I’m a little sore. Mostly it’s from being behind the wheel for the better part of twelve hours, but some of that time was occupied with attempting to get my car out of a ditch. A perfect storm of lake-effect snow, high winds and nearly bald tires caused Vera to lose her grip on the… Continue reading Snowblind
Guest Post: Movie Review: Dreamcatcher
As you read this I am driving up towards the Great White North. While I deal with traffic, border shenanigans and the quest for a cup of Tim Horton’s, enjoy this review of Dreamcatcher, courtesy of Monica Flink. Please check out her blog, at Poached Prose. When I find something true, or originally mind-blowing enough… Continue reading Guest Post: Movie Review: Dreamcatcher
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Machete
{No audio this week. We apologize for the inconvenience.} Like many movie-goers, my first taste of Robert Rodriguez came in the form of Desperado. I wasn’t plugged into the indy film scene when I was a lad so El Mariachi kind of passed me by. The follow-up, however, grabbed me by the collar, fed me… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Machete
Beyond the Vale: A Brief History, part 2
Continued from yesterday’s post… The human lands paid due homage to their new king, and in return they were left mostly to their own devices, with minimal interference from the crown outside of taxes and requests for aid. Minor and major lords rose to power, claiming cities as their seats of power and laying claim… Continue reading Beyond the Vale: A Brief History, part 2
Beyond the Vale: A Brief History, part 1
The party of D&D characters I guide on Tuesday nights (who didn’t meet last night) is close to embarking upon a larger world. I’ve touched on some things they are likely to encounter as they leave the Nentir Vale in the larger world beyond, and I think it’s time I revise some of that historical… Continue reading Beyond the Vale: A Brief History, part 1
Querying Do's and Don'ts
“Professionals have standards: Be polite. Be efficient. Have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” Believe it or not, there’s a lesson to be learned from the Sniper of Team Fortress 2 if you’re a writer looking to get published. And it doesn’t have anything to do with shooting people or covering them in piss.… Continue reading Querying Do's and Don'ts
Free Fiction: Miss Weaver's Lo Mein
Okay, I’m going to be honest. This isn’t likely to be my best story ever. I haven’t been editing as thoroughly as I could have over the weekend, which makes this essentially a first draft. And as Hemingway put it, “The first draft of anything is shit.” So it’ll probably be better when it gets… Continue reading Free Fiction: Miss Weaver's Lo Mein
Never Tell Me The Odds
It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine. Arguably one of the best lines ever to come out of Star Wars, even before the questionably valued prequels, was this tidbit snapped at C-3P0 by Han Solo just before he plunged the Millenium Falcon and its hapless passengers into a deadly asteroid field. It… Continue reading Never Tell Me The Odds
Characters, Corpses & Kittens
As you create your characters, whatever your ultimate purpose in doing so might be, it’s likely they’re going to have an emotional response to something sooner or later. Unless they are coming into contact with our world from an entirely alien, outside perspective (which in and of itself can make for a good story), they’re… Continue reading Characters, Corpses & Kittens
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The A-Team
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/ateam.mp3] 10 years ago a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from maximum security stockades. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The A-Team
