So with Citizen in the Wilds now in the revision process, I thought it might behoove me to take a look at some other fantasy literature, maybe examine what works and what doesn’t. Since most of what I’m doing involves the defiance of most fantasy conventions, I’m curious if anything I’m aiming at hasn’t already… Continue reading Recommend Some Fantasy
Tag: Writing
And So It Begins
I spent a little extra time at the office last night printing out Citizen in the Wilds. Technically it’s now in its second draft, as I rewrote the first three paragraphs before printing. I think the opening is a bit stronger, now. The plan is to do a little revising and editing on the first… Continue reading And So It Begins
Making Time To Write
I am in the unfortunate position of not getting paid to do what I love. I know, that doesn’t make me special. A lot of people are passionate about things that are very different from what they do. I doubt that most people that work for, say, Bridgestone or Michelin are passionate about making tires.… Continue reading Making Time To Write
Be Awesome Now – Not Later, Now
Scott Pilgrim vs The World is all about being awesome. The mix of rocking music, video game mentality and an unbridled love for both those cultures gives the graphic series and the upcoming film a lot of appeal. Since it’s visual media in both cases, the writing isn’t just concerned with being awesome, it’s got… Continue reading Be Awesome Now – Not Later, Now
My Vampires Are, In Fact, Different
A lot of my anxiety from pushing forward with a series of Lighthouse stories comes from the fact that there’s paranormal stuff out the wazoo out there. I mean, there’s a part of me that’s interested in getting a slice of that action, because apparently people suck it right up (insert vampire joke here), but… Continue reading My Vampires Are, In Fact, Different
Whatever Happened To Lighthouse?
With the first draft of Citizen in the Wilds done, and gearing up to revise and post the first chapter in what is sure to be a twenty-part series of me getting my ass handed to me, I find myself thinking I’ve no reason to sit idle. I’ll probably start putting ideas on the cork-board… Continue reading Whatever Happened To Lighthouse?
Epilogues
You remember Return of the King, don’t you? How Frodo and Sam are laying there on Mount Doom when (SPOILER ALERT) the eagles, Tolkien’s favorite deus ex machina, sweep down from the sky and carry them away to safety, and after Frodo wakes up to have Merry and Pippin jump into bed with him, the… Continue reading Epilogues
Make Ready Your Red Pens
Citizen in the Wilds is swiftly reaching its conclusion. The word count you see to your right doesn’t reflect the several hand-written pages I’ve yet to transcribe. I have one crucial scene to finish, an epilogue to craft and another scene to pen in order to sew this puppy up. But the bottom line is,… Continue reading Make Ready Your Red Pens
Marc Schuster on Characters
This is Marc Schuster. He teaches English. He edits for Philadelphia Stories. He’s also a writer and knows a thing or two about characters, especially since contemporary short stories (which he lectured about at this past weekend’s Writer’s Conference) are driven by characters, rather than plot. His full thoughts and lecture notes are available here,… Continue reading Marc Schuster on Characters
On Speculative Fiction
At this past weekend’s Philadelphia Writer’s Conference, I described myself as primarily a writer of ‘speculative fiction’. A few people asked me what I meant. There are some stereotypes that I think are assigned to areas of speculative fiction I’d like to dispel, and more depth in those stories when they’re done well than some… Continue reading On Speculative Fiction
