So, I'm here at Confusion. It's Saturday night and the batteries have been exhausted to the point where I can't shut down. That sometimes can happen. Last night, it's widely accepted, we acted as if it were Saturday night. So tonight found a lot of us wondering what was going on. Or at least our bodies felt that way.
Which is why at 11 o'clock I came back to the room to crash. I'm feeling my age in a bad way. Also, apparently my brain has been working on things I didn't think were a problem, and I don't think they are. But with various issues at the day thing, the reboot, and here on the intranets I've been thinking about these challenges. So I have a feeling I brought some people down, for which I apologize. I obviously haven't had time to process these thoughts and I feel comfortable around you all, so it's leaking out in ways I didn't expect.
But I wanted to talk about cons in general. See, Confusion is the con I've gone to the longest and continuously (I've missed one year since I started coming). A lot of people I know here I consider friends. I've broken bread with them and drunk their mead as it were. The con has grown and changed, as these things do. I find I miss some of charm of the smaller con (I don't miss the drum circle disrupting our bar con at midnight, though), but I'm happy for my friends who put this con on that it has grown as successful as it has. I've seen their hard work, blood, sweat and tears and it's a tribute to them that Confusion is the celebration it has become.
Cons have their own lives and when you go to one you have a variety of experiences. I've found every year is a different relationship. Some years it's a joyous hecktishness, some years it's a struggle to go to everything you want, some times I haven't gone to any programming, sometimes I've partied, most years it's been bar-con. Some years the programming it hot and some years I'm indifferent to it. There are expensive years, years I eat most meals in the con suite, years I drink too much, years I hardly drink at all. There are years I'm outgoing all weekend and kind of drive home in a shocked silence. One year I hit extrovert overload Friday night and had to spend a lot of Saturday in my room. Some years I want to meet everybody new, and some years I just want to spend with the people I'm closest to.
I think it's probably the same with any con you might attend.
I don't have any real point here, I think. But for the last few years I've wanted to write a post like this. There are people who say that cons are the best things ever, and some say they're a waste of time. I guess what I'm saying is that if you go to a convention and you find it to not be to your taste it may just be that year for that convention.
My friends are here. I really love that I get to see and hang out with smart people here. I love the people I know here, and even the people I don't know, but have seen often enough we say hi to each other. I love catching up with everyone's lives. There have been years that I didn't know if I'd come back, but I'm glad I have. This year I'm grateful I've been able to come. I think part of me really needed this... whatever this feeling is; friendship, contentment, belonging, comfortableness.
It's also reminded how much I need to write, which is the part of me that has suffered from being ignored the most during this reboot. Today, while listening to programming I've put down about a thousand words of a short story I've been wanting to rewrite. And I think they're good words. Writing them was exercising a muscle I haven't used consistently in a long while.
There are plans afoot with the reboot that would take more time away from the writing. I now have to rethink them. I don't know that I want to go on for another year or three before I can get back to the words in a more consistent way. And maybe that is my take away this year.
I am a writer. While I may let those coals of that particular fire die down to embers, it won't completely burn out. And I can't afford to let them if only to protect my sanity. And being here has reminded me of this.
Showing posts with label Other Writers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other Writers. Show all posts
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Near + Far
All around hoopy frood Cat Rambo has a new collection coming out. In fact it's a happy book day for her (just barely sneaking it in under the wire). It's called Near + Far and looks really cool.
See, it's done in a format that used to be called the Ace Double. Some of you kids aren't old enough to remember these dual novels back from before the time that novels could double as black-hole crystalization seeds. Ace would combine two novels back to back with a flip orientation. Buy one book, and if it's not doing it for you, flip the book over and start another novel. I just love these look-back formats coming back into vogue (deckle edges, slip sheets, chapter page illustrations). And that's just the wrapper.
The very cool part, of course, are the stories. This is a collection of her SF work. Cat's an excellent story teller and this collects some of her rarer stuff into one place.
And there are plenty of opportunities to score a free book. Like at Goodreads and Cat's own blog. As an extra, Cat had some jewelry made up to go with the book and she's giving that away too. If you want a taste of some of the chewy goodness inside, here's a link to the audio of Zeppelin Follies.
Of course, if you just can't stand the uncertainty of winning the book, you could always go get the copy yourself, or maybe convince your library to get a copy.
Don't believe me that this is a cool collection? Here's a Tor.com review.
See, it's done in a format that used to be called the Ace Double. Some of you kids aren't old enough to remember these dual novels back from before the time that novels could double as black-hole crystalization seeds. Ace would combine two novels back to back with a flip orientation. Buy one book, and if it's not doing it for you, flip the book over and start another novel. I just love these look-back formats coming back into vogue (deckle edges, slip sheets, chapter page illustrations). And that's just the wrapper.
The very cool part, of course, are the stories. This is a collection of her SF work. Cat's an excellent story teller and this collects some of her rarer stuff into one place.
And there are plenty of opportunities to score a free book. Like at Goodreads and Cat's own blog. As an extra, Cat had some jewelry made up to go with the book and she's giving that away too. If you want a taste of some of the chewy goodness inside, here's a link to the audio of Zeppelin Follies.
Of course, if you just can't stand the uncertainty of winning the book, you could always go get the copy yourself, or maybe convince your library to get a copy.
Don't believe me that this is a cool collection? Here's a Tor.com review.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
The Sky That Wraps by Jay Lake
I've recently learned that it's good netiquette and writer etiquette to give reviews of books we receive in giveaways. I apologize to all those people who gave me free books up to this point. As you may have noticed, I don't often give reviews of books I'm reading. There are good reasons for that. But no more. While I reserve the right to keep to myself my opinions of books that I receive as giveaways in connection to an event (such as John Scalzi's The Sagan Diaries or the multitudes in the World Fantasy tote bags), I should give reviews of books that I receive from either the hand of the writer (and/or agent/publisher) or as promo giveaways.
At Confusion I went to a reading by Jay Lake very early in the morning and shared the audience with only Cat Rambo (it was very early in the morning). Which, in and of itself was enough for squee potential. But at the end of the reading Jay had two books to give away, Endurance, which is a sequal to Green and The Sky That Wraps. Being the junior writer of the pair (but probably the eldest in the room), I was given my choice of first pick. Since I haven't read Green yet, I went for The Sky that Wraps. I think both Cat and I got the better deal. Subterranean is sold out but Amazon still has four copies.
I really liked it. Out of 25 stories I only skipped one. For a short story collection, that's good for me. Thumbs up. If you like well crafted stories told by someone who isn't afraid to use his extensive vocabulary, go grab one of those 4 copies.
What? Still here? Okay.
I have to admit that I love Jay's fantasy works more than his space opera, and there's plenty in this book to satisfy my craving for good writing. Being a collection from one writer, the stories included range widely over the genre landscape and include many interstitial works. You have an excellent Howard pastiche in the Leopard's Paw, which I liked for both the romp of a story which reminded me what I liked best about Howard's stories and that these type of stories are still possible. In this age when we know Mars to be a barren planet, and that sensawonder we used to have about the world has faded, we can still enjoy stories of impossibly old civilizations tinged with magic and cyclopean technology. And you have the noir future of the title story. An excellent piece on notoriety, and trying to come to peace with a past you want to forget and a present filled with moral compromise told in the transnational future world. Their is the urban fantasy of The Number of the Bus and Green Grass Blues, and tinge with horror in Dogs in the Moonlight. There's also the post-human future in Skinhorse Goes to Mars. All very well done. But I think the story that affected me most was Witness to the Fall, a mixture of weird, old west, and noir fantasy. Not only was the story compelling, the writing was deeper and muscular. It matched very closely to the kind of story Jay read at confusion (a wonderful take on the "Devil's Gambit" where an old gunfighter runs into the Devil holding a bar-b-que and realizing he can't win, decides to go in style).
So, highly recommended. Better get one before they're all gone.
At Confusion I went to a reading by Jay Lake very early in the morning and shared the audience with only Cat Rambo (it was very early in the morning). Which, in and of itself was enough for squee potential. But at the end of the reading Jay had two books to give away, Endurance, which is a sequal to Green and The Sky That Wraps. Being the junior writer of the pair (but probably the eldest in the room), I was given my choice of first pick. Since I haven't read Green yet, I went for The Sky that Wraps. I think both Cat and I got the better deal. Subterranean is sold out but Amazon still has four copies.
I really liked it. Out of 25 stories I only skipped one. For a short story collection, that's good for me. Thumbs up. If you like well crafted stories told by someone who isn't afraid to use his extensive vocabulary, go grab one of those 4 copies.
What? Still here? Okay.
I have to admit that I love Jay's fantasy works more than his space opera, and there's plenty in this book to satisfy my craving for good writing. Being a collection from one writer, the stories included range widely over the genre landscape and include many interstitial works. You have an excellent Howard pastiche in the Leopard's Paw, which I liked for both the romp of a story which reminded me what I liked best about Howard's stories and that these type of stories are still possible. In this age when we know Mars to be a barren planet, and that sensawonder we used to have about the world has faded, we can still enjoy stories of impossibly old civilizations tinged with magic and cyclopean technology. And you have the noir future of the title story. An excellent piece on notoriety, and trying to come to peace with a past you want to forget and a present filled with moral compromise told in the transnational future world. Their is the urban fantasy of The Number of the Bus and Green Grass Blues, and tinge with horror in Dogs in the Moonlight. There's also the post-human future in Skinhorse Goes to Mars. All very well done. But I think the story that affected me most was Witness to the Fall, a mixture of weird, old west, and noir fantasy. Not only was the story compelling, the writing was deeper and muscular. It matched very closely to the kind of story Jay read at confusion (a wonderful take on the "Devil's Gambit" where an old gunfighter runs into the Devil holding a bar-b-que and realizing he can't win, decides to go in style).
So, highly recommended. Better get one before they're all gone.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Happy book day
Almost forgot to wish a lot of my friends Happy Book Day. The Modern Faes Guide to Surviving Humanity is out today. Congrats, everyone.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Happy Book Day!
Hey, today is the release date for Merrie Haskell's The Princess Curse. She has received several glowing reviews by people more important than I am, but I'll chime in. If you like fairy tales (and here I'm talking about real fairy tales, not the Disney-fied versions), you'll want to read this book.
You'll like it.
And you can read the first part right here. For free. Like all good drugs, the first sample is free. Go and read, so when Mer is all famous and whatnot, you can say, "I read her before all the hoopla started."
You'll like it.
And you can read the first part right here. For free. Like all good drugs, the first sample is free. Go and read, so when Mer is all famous and whatnot, you can say, "I read her before all the hoopla started."
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
You're the right kind of sinner
First two links and then to classes.
My friend, Porter Grand, is having a book signing for Little Women and Werewolves tomorrow, July 8th, 7pm at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village, Lyndhurst, Ohio. I'll be in class so I can't go, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Porter is a great person, and she's a former librarian (which I guess is redundant). She, if you're in the Cleveland area and ever wanted to meet someone who looks at a classic book and thinks, "You know, that would be so much better with monsters," now is your chance. Also, Porter has a great blog with reviews of just my kinds of books.
And in case you missed it (and because others are starting to point it out), and because the anniversary is in two days, I give you Starfish Prime. Not the only plan to detonate a hydrogen (or stronger) bomb in outer space, but I believe it was the only test to come to fruition. If you ever wondered where the idea of the EMP attack came from, here you have the genesis. Back when the idea was, "Heck, I wonder what would happen if we did this, let's give it a go," was still good. This is one of the reasons we no longer do that. People actually held parties to watch it.
Last night was the first quiz of the new class, I got a 31 out of 30 (2 extra credit questions). I knew I misspelled vertebrae (vertibrea). Damn these pencils not having spell check! And I also put peritoneal instead of peritoneum. Sigh. So I guess she gave me one of them (probably peritoneal). And see, that's part of my problem. Way back when I was but a wee child, school came easy to me. So I didn't study hard. The results are as you can see; my spelling is atrocious (although I've worked hard on that), and my grammar isn't always kosher. And now those crows are coming home to roost.
I did want to do a whole post on this, but I don't think I have the focus today. What I do want to talk about is how technology first killed me, but the right tech is now helping me. When spellcheck came out, it was god-sent. I love it, but it also enabled to cripple my ability. Same with "auto check" (which just corrected "cripple"). Great technology, but totally sucked in making me better.
However, the MacOS-X universal spell check is much nicer. Any "aware" application can use Apple's built-in tech which checks spelling as you type. This isn't exactly the killer part, after all Word has been able to annoy writers with its squiggly lines for almost a decade now. No, the big difference is that I can put the curser over the word and hit command-control-D and pull up a dictionary. A dictionary that offers alternative spellings.
Now, you could copy and paste the correct spelling from the dictionary ap. Instead I normally retype the word in the program I'm using and that helps me learn the correct spelling. That's a technology that actually helps. And I hope my long time readers (all one of you) have noticed the difference.
Technology doesn't save automatically. In fact it normally cripples us by giving us a crutch to lean on when we don't need it, but then find out legs won't support us anymore. The right technology, however, allows us to leapfrog. And I like the second kind.
My friend, Porter Grand, is having a book signing for Little Women and Werewolves tomorrow, July 8th, 7pm at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village, Lyndhurst, Ohio. I'll be in class so I can't go, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Porter is a great person, and she's a former librarian (which I guess is redundant). She, if you're in the Cleveland area and ever wanted to meet someone who looks at a classic book and thinks, "You know, that would be so much better with monsters," now is your chance. Also, Porter has a great blog with reviews of just my kinds of books.
And in case you missed it (and because others are starting to point it out), and because the anniversary is in two days, I give you Starfish Prime. Not the only plan to detonate a hydrogen (or stronger) bomb in outer space, but I believe it was the only test to come to fruition. If you ever wondered where the idea of the EMP attack came from, here you have the genesis. Back when the idea was, "Heck, I wonder what would happen if we did this, let's give it a go," was still good. This is one of the reasons we no longer do that. People actually held parties to watch it.
Last night was the first quiz of the new class, I got a 31 out of 30 (2 extra credit questions). I knew I misspelled vertebrae (vertibrea). Damn these pencils not having spell check! And I also put peritoneal instead of peritoneum. Sigh. So I guess she gave me one of them (probably peritoneal). And see, that's part of my problem. Way back when I was but a wee child, school came easy to me. So I didn't study hard. The results are as you can see; my spelling is atrocious (although I've worked hard on that), and my grammar isn't always kosher. And now those crows are coming home to roost.
I did want to do a whole post on this, but I don't think I have the focus today. What I do want to talk about is how technology first killed me, but the right tech is now helping me. When spellcheck came out, it was god-sent. I love it, but it also enabled to cripple my ability. Same with "auto check" (which just corrected "cripple"). Great technology, but totally sucked in making me better.
However, the MacOS-X universal spell check is much nicer. Any "aware" application can use Apple's built-in tech which checks spelling as you type. This isn't exactly the killer part, after all Word has been able to annoy writers with its squiggly lines for almost a decade now. No, the big difference is that I can put the curser over the word and hit command-control-D and pull up a dictionary. A dictionary that offers alternative spellings.
Now, you could copy and paste the correct spelling from the dictionary ap. Instead I normally retype the word in the program I'm using and that helps me learn the correct spelling. That's a technology that actually helps. And I hope my long time readers (all one of you) have noticed the difference.
Technology doesn't save automatically. In fact it normally cripples us by giving us a crutch to lean on when we don't need it, but then find out legs won't support us anymore. The right technology, however, allows us to leapfrog. And I like the second kind.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies
Hey, the ever fabulous Justine Larbalestier just just found herself short-listed for the award from the Children’s Book Council of Australia. And it's for her latest book Liar!. You oughta go tell her just how fab she is (because she is).
Monday, March 29, 2010
Good news (for somebody else)
My friend Merrie has excellent good news. I'm sure sitting on that news for three months now nearly killed her. It's a 3 books deal, for those who don't want to click through first and find out. Go and tell her how wonderful she is (because she really is).
Monday, January 4, 2010
Represent!
Viable Paradise is open for applications again. And it appears to be a re-do of this past year's instructors including John Scalzi, Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Jim Macdonald and Debra Doyle, Steven Gould and Laura Mixon, and Elizabeth Bear.
As a writer, you could do much worse than being instructed by this crowd. And they all had their areas of expertise which sometimes overlapped, but all had good things to share. Those areas of expertise covered the full gamut of being a working writer in genre fiction (research, plot, structure, exposition, business savvy, and industry knowledge). Much of it you may know, have seen in various places, but for me it certainly helped to have it all pulled together and made relevant to each other. Hell, the cost of admission to have Uncle Jim's plot lecture and see Teresa Nielsen Hayden's party trick is worth it, IMHO. And you get all the extra stuff for free. Plus, you know, glowing jellyfish.
I had my trepidations about going. The cost, time, and if it would be worth it. Let me just say that my only regret is that I ended up going exhausted and probably didn't get everything I should have out of the experience. If you feel you don't do well in crowds, well at least half the class of VP XIII felt the same way. You'll work your brains out and have a great time doing it. Just one hint if you go, help out the staff. They're also writers and can use the breaks.
As a writer, you could do much worse than being instructed by this crowd. And they all had their areas of expertise which sometimes overlapped, but all had good things to share. Those areas of expertise covered the full gamut of being a working writer in genre fiction (research, plot, structure, exposition, business savvy, and industry knowledge). Much of it you may know, have seen in various places, but for me it certainly helped to have it all pulled together and made relevant to each other. Hell, the cost of admission to have Uncle Jim's plot lecture and see Teresa Nielsen Hayden's party trick is worth it, IMHO. And you get all the extra stuff for free. Plus, you know, glowing jellyfish.
I had my trepidations about going. The cost, time, and if it would be worth it. Let me just say that my only regret is that I ended up going exhausted and probably didn't get everything I should have out of the experience. If you feel you don't do well in crowds, well at least half the class of VP XIII felt the same way. You'll work your brains out and have a great time doing it. Just one hint if you go, help out the staff. They're also writers and can use the breaks.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Two Turtle-Doves
Okay, so I probably shouldn't get as zazzed as I do by this, but in today's email from Amazon extolling me to "For the Love of Mike, Buy Something Already" entitled "Best SF & F books of 2009" I know two authors on the list, three books I'm familiar with, and another two I've read spoilery critiques of (when you don't have time to read the whole book, spoilery critiques can help you keep abreast of things). And, if I've done the math correctly, at least three featured in John Scalzi's "Big Idea" columns.
I feel so in touch with things. Of course, it'd be better is I actually had read all the books, but that would also have meant I had the time to do so as well (two years, two days and counting).
I feel so in touch with things. Of course, it'd be better is I actually had read all the books, but that would also have meant I had the time to do so as well (two years, two days and counting).
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Call for readers
Hey, ever want to know what reading a novel before the rest of the world gets a chance to is like? Well, Ken McConnell is looking for beta readers for his latest. I'd like to help him out, but I'm stuffed to the gills from other requests (one of which I have in hand and will be getting back to soon, Christina, I swear) not to mention my own novel I need to finish. So, any takers? Click on that link and let Ken know.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Linkee-poos
For me it's a half-day at work (flex time) before the holiday, so a truncated linkee-poo for a truncated week.
Fellow VP XIII-er Sean Craven just made his first pro sale to no less a market than Tor.com. Congrats Sean, that's an excellent way to start. You go, dude.
Also, catching up on his other things to report, Catherine Schaff-Stump has a great short story up at Absent Willow Review called, The Love Song of Oliver Toddle.
In other new, Camille continues to blaze a path through the publishing world. Other friends continue on with their projects. And I'm sure I'm forgetting about a hundred other pieces of good news.
Under the topic of Things That Make Me Squee, the Astronomy Picture of the Day - Cassini Flyby Shows Enceladus Venting. (grokked from Jay Lake, who is going under the knife again today, see you on the other side of the anesthesia, Jay).
Fellow VP XIII-er Sean Craven just made his first pro sale to no less a market than Tor.com. Congrats Sean, that's an excellent way to start. You go, dude.
Also, catching up on his other things to report, Catherine Schaff-Stump has a great short story up at Absent Willow Review called, The Love Song of Oliver Toddle.
In other new, Camille continues to blaze a path through the publishing world. Other friends continue on with their projects. And I'm sure I'm forgetting about a hundred other pieces of good news.
Under the topic of Things That Make Me Squee, the Astronomy Picture of the Day - Cassini Flyby Shows Enceladus Venting. (grokked from Jay Lake, who is going under the knife again today, see you on the other side of the anesthesia, Jay).
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Happy Happy
Happy birthday to Neil Gaiman. Isn't this like the fantasy writer's equivalent of a bankers holiday? What are we doing at work then?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
A Teachable Moment
Okay, I'm getting caught up with some bloggery reading I've put off (not because I have the time, but because I get distracted by... Oh, shiny). You never know when the Black Hole of Calcutta will sneak up and devour you. But here is a teachable moment, and the lesson is, "ideas aren't yours alone." And, "just because things are similar doesn't mean they're the same." Also, "because another author writes something like your story doesn't mean you need to get a better tin-foil hat or stop writing your own take on it." Got all that? Okay, onward.
(my best Lewis Black interpretation including stabbing of arms skyward) Son of a bitch!
Here's a Genreville review about Harry Connolly's debut novel Children of Fire "melding of the sensibilities of Dashiel Hammet and fantasy novels." A starred review in Publisher's Weekly (you rat bastard). The review then goes on to talk about how this novel is refreshing because, "It's the dark side of noir fiction, where characters are grim anti-heroes, and the job they're doing is not always heroic," and, "The book is a straightforward hunt for an evil magician." Hmm, sounds awfully familiar.
(sobby voice) I was robbed!
Here's a Scalzi's Big Idea post about it. In there he says he didn't want to write a story with "dusters or trench coats... centuries-old katanas... or all the other trappings that so much of modern urban fantasy uses to signify that characters are seriously kickass-cool people." Okay, well, I guess there's some divergence there because my main character does have a centuries-old katana (although he doesn't use it, preferring a jain sword instead) and he does wear a duster, better to hide the sword with.
Actually, in all seriousness, I do wish Harry Connolly the best with the novel. It sounds seriously kick ass (yet another one on the guilt stack/Xmas list). Once I get through my own novel I'll need to read it. And I wish him the best, well, because I think every author should have a great career. Especially those that write stuff I like. This stuff is hard enough to finally get to launch only to be heralded by crickets. But I also want his novel to sell like fargin' wildfire because it'll help pave the way for mine (bwahahaha!).
And now you'll excuse me, I have to stalk another writer.
(said with my best John Cleese voice) You Bastard!
(my best Lewis Black interpretation including stabbing of arms skyward) Son of a bitch!
Here's a Genreville review about Harry Connolly's debut novel Children of Fire "melding of the sensibilities of Dashiel Hammet and fantasy novels." A starred review in Publisher's Weekly (you rat bastard). The review then goes on to talk about how this novel is refreshing because, "It's the dark side of noir fiction, where characters are grim anti-heroes, and the job they're doing is not always heroic," and, "The book is a straightforward hunt for an evil magician." Hmm, sounds awfully familiar.
(sobby voice) I was robbed!
Here's a Scalzi's Big Idea post about it. In there he says he didn't want to write a story with "dusters or trench coats... centuries-old katanas... or all the other trappings that so much of modern urban fantasy uses to signify that characters are seriously kickass-cool people." Okay, well, I guess there's some divergence there because my main character does have a centuries-old katana (although he doesn't use it, preferring a jain sword instead) and he does wear a duster, better to hide the sword with.
Actually, in all seriousness, I do wish Harry Connolly the best with the novel. It sounds seriously kick ass (yet another one on the guilt stack/Xmas list). Once I get through my own novel I'll need to read it. And I wish him the best, well, because I think every author should have a great career. Especially those that write stuff I like. This stuff is hard enough to finally get to launch only to be heralded by crickets. But I also want his novel to sell like fargin' wildfire because it'll help pave the way for mine (bwahahaha!).
And now you'll excuse me, I have to stalk another writer.
(said with my best John Cleese voice) You Bastard!
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Danse Macabre
Happy birthday Stephen King. I was thinking lately that I should relisten to On Writing as sort of a pep talk. I'll also relisten to "Building Bridges" his acceptance speech in 2003 for the National Book Award.
(and here is my yearly plea, Dear Universe, if Mr. King is a hack, please make me just as much a hack as he is; popular, successful, generous, scribbler of stories talked about long after their publication date - there surely are worse things to be in life).
(and here is my yearly plea, Dear Universe, if Mr. King is a hack, please make me just as much a hack as he is; popular, successful, generous, scribbler of stories talked about long after their publication date - there surely are worse things to be in life).
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Werewolves are the new vampires (which were the new black)
Forgot to mention that my friend S. Andrew Swann had a book day recently with the launch of Wolfbreed. We read this with our critique group and it was pretty damn good in the near final form, so I'm sure the final is even more kicking. The publisher decided that this was a Romance, but that's an marketing decision and it shouldn't put you off if you "Don't Read Romances." No bodices are ripped nor are there much of heaving anythings to be found (except for the heaving of bodies off the ramparts). It's so good the local Cleveland newspaper put one of his signings as one of their events you should attend this week. Teutonic crusading nights and werewolves, that makes for crunchy goodness.
What reminded me is that Steve has new cover art for another book of his which is especially good looking. This is also a rocking good book. Yeah, so look at both and keep in your head that the same guy wrote both books. If that doesn't impress you with Steve's writing ability, well then not much will. All powerful AIs, galactic political intrigue, people thrown in the deep end, blowing up wormholes and universal conquest.. what's not to like?
What reminded me is that Steve has new cover art for another book of his which is especially good looking. This is also a rocking good book. Yeah, so look at both and keep in your head that the same guy wrote both books. If that doesn't impress you with Steve's writing ability, well then not much will. All powerful AIs, galactic political intrigue, people thrown in the deep end, blowing up wormholes and universal conquest.. what's not to like?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Writerly linkee-poo, because I've grown tired of my own bitchin'
Really, I had a fabulous weekend at Confluence. There was awesome to be had by the pickup-truck load. Good friends, good meets, good revelations (some of which I can't talk about, sworn to secrecy in fact), and plenty of "keep your mouth shut while the adults talk about business" moments. All good stuff.
And driving back home I felt the energy tilting me toward my interior windmills. The wind blew at my back, the road rose up to meet me, and the sunshine smiled gently on my face. And then I got home and got hit with two major council things (Stop! I will not bitch, I will not bitch...).
And no words have come out since last week. I didn't get chapter 17 done, but I also did get some words from (probably) chapter 20. So it's coming out of order, which for me is a Good Thing(tm).
So first up is Six tricks for writing when you don't feel like it (mmm, all universal laughing at me goodness). Grokked from Matt Stagg.
Matt also points us to essay by Mark Chadbourn on finding the real-world roots of fantasy (set up by Jeff VanderMeer).
A NY Times article on William T. Vollman which makes writing sound almost fun again. He's the "run around, gather all the info you can while making inroads into communities and then spill it all out for a literary romp" kind of writer. Although a 1500 page book doesn't sound like my cup of tea, I wish I had his mad research skills. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
S. Andrew Swann talks a little about writing "Once more, but with feeling."
Steven Brust is writing a hilarious series of buddhist knock offs on his blog. Seriously funny stuff there about "Billy-Bob Gautama. Like these gems, "Life is like a flea on a coon hound. Well, really, it ain’t much like that at all" and "Before Enlightenment: change the oil and rotate the tires. After Enlightenment: change the oil and rotate the tires."
Speaking of "cut wood, carry water," Rick is back to his old tricks with dragons.
And finally, because time is pressing, Jennifer Jackson is back to her letters from the query wars. Some good stuff for us wannabee published authors.
And driving back home I felt the energy tilting me toward my interior windmills. The wind blew at my back, the road rose up to meet me, and the sunshine smiled gently on my face. And then I got home and got hit with two major council things (Stop! I will not bitch, I will not bitch...).
And no words have come out since last week. I didn't get chapter 17 done, but I also did get some words from (probably) chapter 20. So it's coming out of order, which for me is a Good Thing(tm).
So first up is Six tricks for writing when you don't feel like it (mmm, all universal laughing at me goodness). Grokked from Matt Stagg.
Matt also points us to essay by Mark Chadbourn on finding the real-world roots of fantasy (set up by Jeff VanderMeer).
A NY Times article on William T. Vollman which makes writing sound almost fun again. He's the "run around, gather all the info you can while making inroads into communities and then spill it all out for a literary romp" kind of writer. Although a 1500 page book doesn't sound like my cup of tea, I wish I had his mad research skills. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
S. Andrew Swann talks a little about writing "Once more, but with feeling."
Steven Brust is writing a hilarious series of buddhist knock offs on his blog. Seriously funny stuff there about "Billy-Bob Gautama. Like these gems, "Life is like a flea on a coon hound. Well, really, it ain’t much like that at all" and "Before Enlightenment: change the oil and rotate the tires. After Enlightenment: change the oil and rotate the tires."
Speaking of "cut wood, carry water," Rick is back to his old tricks with dragons.
And finally, because time is pressing, Jennifer Jackson is back to her letters from the query wars. Some good stuff for us wannabee published authors.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Auctions for Good Causes
Jim Hines is throwing an auction for a good cause. He's got an ARC of The Mermaid’s Madness up on the block and all proceeds go to benefit the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Jim gave a reading of The Mermaid’s Madness at Confusion back at the beginning of the year and I can tell you, it's a kick-ass book. At last look the auction is up to $65. If it goes over $100 Jim will throw in another book for your reading pleasure.
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