Read Carefully- Follow all instructions

You've gone and done it. You've finished a novel. Now you have this huge heap of paper sitting on your desk (or your hard drive, in which case it's a huge heap of electrons). Lots of wordsiness. What are you going to do with this thing? You may have an idea of where you're going to send it. Maybe there's a publisher or a literary agent you are dying to propose this brilliant piece of fiction to. But how to do it? What is the best way to ensure your book gets the attention it deserves when it arrives in the mail?

Worry no more. Here, in painstaking detail, is a step-by-step process on professional manuscript submission. Even better, they've thrown in some bonus material by showing you how to prepare a cover letter as well. The packaging and SASE tips are priceless, and you know your proposal will be remembered for all of time.

As a sampler, here is a portion of the technique employed:

Using a standard butane handtorch, bring your stamp to approximately 2000 degrees centigrade. (Stainless steel will glow cherry-red.)

Isn't that precious?

(Warning: some assembly required. Do not attempt in the vicinity of small children or animals. Some welding experience preferable.)


I see that smile.

Anti-Myspace

I posted a bit ago about Myspace and how one could use it in book-blogging, advertising and all that. Several of you had pretty strong opinions as to why you wouldn't get anywhere near it. Fear not. You are hardly alone in your refusal to submit to teeny-bopper social standards.

Why I Quit MySpace

My profile is still up, but this fella makes some good points. In the hopes of having a book out there someday, and because I have several friends who only communicate with me through Myspace messages, I'm keeping my profile going for now. But, as I mentioned before, I only check on it a couple times a week. I also haven't applied any of those pink-sparkly-heart designs to it, or put up tests telling the world what my eye color says about my personality.

The blogging aspect of Myspace continues to annoy me, though. I've a Facebook profile too...most of the information being the exact same as what you'd see on Myspace. Thing is, my blog posts that you see attached to this site? If I wanted them on Myspace, I'd have to physically copy, paste and post each one. Facebook is at least nice enough to trawl from my site on a daily basis and post my messages for folks to keep track of.

Now if only Facebook would stop telling me each and every time one of my friends burps or twitches. Those constant updates get a little tiresome. Oh, well. It's the price that must be paid so I can prove that, yes, I do have friends.


I see that smile.

The Logogryph

It's not often that a book leaves me speechless. Sometimes I get a little "wow" reaction at the end, or a, "that was clever/neat/fun." But when I finished reading The Logogryph, my reaction was to sit back (albeit in a crowded train) and just try to let my brain absorb all I had just read.

It's a strange book, starting with the charming presentation, which is what drew me to it in the first place. I discovered it while perusing the bookshelves at my work. We didn't actually publish it, but occasionally we get titles from another dimensio--er...publishing house that end up there. For the version I found, the book itself has an outer sheath that looks like this:


You slide the book proper out of this, and begin to read.

The subtitle is: A Bibliography of Imaginary Books.

It begins with a small boy's first interaction with a family outside of his own. His fascination with the mother, father, daughter, and the fate of their son becomes an extended mythology that pops up throughout the book again and again. The book is a series of stories in miniature, combined with discussions of various books, authors, and realities that never existed--such as an entire city populated by people who do nothing but read, or the publishing annals of Atlantis, the craft of reading books written in water and stone, or an Appendix that contains everything that has ever existed.

In essence, it is a book that explores the nature and mystery of reading and stories, and the power that these tomes can hold over our minds...how they conquer our thoughts and have the power to reshape us, for better or worse. But the language used is far from dry or distant. No simple literary essay here. The words enchant, meshing reality and fantasy so subtly that it becomes difficult to distinguish between the two.

Here is an excerpt from the first page:

"The particular volume I’m looking for is nameless, lacking a cover, title page, or any other outward markings of identity. Over the centuries its leaves have known nothing but change. They have been removed, replaced, altered, lost. The nameless book has been bound, taken apart, and reassembled with the pieces of other dismembered volumes, until one could ask whether there is anything left of the original. Or if there ever was an original."

I honestly can't say enough about this book, and I realize if I say too much, it would ruin your own reading of it. Maybe it won't affect you as strongly as it did me, but can you take that chance? This is one gem I plan to come back to and turn over and over in my hands, exploring every facet in whatever light is available.


I see that smile.

Lightning guns! Big bang bada boom!

Ever since playing certain computer games in high school, I have been waiting to hear about something like this. The military is trying to employ lightning guns. Zip-zowie!

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/04/httphomebusnes.html

also known as Directed Energy Weapons.

I have found myself increasingly fascinated by weapons and defense technology lately. We've got sound waves that do a mind job on you, a pulse that can make your skin feel like it's being fried (known as the Pain Ray), and foam that will literally freeze you in your tracks.

Suddenly, laser pistols seem a little out of date.

But fear not. Technology is not just being put towards painful ends these days. Behold the development of what is known as the CyberTooth. No. These are not dentures that will eat food while you sleep, nor will they attack children and small pets. Instead, we've got a false tooth that can be filled with medical doses, which can be programmed to release into your system, getting you the meds you need without the hassle of remembering to take a pill every four-to-six hours. Handy, no?

I think there's only a slim chance the CyberTeeth will rebel against its human masters and conquer the planet.

A slim one. The odds are good.


I see that smile.

Another earthy place?

You may have seen it in the news by now (such as here, here or here), but apparently scientists have discovered a potentially habitable planet outside of our solar system. No, it's not going to become a vacation spot anytime soon, mainly because it sits 20.5 light years from us.

Here are the stats:

Planet X- unnamed as of yet, so let's go with the cool moniker
Circling star- Gliese 581, a red dwarf
Distance to star- 14 times closer than we are to our own sun, which makes up for the fact that its sun is dimmer
Temperature range- 32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit

We know from NASA's research on Mars that water (in liquid form, especially) is one of the key elements that is sought out in the search for extraterrestrial life, since it would potentially support life similar to what we see here on Earth. Therefore, a planet has to be only so close or so far from a star in order to maintain that fragile balance between evaporation and freezing of the water supply. Planet X (any seconds on this being the official name?) seems to lie right in that moderate range of possibility. Some have labeled it a "Goldilocks" planet for being just right.

So what say you all? Think we're going to find something out there sooner or later? Or are we alone in this universe? Should we assume that because a planet is potentially habitable, that it is in fact inhabited? And if we do start discovering life, what's that going to do to the science fiction market? One thing I've always wondered is, will there ever be a point in the future where writing about technology and the future becomes so incredibly complex and improbable that it falls out of favor? Or will the science fiction genre advance in ways we can't imagine yet, perhaps become more a "social science fiction" genre? Is technology going to outpace our understanding someday, making it difficult, if not impossible to fit into a prose/story form? We often say that truth is stranger than fiction. So what happens when reality outstrips our imagination? Or do you have confidence in the human ability to adapt to increasingly complex situations and still find a deeper, artistic level to it?

Oh, and the lease on the apartment has been signed. Just thought I'd throw that out there with all this other space-shattering news.


I see that smile.

Are you a geek?

Spotted this on Miss Snark's blog and with the Mir as well. You know those management charts that show who is sitting on the pointy end of the pyramid, and who gets minimum wage? Here's a social-status chart that helps one determine their level of geekiness in comparison to others. For some, this might be a chart of shame, but for me, I'd like to think some of my geeky tendencies are more...umm...endearing. You'd have to talk to the fiance about that. And is it good or bad that a couple of these blocks comprise one of my main goals in life (the higher-level writing sections, that is)?

The Geek Hierarchy

After reading through this, I find reflections of myself in a disturbingly large number of levels on this chart. Though I don't think any of my sections fall below the first or second row.

Here's where I land (it's like Geek Twister!):

• Published SF/F author- if you count short stories
• SF/F literature fan
• Video Gamer
• Comic book fan
• Mythology freak (I didn't major in it, but I research it for fun...that counts, right?)
• Amateur SF/F writer- working on it
• SF/F television fan
• Heinlen fan
• Piers Anthony fan- until the third book, when I got tired of the puns
• Trekkie...well, I was one when younger. Faded out of it in early high school. Ask me about my collection sometime.
• Ren Fair folk- attended several times and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Never got to dress up though. Shame.

So there you have it. My resume of Geekhood. How do you rank?

I see that smile.

Go with the flow

This intrigues me.

Article in question: Go with the Flow

According to...umm...Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi--(I had to cut and paste his name, otherwise I'd be here all day) the best websites are those with a solid flow that takes you through an interactive experience from one page to another and get people involved with the content. This sense of rhythm, of expectation and chasing the information from one link to another is known as "flow." As he puts it:

"A Web site that promotes flow is like a gourmet meal. You start off with the appetizers, move on to the salads and entrées, and build toward dessert. Unfortunately, most sites are built like a cafeteria. You pick whatever you want. That sounds good at first, but soon it doesn't matter what you choose to do. Everything is bland and the same. Web site designers assume that the visitor already knows what to choose. That's not true. People enter Web sites hoping to be led somewhere, hoping for a payoff."

Now a number of us have websites, and so I recommend you read the article to gain a little insight in webbish philosophy, but I was wondering more along the lines of how this concept of flow could be applied to writing a story. You see a lot of words bandied about like "pace" and "climax." How can we make our stories flow, speeding up the current of plot so it sucks the reader along, shunting them along the channels we want them to zip down, making them feel like they're chasing down that last page until they arrive breathless at the end? Part of it, I think is providing an ever-present sense of danger and consequence. The moment danger is removed, or people start doing things without getting punished for it, you run the danger of losing the reader's interest. Sure, they may be invested enough to keep going for another chapter or two, but even providing some mini-crisis or hot breath on the back of the neck can give the plot the push it needs to keep it alive. Flow requires motion, and more than just motion...momentum. You want that final downhill rush that makes the reader happy to get off the roller-coaster, but also wanting to get back on for another ride.

If only I could discover the all-powerful secret of prose that guaranteed me this every time I bashed my fists on the keyboard.

I also found this concluding statement to be a poignant reminder of how important it is that we engage a reader's every sense throughout the story, not relying only on visual imagery.

"Realize that change and downtime are important. I found that if a painter relates to objects only through vision, his work is much less original than a painter who walks up to the object, smells it, throws it in the air, and manipulates it. The variety of sensory inputs allows you to create a visual image that has all kinds of dimensions bubbling up inside it. We are still a multimedia organism. If we want to push the envelope of complexity further, we have to use all of our devices for accessing information - not all of which are rational."

And in the tradition of distracting you all with addicting internet games, I give you Flow, the browser game (though you can download it for play even when your connection is cut off).

Flow away, my friends. Don't get eaten, while you're at it.

Flow in Games


I see that smile.

Stephen King on writing insanity

With the Virginia Tech killing spree still making headlines, and all the calls for gun reform, banning violent video games and the like that it has stirred up, I found an interesting article over off EW.com. Apparently one of the evidences they're toting around for the shooter's mental instability, or whatever they want to pawn the killings off on, was his writing. An English professor was disturbed enough by what he read off of Cho Seung-Hui's work that he alerted his superiors, who of course told him not to bother with it. Then this all happens.

Question. Should college writing, whether screenplays, essays, stories, etc. be scanned for potential indications of mental instability, rage issues, and so on?

None other than Stephen King weighs in on this:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036014,00.html

His opinion is that potential psychopaths can't be screened out by their artistic (questionably labeled) products. Sure, hindsight is great for this kind of thing. But let's not be seeing English-class monitors leaning over student's shoulders, making sure that short story is kept PG. Personally, I've written some weird stuff. Violent. Maybe disturbing, depending on what revision draft you peeked at. My imagination dregs up some strange things, I'll admit. I've got what I'd like to think are some rather nasty villains, consequences and crisis for the protags to face...but aren't those elements that keep the story intense, emotional and full of the tension? Obviously, if one's work degrades into nothing more than an exercise to see how many ways you can imaginatively kill someone off, that might signal trouble.

I also agree with the latter part of King's editorial. Some of us write in order to push those darker parts of ourselves out onto the paper where it can be dried and stored away without sitting in our heads. We write out our depression and our anger. We dice up our emotions and put them on ice, processed and set aside, albeit in a fictional sense. Still, I would say writing is its own form of therapy, because we're able to feel a full scope of tension and resolution every time we work through a story, and that gives us a level of freedom and release that others don't have.

Your thoughts?


I see that smile.

The squirrel has landed

By virtue of this blog going up, you can tell I survived the High Ropes Course yesterday. It turned out to be a lot of fun, though my height phobia is far from cured. It was quite the spring day, well into the 70s, with a nice breeze from time to time, though my pasty self brought back more than a little bit of redness.

What did we do? Oh, there were a few simple tasks. Most of the climbs or courses were about 40+ feet up, so just climbing up to that starting point could get your gut quivering. You had a simple walk along a long plank between two trees. A Tarzan-swinging set, where if you lost your momentum, you were done for. And one of my favorites, a vertical obstacle course involving several 4x4 posts, danging ropes, and tires. That one was a doozy.

And it's amazing how you can have the full intention of shimmying up a telephone pole, do a Karate-Kid pose at the top, and then leap off it to grab a trapeze before letting yourself be lowered back to earth...and then freeze up the moment you actually have to start climbing. Albeit, the pole wobbles alarmingly, and you're basically trying to stand on a fifty-foot tall stool...but still. The mind and body achieve a disconnect you never thought possible.

Here, for instance, is a transcript of the thoughts running through my head as I'm attempting to balance on top of a tall, thin pole, in order to jump off it again.

Conversation between Body and Mind:
M: You can do this.
B: You're insane.
M: Admitted, but you can do this.
B: Look down. See that? That's a fifty-foot drop.
M: Feel that thing hugging your chest, as well as some other questionable areas rather tightly? That's a harness. It catches you if you fall.
B: I'm not convinced.
M: Can we at least try?
B: (Sighs) Sure, why not. Get us killed, for all I care.
M: Okay. Ready? 3...2...1...Go!
B: Wait! Not yet!
M: Oh, c'mon! You could've had it.

All in all, it was a great time. I highly recommend it. There might be pictures eventually, but depending on how compromising a position they show me in will determine whether they get posted or not.


I see that smile.

Sheet Music

Out of town most of today, as I'm facing down my fear of heights (down? heights? hmm...not sure if that turn of phrase works well together) by joining Jen's outdoor trip company on a High Ropes Course. The trip summary promises that playing on the course, set up in the treetops, will make me feel like a kid again. This might be true, since I could likely pee my pants if I stop and take a good look at the ground sometime. I'll remind myself to avoid eye-ground contact. And body-ground contact, if it all possible.

While I'm out pretending to be a psychotic squirrel, enjoy these interesting performances of Sheet Music. These gentlemen have hooked up an electrical grid to these canvases and tuned them in order to play rather fluid tones according to hand position and movement over the grid. The results are similar to what you might hear on one of those meditation CDs. An intriguing idea for a new musical instrument.

Sheet Music

I'll let you know whether my squirrel genes show up or not.


I see that smile.

Apartments and contests and titles, oh my

To start with some fun news for the day , Jen and I put a deposit down for an apartment last night. The landlord is running credit checks to make sure we aren’t, ya know, escaped criminals or anything. So long as that goes through, looks like we’ve got the place. It’s in a great Brooklyn neighborhood with lots of nice shops, though fortunately the apartment is on a quieter corner, so the traffic noise shouldn’t be much of a problem. Now we’ve just got to get our stuff out here from Colorado and start setting it all up. Oh, yea. And the wedding. Can’t forget that’s coming up.

It’s a relief to not have to be scanning craigslist every day for new postings, arranging meetup times and eyeing other apartment-hunting couples like they want to steal our souls.

More fun news comes from another blog. Randy Ingermanson held another quick contest, asking people for their comments on why they read fiction. I was delighted to receive an email from him this morning letting me know he’d picked my comment as the winner. I’m going to receive a signed copy of his science fiction novel, Double Vision, which deals with quantum computing and multiple realities. Here’s the link to his post, and here’s the comment I put:

“I read bad fiction so I know all the ways I should never write. I read good fiction so I know all the ways I should write. And I read fiction in general because there are only so many technical manuals and textbooks you can go through before they start looking like a viable food source.”

Thanks, Randy!

What else…oh, yes. Thanks to some great feedback, I’ve been in the process of revising one of my novels and have settled (for now) on a new title. Paramnesia. A lot better than the clunky placeholder I had for it, and I think gives a much better feel for the tone of the story. You know how it is—you write a story but never never settle on a good title because you're so caught up in the process. In your mind it’s “That Story About That Guy,” and then you realize that’s not really going to snag anyone’s interest. So there's the name of the project for the time being. Is it mysterious enough for you?


I see that smile.

A Free Ticket to Outer Space

Though I'm no gambler, this is a lottery I'd love to take part in. Who wouldn't want a free ticket beyond the atmosphere?

Space Tourist Lottery

Buzz Aldrin (second man on the moon, unless you're one of those conspiracists who believe it was all done by special effects) is going to hold a contest to make space travel available to people other than the incredibly rich. The idea is good, so it's only a matter of seeing it become a reality. They still have yet to pick exactly which spacecraft would be taking the winner(s) up.

There are a few questions left to be answered, such as how "free" the ticket really is, since some of the most recent space tourists have had to pay almost 25k in taxes for the opportunity. Something doesn't quite seem right about that. And, hey, this could be a great incentive to get in or stay in shape. Space travel doesn't work well for those who shirk their health. I see a new fad diet on the horizon--the Zero-G Way to Melt Off the Pounds.

Of course, if you don't like contests, or think your chances will be pretty slim, then you can always pay direct to get up to the space station and poke around. Just remember the ticket price is lingering around 25 million. And if you have that much money sitting in the corner, why not pass a little this way so I can scrap off the rest of my student loans and never have to worry about them again? Trust me, you wouldn't even notice the amount was gone, and I'd come see your slideshow of the trip, showing you and the kids with all your heads cropped out of the pictures of the nebulas and starfields.

Whatcha say? Any space-tourist millionaires want to help me out? Maybe if I win the lottery, I can hawk the ticket on ebay for a little cash.


I see that smile.

Ask a Scientist

I’ve always seen certain authors acknowledge a lot of the people who helped them research or fact-check throughout their story. A science fiction author, if not a scientist themselves, might have a couple Ph.D.’s or other authorities that they’re in contact with, who they can send questions to, such as “If a three-eyed, eight-tentacled alien was attacking me with its pseudopods while my spaceship flew just under the speed of light past a black hole, and my ray gun shot beams of tightly concentrated neutrons, what energy output would I require to kill the alien?”

You know. The important details.

Now, I’m not a scientist. (That nova of light you just observed was blinding flash of the obvious.) Most of what I’ve written, as far as novels go, also falls more into fantasy. I haven’t dabbled much in science fiction, partially because I didn’t have as much confidence with all the technical terms, I wasn’t interested in as much research as it might involve, and a few other things. But when I got an idea involving genetics that wouldn’t go away, I at least wanted to try my best.

Imagine my joy in finding that there are scientists out there who are ready and willing to take and answer your questions, simply for the sheer joy of spreading knowledge around.

Ask A Scientist is oriented mainly towards biology questions, but a quick look around reveals a few other online resources such MadSciNet. It’s a simple process. Go to their page. Fill in the blank with whatever question you have. Mine was along the lines of:

Is it possible to know that triggering certain genes in someone will change them in a certain way? And how much control can we have over the effects of genetic manipulation?

Their answer: Everything we are is determined by our genes. What we do not know is how the environment and our genes interact to determine what we become. Personality, emotions etc fall under this category, as do many diseases - the hardwiring is set by adulthood but the fine tuning is a consequence of our experiences (our interaction with environment). Since you cannot entirely control the environment, even if you had a lockdown on the genes themselves, you could still not control the outcome. As an example, take fingerprints. The basic ridge pattern is hardwired by our genes, but the fine friction ridges are formed from the interaction of the developing digits with the environment in the womb such as movement, growth conditions, nutrition. Even identical twins have different fingerprints.

They also have a question archive, so browse through that for all sorts of lovely scientific trivia to nibble on. It does take up to two weeks to get an answer, so if your writing research is pressed for time, maybe it would be better to get in touch with a person directly by email or phone, and who doesn’t mind getting late night calls about the possibility of time travel and living on the surfaces of stars.

What are some of your research methods/resources?


I see that smile.

Gimme some glasses

Why, oh why does this kind of thing make me reach for my wallet?

Now this first link is silly funness. But even though it's not real, I still was thinking, hey, that's kinda nifty. I wish it were real so I could convince myself it was a bad idea to buy it.

http://www.bespectacular.co.uk/

These two links below, however...gah. Is it some flaw in my nature that these became the coolest things in the world to me for at least twenty minutes?



http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/04/spring_loaded_s.html

http://y4g3r.deviantart.com/

When I run across something like this (I keep envisioning gnomes in a basement laboratory, toiling over kegs of dynamite for some reason) I have to go through an internal dialogue to keep myself from ordering a custom-made pair. Normally I start by asking myself, reasonably, how much could this kind of thing cost? And with a wedding in three weeks, plus hunting for a new apartment, how wise would it be to chunk out a hefty portion of green for something that will go from "cool" to "ridiculous" the moment it settles on my nose? Second, I have to ask myself where I would find opportunities to wear a pair of glasses like these. Admittedly, this is NYC, and I probably wouldn't be viewed much differently than the break-dancing team I saw somersaulting over people's feet on the subway this morning. Maybe people would throw me money if I walked around with these on. At least that would help the cost. But most likely I would be pointed at by small children, and would end up spending most of my time explaining to people where I got the lenses from, why I thought it was a wise idea to stick something over my eyes (which, I suppose, looks like it could be a torture device from one of those Saw movies) and reminds others far too much of braces and headgear?

All this to say...that insidious little part of me still wants 'em.

Quick. Someone shred my credit card.


I see that smile.

Fear genre labels?

How do you label your writing? Can you describe it with a common term, a few well-placed adjectives, or does it require some verbal gymnastics that uses "kinda," "like," and lots of dashes? The vampire/werewolf-goth-romance-tough chick-paranormal-western-memoir?

I've seen it said that the only thing genre labels are good for are the booksellers. They tell the bookstores where to stock the new novels they've gotten in. Unfortunately, most bookstores have a limited shelf space, and so must bow to such traditional titles as Mystery, Science Fiction, and Fiction. But with speculative fiction crossing over into so many side-genres lately, it has been a common occurrence to find a fantasy or science fiction book stacked in the Romance aisle, or maybe the New Age section.

This article from Wired.com talks about how a lot of people in the entertainment industry seem afraid of using the specific label of "science fiction" for everything from books to films to t.v. shows. It can be called speculative fiction, edgy storytelling, or even "fleshed-out reality."

Since we're on the topic, what are your opinions? Do you think a lot of work can't or shouldn't be genrefied? Are booksellers clueless and should just shelve books according to the ROYGBIV color scheme and their cover art? How important is your genre to what you write?

Personally, I still claim one of three: science fiction, fantasy, or speculative fiction (when I want to be inclusive). I think those cause less confusion, especially for people who want to know what I write, but aren't necessarily fans of the genres, or clued in on such subgenres as steampunk, urban fantasy, or surreal hard science fiction.

I've seen some folks become pretty testy when asked to give a mental compartment for their work to sit in. Not sure if they feel providing some borders for their literary wunderkind is insulting, or what, but I personally don't see the damage done. The main benefit I could see to fiddling with a genre label would be for the marketing team, where they realize, hey, fantasy isn't selling so well right now, so let's dream up some mythoescapist title to push it under and get better sales numbers. But if your work is so far out there and the elements are so muddled that you can't condense it down for your audience, is that helpful, hurtful, or just confusing?


I see that smile.

A blog to watch

Randy Ingermanson, writer of some great science fiction (also known as the Snowflake Guy) has launched a new blog dedicated to Advanced Fiction Writing. This guy is a savvy marketer, and the first post of his brand new blog has received almost 200 comment posts. Admittedly, it included a contest (yes, I took part...find my entry), but the guy can certainly do a grand cyber-cattle call.

I've posted about his Mad Genius Writer newsletter and all the free stuff that comes when you sign up for that, plus his Snowflake model (hence the name) which I've used to organize and start pretty much every one of my novel manuscripts so far. Effective stuff, and even if you've heard some of his pointers and advice before, he's got lots of material to sift through, and I'm sure you'll find something you hadn't thought about before. From writing itself, to website tips to e-newsletters to marketing yourself, this blog is sure to be a great help and resource.

And for those of you who didn't get the doormat joke, here's a helpful link to explain. Plus, since I'm thinking all geekish this weekend, it seems, here is a site to your nerdy side in for a goodly while. Want a coffee mug with the molecular structure of caffeine printed on the side? LED candles that never melt? Maybe a universal television remote? They've got it all, and I'm tempted to buy almost everything on here.


I see that smile.

Monsters and Doormats

Dragons, Knights, & Angels magazine (DKA) has accepted another one of my short stories--The Ways of Monsters and Men. My website should now be updated to announce this, as well as a line on the Short Stories page. We're now in the process of exchanging signatures and it'll be officially theirs to publish. This is the second piece I'll have with DKA, the first being my itty-bitty flash fiction, Manikin. I'm looking forward to both of these coming out, and will be linking them up as soon as they emerge from their editorial chrysalis. In the meantime, check out DKA's website for the stories already available, such as Diane Gallant's Pilgrims.

Many thanks again to the staff of DKA (such as Mir) who offered suggestions and revision ideas for The Ways of Monsters and Men the first time around, and helped make it a stronger (and not as bleak) story.

To celebrate, since I was discussing the rejections some days earlier, let's throw a bit of humor around here.

We have, first off, the Mother of All Easter Egg Hunts.

And...A geek humor doormat. (Yes, I do find this funny)


I see that smile.

Josh's Review of White Night

To start, news from yesterday: Kurt Vonnegut has died. Known for his science fiction works such as Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle, his stories often analyzed the human condition from unique perspectives, often full of black humor and a sometimes resigned tone.

Is it just me, or does it seem like the last year has seen a lot of distinguished or significant speculative fiction writers pass on? Not trying to be morbid. Maybe I'm just noticing it more, for some reason.

Well...on to the review, which I promise is cheerier than the obituaries.

White Night, by Jim Butcher

I finished it. Took me, what? Three subway commutes and a lunch break? Sounds about right.

Story teaser: Harry Dresden, Chicago's only Wizard-for-hire and private investigator, must deal with a string of serial killings that seem to be targeting magically inclined, middle-class women throughout the city. And the killer is leaving clues only a wizard could follow. With tensions on the rise between several Courts of power-hungry vampires, and Harry's own anger-management issues, combined with a fallen angel gunning for his soul, there's going to be a major shakedown, hopefully involving lots of fire and clever schemes. With the involvement of one of my favorite characters, Marcone, I loved every second of this newest installment.

Dare I say the magic is still here? Or would that rouse a chorus of groans? Too bad, cause it's true. I am partially amazed, but incredibly thankful that Butcher has yet to lose a single spark of the mystery, adventure and wit that drew me into the series in the first place. Has every book been a sparkling gem of genius? 'Course not. But it has proven a solid run, with no title being that expected disappointment, or the ruin of expectations. Butcher's writing remains strong, if not better than ever. My only comment is it has become geared towards more mature audiences at this point. I'm not sure if it's just this book, or if it's only the first time I've noticed it, but there is a noticeable growth in the sexual themes, graphic violence, cursing, all that. Never cringe-worthy, and Butcher thankfully plays for subtlety for the most part, letting the reader's imagination carry them along more often than not. But if that kind of material bothers you, then be warned. Though it is understandably hard to avoid when some of your big baddies are succubus and incubus.

One of my biggest enjoyments comes from the characters. Many of them evolve and take important steps, some growing in ways you might've never imagined. Even the minor ones play some significant parts. Butcher, of course, has quite a few books serving as the background for his growing cast, and yes, some of them, like Bob, remain their tried-and-true selves with little change to their leering ways. There are also a couple of minor characters who are seen throughout the book, but actually never do much in relation to the story itself. You can almost see Butcher nudging them onto the stage, planting clues and possible misadventures for the next book. I do wonder how far out he's got this all planned right now. There are a few old jokes and familiar descriptions that pop up every so often, but with this many books and the reappearance of so many characters we already know, sometimes that is unavoidable, and even welcomed.

Harry, of course, has all manners of personal moral dilemmas to deal with, on top of the case itself, and the ending is a positive note compared to some of the earlier, darker beats that Butcher laid out.

I plan to enjoy this series to the very end, and my only hope is that Butcher can keep up this level of excellence until it's all over.

Sum-up? Buy it. Read it. Enjoy it.


I see that smile.

Free Stories!

I'm in that muddy middle between novel manuscripts, where I fill my time either writing smaller projects or revising pieces that have gathered a bit of dust. Recently, I've gone on something of a short story kick. I know my main flaw in this type of prose. Mainly, most of my short stories end up sounding like novel synopses. It is for some reason incredibly difficult for me to compress the character depth, plot, and niftiness, as well as the many other elements that make a short story worth reading, into one cohesive package. A natural part of my mind starts trailing out all the thought streamers for any idea I get, and before you know it there's a huge mess that's going to take more than 10,000 words to cleanup. Paring this down to magazine standards is my challenge, one which I may someday overcome.

In the meantime, I know that one of the best ways to learn how to write a good novel is to read good novels. Therefore, if I apply my hugely quantum-superstring theory of logic and common sense, one might thusly theorize that by reading good short stories you can learn to write them...maybe? This is of course assuming that I have a modicum of writing talent in the first place, but one does hope that there are at least a few aspects of writing that are learned as you go along.

Imagine my surprise and pleasure then to find this treasure trove of Free Speculative Fiction Online. It's a bare bones website, to be sure, but you aren't gonna go there the ooh-pretty graphics, now are you? I didn't think so. No. Go for the stories. They have been nice enough to lay everything out for you alphabetically, as well as indexed by the magazines, and even the awards the stories have won.

If you want a strong dose without having to browse around a lot, try the Recommended Stories link for tales by Robert Heinlein, Frederik Pohl, and Terry Bisson. They've got some classics here, as well as many I'm sure you've never seen before. And the more we read, the better we'll get at writing our own, right? Or at least we'll gain a better understanding of how much work we still have yet to do. At least we won't be bored.


I see that smile.

Myspace for the writer

Myspace is one of those sites that I think defines a lot of what is both good and bad and confusing about the internet. The good? It provides a way for people to both connect and express themselves. The bad? It provides a way for people to both connect and express themselves? The confusing? It provides a way for people to both connect and express themselves.

Seeing double triple in that last bit? Thing about Myspace is, you can get in touch with a lot of people, but you aren't necessarily going to get in touch with the people you actually want to be in touch with. In general, having a lot of friends can be a good thing, because you can quickly spread word about events in your life, such as a book launching, or a short story selling. You can blog, maybe pasting over the entries from your website in order to keep people in the loop. You can search for people with interests in science fiction and fantasy and invite them to be your friends. You can also create a garishly awful personal page with glitter pink bunnies and quizzes that tell you which Ewok from Star Wars you are most psychologically compatible with.

I’ve used Myspace a bit in the past months, but not nearly as much as it seems a lot of people do. Mostly I login now to check for any messages and invites, but otherwise my page is lying pretty low. You can check it out through the link on the right of this blog, or on my Links page. I do plan to spruce the thing up and use it as another book-advertising central. In light of this, I’ve occasionally come across people who have analyzed the Myspace-phenomenon and give some insights on using it as a proper tool, rather than a slap-dash friend fest where you spam messages and bulletins to everyone out there that isn’t a porn bot.

Here’s my most recent discovery, thanks to the Buzz, Balls and Hype blog. Myspace as a Business Tool. I do believe Myspace can be a great opportunity if handled properly. You can provide video and podcasts, pictures of book covers, and all sorts of wonderful things that make you and your writing more attractive to those people who surf by. The biggest issue to avoid is taking it to that extreme that this article mentions—becoming too aggressive. Forgetting that each of those “friends” is a person, and not a dollar sign on the cash register. Don’t spam. Don’t make everything a “BUY MY BOOK” banner with scrolling neon text. Just enjoy having a tool that lets you reach potentially thousands of people at no cost to you (except some extra time).

Check out that article. What are your thoughts? Do you have a Myspace page? If you’re published, do you use it to advertise yourself, and have you found it effective, or not? Even if you aren't a writer, do you use your page for anything other than reconnecting with friends from middle school that you haven't seen in ten years?

I see that smile.

White Night at the Train Station

Got my copy of Butcher's latest, White Night--book 9 in the Dresden File series. Picked it up at the train station, no less. I was just scanning the shelves while waiting for the departure time, and it practically jumped off the shelf and bopped me on the head. I'll be zipping through it on my subway rides, no doubt, so expect a review within the next day or so.

In other, more interesting news, I give you a video that most people will no doubt think of as a computer animation on first view. Let me assure you that this is physical reality. What you are seeing here, if I understand it correctly, is an iron-concentrate liquid reacting to focused magnetic fields being manipulated through those two opposing cones. Someone then set this to music, and you have a rather breathtaking view of natural symmetry at work. This is the kind of science I enjoy, where it possesses an intricate elegance and order, plus just weirds you out because you expect it to mutate and start attacking people.

Oh, and I found this rather helpful link. Terry Bisson (author of eccentric and enjoyable science fiction) gives his list of Seven Ways to Beat Writer's Block and How I Made Them Work for Me!

Take notes, people.


I see that smile.

Into the breach

Still a bit under the weather, though I'm taking echinacea to boost ye ol' immune system. I hate being sick, even slightly, because it puts me on the edge of annoyance all day. I tend to lose my sense of humor and will consider someone even glancing my way as a personal affront. Small children are warned to keep a fifty foot radius from me at all times. I start carrying two-by-fours to play human whackamole, and I'm about as fun as getting a back massage from a cat that hasn't been declawed and just had its tail yanked.

Yeah. I'm a cuddly one, for sure. At least I've been slightly mellowed by the massive amounts of sugar and food from yesterday. Nothing like shrimp dip and jelly beans to show how much people care. Lots of love and encouragement from my family in Maryland, who put together a really fun engagement party for Jen and myself. It was a great time.

Two submissions to this Black Dragon, White Dragon anthology have been very kindly rejected. I must say, Rob Santa knows how to make someone feel good about not getting accepted. Plus he's got a great turnaround time, so I know to keep working on my next option. If I don't get in before the deadline or the word count fills up, oh well. At least it's proven good inspiration to crack down on some of these stories I've had half-finished for too long, plus given me some fun new ideas to play with in the sandbox.

Pardon as I get my second box of Kleenex for the morning. How are you all doing?


I see that smile.

Sniffles, the eucharist and chocolate eggs

Happy Easter all! Or Palm Sunday, whatever you feel more comfortable calling it. Typing this quick throw-up in Maryland. Went to my first mass this morning with the aunts and uncles. I didn't realize there was so much standing and sitting involved. Apparently, my aunt says, that you get so used to the up-and-down rhythm that if the service gets changed for some reason or another, it throws everyone off.

A good morning so far, though I've come down with something of a cold and sniffled my way through most of it. Any cold/stuffy sinus remedies you'd recommend?

See you on Monday. Enjoy your Easter candy and remember what Easter is truly about. (And no, if you say Cadbury eggs, however delicious those may be, you're wrong)


I see that smile.

More light bulbs

Busy weekend for me, as I've got my martial arts class this morning, and then we're running out to Baltimore to see some relatives for Easter Sunday. To distract from there being little content on the weekend posts, let me dangle a few shiny things in your eyes.

How many fantasy characters does it take to change a light bulb?

And...

Haven't you ever wanted to drive an indestructible tank, which gets bounced into the air by bombs so you can stomp on the enemy planes? Yea. I know you have. So, here it is:

Indestructo Tank

Funny that for such a violent, destructive game, the biggest factor you have to consider is fuel efficiency. Okay. Shiny stuff. Shiny stuff. Jingle-jingle.

See y'all tomorrow. Have a great Easter.


I see that smile.

Justice be done

I think I've got a theme going. First we had explosive and other weapons of destruction, both minuscule and massive. Then we had skeletons--the product of using those previous elements on a story. So hopefully you've got accurate methods of death, and the results of death. What's left?

A couple options, depending on what situations your characters are cast into. What if one of your characters has committed murder? Or maybe you've a character who is a cop, or private investigator? Either way, you're going to need some basic knowledge of the criminal world and its underpinnings, and my guess is you aren't going to want to gain that knowledge firsthand.

That's why this link comes in handy:

The Criminology Mega-Site

As they say on the site: "Criminology is an advanced, theoretical field of study. It can be defined as the study of crime, the causes of crime (etiology), the meaning of crime in terms of law, and community reaction to crime. Not too long ago, criminology separated from its mother discipline, sociology, and although there are some historical continuities, it has since developed habits and methods of thinking about crime and criminal behavior that are uniquely its own."

They've got sections on the history of the field, terminology, motives, and policy. What I found particularly fascinating is the list of theories and motives as to why certain people (sometimes deemed psychopaths) perform their crimes. A few that caught my eye are--

• Demonology- the believed influence of demons on one's life
• Labelling- a self-fulfilling prophecy where people live up to the reputations others automatically assume they possess
• Drifting- a sense of limbo, or living between two worlds

Of course they note that motivations are only one aspect of what causes someone to commit a crime. But either way, if you have a story where a theft or killing occurs, wouldn't it help to understand why your character was inclined to perform such an act in the first place?

I've yet to delve into writing any kind of murder mystery, or crime genre, but crimes certainly have happened in the stories I've written. Maybe the next time I weave one into the plot, I'll take the time to develop that character's background enough so I know what elements brought them to that junction where they made a darker choice. More depth is good depth, right? Go get your crime on.


I see that smile.

Go check your closet

Yesterday had to do with researching violence and other means of inducing death within a story (but inducing it in achingly researched, believable fashion!). After a character has been dead for some time, or there's someone prowling through a home with bunch of closets, eventually you're going to come across one of these...

Skeletons

The knee bone is connected to the neck bone, and all that blather aside, if you really want to know what hoo-ha is attached to the whatsit over there, then this is the medically correct site for you. Maybe you've got some forensic evidence you have to hash out in a murder mystery, or someone snatched up a bone to use as a weapon, and they want to take a moment to figure out exactly which bone they are going to use to bash this fellow's skull in with. These are important details.

While you're busy marveling over the structure of what lies beneath our skin, here's an interesting article on why a scientist believes in God, and why he finds no conflict between his spiritual and scientific perspectives on life. Dr. Francis Collins is head of the Human Genome Project, by the by, and has published several books including The Language of God and Coming to Peace With Science.

And if you for some reason dislike any of my posts over the past few days (I know I can wax morbid at times), then here are a few selected natural and Divine disasters you can summon down upon my blog. Wreak whatever havoc you wish, just so long as you enjoy it.

(oh, and I promised to give credit to Mir for alerting me to this awesome destructive link)

Fire away!

The Lord doth smite me!

And you didn't believe me when I said I was abducted and probed.

Bombs away!


I see that smile.

Do-it-yourself violence

Today, I bring you oodles of:

Knives!

Guns!

Explosives!

Learn how to properly discuss them, write about them, refer to the various bits and pieces, and have your characters use them without...you know...cocking the trigger on a rapier, or something like that. Want to know what materials go into various blades and the possible grades of steel? Do you know what a gun nipple is? Curious as to the chemical composition of smokeless powder? All these answers and more are just a click away.

I know. I probably just kicked my blog into the "not safe for children" category. Oh well. I'll suffer through it.

Now go on outside and play with your new toys. And remember--violence isn't always the best answer to your problems, but it can make for a wicked fight scene.

(by the way, isn't "oodles" just a fun word? I think so.)


I see that smile.

What fools we be

For those of you who missed them, here are some of the more...interesting rumors and articles that were spawned in the writing world as of Sunday, mostly thanks to various April Fools pranks. Though this isn't to say that some of these news flashes wouldn't be welcomed if they actually happened.

For instance, did you know that getting rejections can actually increase your sex appeal? Also, Neil Gaiman is up for sainthood. And there is now an award to distinguish the most excellent among awards for science fiction and fantasy. Umm. Scary thing is, I've actually written a story along those lines. The award part, not the Neil Gaiman one. Maybe it'll see print someday.

In other, and truthful news...my mother's book on late-in-life motherhood is coming out this August.


You can check it out here, here and here. The title is Baby Changes Everything. Check out my mother's blog and website. I don't know how many late in life mothers read this blog, or even mothers in general, but I'm praying this book reaches that hugely untapped market in a big way. She has poured her heart and soul into writing it, as well as her time, since it comes from her experience in raising my youngest sister, Christa (who is six, by the way). Can't wait for it to hit the shelves in August. I'm gonna get a signed copy, no matter what it takes.

I see that smile.

Short story markets

Usually I don't do much work on short stories when I'm neck-deep in the first draft of a novel manuscript. Once I've gotten that draft packed up and shoved into a drawer for proper aging, I then turn my mental eye onto whatever short story ideas have been simmering in the creative crock pot for a while. Sometimes it's just a matter of updating my submissions spreadsheet (yes, I have an Excel spreadsheet that manages all my stories and where I've sent them) to see what rejections I've received lately, and therefore what stories need to be revised and sent back out.

Here is a market research tool that I've used at times to give myself fresh submission options once I've exhausted my first few choices. Plus, this site looks up contests and anthologies as well (and poetry/novels markets if you need) so you can tweak the search parameters for whatever you happen to have.

Duotrope's Digest

It has advice for both writers who want to stand out from the rest of the envelope-packing crowd, as well as for editors who want to get publicity and exposure for their magazine or publishing company. You can look up response times, average pay, and all the other important details. Ever been in that quandary where you don't really think there's a place you can send this weird little story to? Think again. You'll never run out of markets with this site handy.


I see that smile.

Because I'm out playing dodgeball

I'm going to let John Scalzi be the teacher for the post today. That is to say, not that he's sitting here typing, which would be weird because then he's referring to himself in third person, but that the link o'the day is Scalzi's explanation of How To Manipulate Amazon Rankings For Fun and Profit!

Since I've yet to have a book available on Amazon.com, I'm not afflicted with this particular writer neurosis of constantly checking my ranking. I'm sure I'll get addicted at some point, have to go through rehab, and then they'll make an inspiring documentary about me when I'm eighty years old...or something.

But, want to put that book advance to good use? Why not turn it all around and give it to this company that can get your book to break into Amazon's Top 100? That is, if your advance could entirely cover the cost in the first place, since the fee runs at $10k. Check out Scalzi's take on this, and then read the original article yourself and wonder at how many ways people will figure out to take advantage of a writer's ego.

Aight. I'm off to throw a rubber ball at other people's heads.

Don't give me that look. It's legal. I've got the hunting permit and everything.


I see that smile.