Post