The Carver's House

Reprinted from an article written in 2007. Author anonymous. Story ideas are everywhere. You can 1) go over the news; 2) recall a special event in your life; 3) recall a special event in a friend's life; 4) go through history books, etc. Then you ask a lot of "what if" questions. Chances are, you'll find a story hook that'll interest you enough to expand into a full plot. However, not all story ideas will sell. Even the best-laid plans for Hollywood movies don't translate to record-breaking, not even modest, returns. So why invest all that time and energy on a story that's not going to fly? Of course, many aspiring creators have their dream projects. And there may be a chance that these projects can get them somewhere. But this post assumes that you're stuck and would really need a nice kick in the brain for a story idea that can get people interested. According to Amazon, the following magazines top their subscription sales list, in no particular orde...

1) Given China's "reputation for duplication," time would come when Amazon's Kindle reader would find its long-lost Asian twin. And it has--welcome the WeFound. Check it out at DVice.com . 2) So the line between genius and insanity gets thinner by the day. A study carried out in Hungary establishes a link between artistry and schizophrenia, through a lone gene called neuregulin 1 that's involved in brain development. Read about it in NewScientist.com . 3) Speaking of brain-behavior connections, people predisposed to lying through their teeth can now blame their brain goo. Scientists have discovered that pathological liars have more white matter and less grey matter than...umm... normal people. Read about it in Seed Magazine . 4) In pop music, the Black Eyed Peas continued their supreme run at the top of the Billboard charts. Their single "I Gotta Feeling," which replaced "Boom Boom Pow" at the top spot weeks ago, is still at #1. Hannah Montana...

Amazon recently released its e-book reader, christened Kindle, a portable device that can store up to 200 books, magazines, and other publications which a user can download through Amazon. Downloading is done through the mobile phone network, not WiFi. Its plus-features include a non-glare screen, thanks to e-paper technology. The unit's weight is comparable to ordinary books, and it has a built-in dictionary in case you want to look up a word. More research can be done through a link to Wikipedia. You can also annotate pages and change the type size. There are no monthly charges--you only pay for the unit and the books you buy or the newspapers and magazines you subscribe to--since Amazon pays for the access. And what you order supposedly makes it to your Kindle in a minute or less. Sounds like a dream come true for many reading aficionados--imagine bringing a whole library of books on a long trip. But Amazon wants you to dole out $399.00 for the convenience, and because its funct...