Sara Ryan

Here’s the second installment of tips for novice comics writers, from Dylan Meconis, artist of Family Man and my once and future collaborator. (On Click, and also on a story for an Anthology To Be Named Later that I am quite excited about.)
1)  Don’t say “Have fun with this!” Unless the writer actually knows [...]

It was probably in Cricket. Or maybe I saw it on 3-2-1-Contact! Or, heck, maybe it was a plain old school assignment. Anyway, sometime far Back in that very long conceptual Day, I encountered a Thing that involved telling a robot how to make you a sandwich. You’d write down the steps, and then the [...]

Saw this passage as I was deleting a screenful of spam comments. Seems like it’s been Babelfished a few times?
Now I think if he’s curious, he’ll establish eye touch. If he smiles that’s a green fine for you say “hi”.
If he knows you he titillates you a lot, he clashes his hand against yours. The [...]

So as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I’ve been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to the relief of many among my friends and acquaintances. A chorus of folks has been telling me for years that my Buffy illiteracy represented both a gaping lack in pop subcultural knowledge and a bunch of fun out on which I was [...]

Funny thing.
When you write a post that resonates strongly (counting LJ, Facebook, and sararyan.com, that’s more comments than I’ve gotten on a post approximately ever, and I appreciate all of them) you find yourself suddenly shy. Or rather, I do. I don’t know if you do. But if you do? I totally get it.
See, FYI, [...]

…but here I am.
I was reading the introduction to a book, a book with stories in it from authors whose work I love, a book I was looking forward to reading.
And there was a reference to “gay, lesbian, and transgender.” Several times, throughout. “Gay, lesbian, and transgender.”
Okay, so I am not the biggest fan of [...]

There are authors out there — I know, I’ve read their blogs — for whom writing, most of the time, is a giggly delight. Inventing richly-detailed, sparkly worlds full of fascinating characters and thrilling events! Writing considered as Getting Away With Something! Gosh, I just can’t believe I get to do this! HEY, KIDS, LET’S [...]

I was contemplating posting the latest variation on the post I always post, which is, of course, something about OMG The Very Serious And Challenging Challenges Of Balancing LibrarianLand and WriterWorld.
And then I thought, geez, speshul snowflake much? What, you have more than a single role in your life? Amazing! So does basically everyone else [...]

Recently I’ve been exploring, for the first time, some pop and subcultural touchstones of the last couple of decades. It makes me feel a bit like a time traveler. Among other things, I’ve been struck by how much easier it is to create plot obstacles when personal synchronous communication devices aren’t ubiquitous. When your setting [...]

He looks a little Burning Man-y.

Showing my medieval festival geek roots, I first thought this was a sword; in fact it is a spinal column.

Not intentional art, but what the heck.