This awes me

Is it bad that some deep dark part of me says, "I want to write stories so good they deserve this kind of art"?


I see that smile.

A great book blog

With the tagline, "Hungry for the next good book," Omnivoracious

is a great book blog run by the editors at Amazon.com. They've got interviews, reviews, suggested reading lists, and plenty of material to keep you neck-deep in pages for years to come. If you read fast, like me, and always need something new to hold your literary interests, this might be a great place to check out. Or if you prefer a steadier reading experience and want to know that the book you are investing your time in is worth the effort, this could be a good resource for you as well.

Check it out and let me know what you think. They don't seem limited by genre, so there's something for everyone.


I see that smile.

Weird Tales writing contest

Two brief announcements today.

1. The sun and I are no longer on speaking terms. (more like "I'd put the strongest laxative in its coffee, if given the chance" terms) Why? Just ask my back. And the answer (if my back had a mouth, and wouldn't that be weird) would be "Lobster."

2. There's a new flash fiction contest being run by Weird Tales magazine, which a unique twist. Write a story in 500 words or less, but it has to be based on your spam email somehow. So has reading about viagra ads, weird japanese characters, rolexes and corrupt software ever sparked your writing inspiration? Here's your chance!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to devise some way to kill the sun. Don't talk to me about a freezing death of the world, either, because I just don't care.


I see that smile.

Tor's new website

A while back, there was the announcement that Tor was revamping its web presence, along with the running e-book and cover art promotion that showed up in your inbox each week. I've now got about a dozen e-books to catch up on reading...guess I need to figure out which e-reader to get now, huh?

Anyways, Tor finally has launched its new site and it looks pretty promising. They've got running news, hot bookmarks, blogs, a gallery, free stories by John Scalzi and Charles Stross, and a whole new community section for people who love the spec-fic genres.

So go check the place out and let me know what you think. Worth the wait? Did you even know it had gone live or is this one big surprise? Hopefully a pleasant one.


I see that smile.

Can you find me here?

A new literary agency blog

Oh, we love agent blogs, yes we do. And there's a new one making its presence known on the blogosphere:

http://fineprintlit.blogspot.com/

FinePrint Literary Management, which is the home of also-agent-blogger Colleen Lindsay, now has its own official blog, and is one of the heavy-hitting agencies out there, so it is well worth listening to what they have to say, as they have dug deep into the industry foxholes.

They've already got a post up about the potential future of books and a report on the Sony eReader, among a few other bits. Keep an eye out on this one, as you never know what kind of advice or information they might decide to disseminate.


I see that smile.

How to blow a book deal

We have been given fair warning. When an agent shows interest in your book, even going so far as to invite you to lunch to discuss it...don't be a moron and insult them. I know this seems like obvious advice, but perhaps there are misconceptions about agents that might harm your perception of the agenting industry. For instance:

• "Female agents are only good at representing chick lit, romance, and the occasional literary novel. Oh, and maybe some YA."
• "Male agents are allowed to represent spy thrillers, horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and maybe historical biographies."
• "Older agents are going to represent my book better than a newer agent."
• "If an agent doesn't have their offices established in NYC, they obviously aren't as legitimate as [Insert Big Name Agency Here]."

These are all mental pitfalls that some writers out there do hold. If you find one of these lurking around in your cranium, snatch it out, stomp on it, burn it, then scatter the ashes to the wind. (I'd recommend doing this in a private place, otherwise passersby might give you some funny looks.)

Now, there's nothing wrong with have a "preference" in who you pursue as an agent, but never let stereotype or bias make you pass up submitting to someone who doesn't fit your ideal. You never know who might become truly passionate about your book and be ready and willing to do all they can to help get it published and successful.

Are there any agent misconceptions you've had to shed as you've gone alone?


I see that smile.

Japanese bug fights

Let yourself be thoroughly entertained and distracted by this up-and-coming sport, which I'm sure will be a new event at the Olympics soon enough.

Japanese Bug Fights!

Betting is encouraged. I'll accept any wagers in cash or check form.

Frankly, I'm a fan of any of the matches with the scorpion involved, and given its reputation, I'm disappointed by most of the praying mantis' performances.

(I also find it hilarious these matches are narrated. Wish I knew what they were saying.)


I see that smile.

The Visual Thesaurus

If you haven't checked out this great tool, I'd urge you to. Ever get stuck trying to figure out the right word to describe a scene you're writing? Or maybe you've realized you keep using the same word over and over to give the reader a sense of a character...and you want a fresh term.

The Visual Thesaurus is a great place to go to discover how words relate to one another, how they are grouped by meaning, synonyms, antonyms, etc. It's organic, easy to use, and actually quite a bit of fun to click around and see where you end up.

Their website is also geared towards word lovers and writers, with articles, daily definitions and more. Why aren't you using it already?


I see that smile.

Clarity of Night contest winners

Here's the rundown of who all placed in Jason Evan's latest photo contest.

1st Place--SARAH HINA, And miles to Go Before She Sleeps (#27)
[Prize: $25 Amazon gift certificate, 8 x 10 print of the "Running Wind" photograph (inscribed by Jason Evans)]

2nd Place--SEAN FERRELL, Reversal (#56)
[Prize: $20 Amazon gift certificate]

3rd Place--JOSH VOGT, Time is a Road (#49)
[Prize: $15 Amazon gift certificate]

4th Place--PAUL LIADIS, Ar'n Man (#39)
[Prize: $10 Amazon gift certificate]

5th Place--JEFE B, You Can't Get There from Here (#61)
[Prize: $5 Amazon gift certificate]

Honorable Mention--CHARLES GRAMLICH, Precious Cargo (#1)

Honorable Mention--SCOTT SIMPSON, Blurred Vision (#6)

Honorable Mention--POSOLXSTVO, Anywhere But Here (#19)

Honorable Mention--SCOTT ELLIS, Freebird (#32)

Honorable Mention--AERIN, Dreamland Eyes (#62)


READERS' CHOICE AWARD:

Readers' Choice--CHARLES GRAMLICH, Precious Cargo (#1)
[Prize: $15 Amazon gift certificate, 8 x 10 print of the "Running Wind" photograph (inscribed by Jason Evans)]

1st Runner-Up--SARAH HINA, And Miles to Go Before She Sleeps (#27)

2nd Runner-Up--JOSH VOGT, Time is a Road (#49)


----------

It was really fun to take part in this again, as it has since these contests started running. I was pleasantly surprised at **. Thanks to everyone who voted, and for all the wonderful comments. Please make sure to congratulate all the other winners, and hopefully we'll be seeing everyone again whenever the next contests kicks into gear. Though I'm sure Jason always appreciates the down time after this grueling process.


I see that smile.

The last act

For anyone keeping track, yesterday they put up the third act of Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog. What you may not have realized is that after midnight tonight, Sunday, July 20th, the entire project is going to be taken down from the web and, so far as we know, never seen again. So this is your last chance to watch the webisodes that chronicle the evil rise of Dr. Horrible.

(If you've missed the whole deal, comment here or email me, and I'll whisper in your ear about what all went down)

I'll admit, I wasn't expecting the story to end the way it does. The first two acts are very funny, almost light-hearted. I was really wondering how they were going to finish it, and you certainly aren't going to laugh at the ending. That said, it's well worth the watch, so catch it before it disappears and/or turns into something you'll have to pay to see.

Let me know what your thoughts are if you have seen it all.


I see that smile.

Out Hiking...

Be back later.

8 Rules for Surviving Doomsday

I thought this might be appropriate for a Friday, considering some see the looming threat of yet another Monday as nigh unto hell on earth until they get those first five cups of coffee into their system:

8 Rules For Surviving The Apocalypse

So, aside from drinking plenty of coffee, what else can be done to survive? And can you really apply Apocalyptic advice to the office? Sure. Why not?

• Never join a theme gang: Good idea. Seeing people with funky tattoos stalking through the cubicle maze can be a bit disconcerting.
  
• Bring your pet: Offices would be a much friendlier place with the addition of our furry friends. Plus they could be trained to attack on command.
• Don't barricade yourself in: Especially if you've run out of quarters for the snack machine. Someone still has to make the lunch runs.

Any other pieces of advice you'd like to pass along?

Enjoy the weekend.


I see that smile.

Summer Spec Fic reading list

For today, here is a quick list of the Twelve Books You Should Read at the Beach This Summer, all with a spec-fic slant.

Sadly, while I've seen a number of these touted about, I haven't managed to get my hands on any of them. And the only one I'm somewhat familiar with is Sly Mongoose, being the next in Tobias' Buckell's Caribbean flavored space epic that started with Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin. Sly Mongoose comes out in August, and I'll be sure to nab it. So, 1 down. 11 to go for me. What's your score?

Also, the second act of the musical supervillain web series, Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog is up today.


I see that smile.

Last day

Don't forget! Today is the last day that you can submit to the latest Clarity of Night blog contest. Mine is entry #49, and I'll be reading through all the others, commenting here and there. Let me know if you've submitted anything, and I'll be right there to rig the voting...er...cheer you on.

In other news, has anyone seen this new webisode series, Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog? It's a quirky take on the "evil genius" trope, where Dr. Horrible blogs about his attempts to get into the Evil League of Evil, reads his hate emails, and occasionally bursts into song about things like using his freeze ray to stop time so he can figure out how to approach the girl he's crushing on.

As he says, "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it." Funny, and even a bit charming.

Enjoy.


I see that smile.

All about partials

There tends to be a lot of talk in the publishing biz, especially among those trying to break into it, about query letters. How formal should the letter be? How long? Should one include a blank check in the envelope? Email queries versus snail mail?

All important stuff to address, but say you've moved past that initial stage. (I know, some folks are saying to themselves, "It gets better?") After you send a query, if the agent likes it, often enough they will request a partial of the manuscript. Often this includes the first 30-50 pages of the story, or first three chapters. They do this so, 1. You don't have to print up and mail in a whole manuscript right off the bat and risk rejection after using up a ream of paper and an ink cartridge. 2. Because a partial, just as it saves you paper and ink, saves an agent time. They don't have to read the entire manuscript to know whether they like your story. Of course, if they like the partial, they'll want to make sure the rest of the pages live up to that standard, but this is the big first impression (after the small first impression of the query).

Big-time agent blogger Nathan Bransford gives a few rambling thoughts about his take on partials.

When I like a query, 99% of the time I request the first 30 pages, which I've found to be an uncannily accurate chunk of a manuscript. For all of the clients I've taken on, I had a really, really good feeling after those 30 pages that I was going to like the whole thing, and most of the time I was right. On the other hand, when I was wavering on a project after 30 pages but requested the full anyway, I've never had an "ah ha" moment where I realized I was wrong about those 30 pages. I've found them to be an extremely accurate microcosm for the whole book.

I believe 30 pages is the perfect length because you can't really hide behind that length of a manuscript. Some people have a fantastic opener only to fade when the novel gets going because they can't sustain the plot, some people have a quiet opener that builds into something gripping by page 30. But if nothing is really keeping me going after page 30 I'm guessing that nothing is going to keep me going after page 60, 90, or 100.


So yes, that query letter is vital to getting your foot in the door. And yes, those first five pages need to be polished to a shine so the sparkle catches an agent's eye...but don't forget that eventually, after all your hard work, they're going to want to see more. And if you let the rest of the story languish while you revise the first few pages obsessively, it's not going to live up to the same level of quality.


I see that smile.

A letter from a Literary Agent

I am unabashedly pointing you to another blog post this morning (albeit a rather old one). Coming to you from the Buzz, Balls and Hype blog, here is a hilarious, and rather telling, letter to Santa from a literary agent to Santa, telling the jolly old elf exactly what he wants in his query letters.

A few of his main wishes:

• No telling me how bad you are at writing query letters. 'Cus I'm pretty great at rejecting them.
• No calling. Ever. (Once again, the exceptions to this rule are Oprah and Stephen King.)
• No calling. "But I" - No. Don't call. "No, you don't understand, in my case -- " A, bah- No. If - No. For me- Absolutely not. Zip it. Don't call.
• Sigh... You're calling. Ok. What did I say about that? No calling... and if you're calling, don't be rude to me and insist on speaking only to my boss. Then, kissing up to aforementioned boss. Here's why: guess who might be vetting your contracts, sending out your checks and processing your royalty payments one day, hmmmmmm....? Yes, that's right, Fitzgerald. Moi.
• No emails that ask me if I accept emails. Please. This kind of nonsense makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a letter opener, and methinks it would be very hard to read your manuscript after that scene, no?

That a good enough start for you? Plenty other lumps of coal...er...I mean nuggets of wisdom throughout. Perhaps for this upcoming Christmas we should ask Santa for the wisdom to heed such submission guidelines.


I see that smile.

Weird News Weekend

For this week's installment, we've received the wonderful news that, should you attend the upcoming 2008 Olympics in Beijing, you will not be able to order dog meat at any of the officially designated Olympic restaurants.

As a continued sign of how desperate (and creative) people are getting in dealing with the rising cost of gas, an Orland man has traded the naming rights for his unborn son for a $100 gas card. Now how is he going to explain that to his kid when he's all grown up?

And lastly, a Russian woman may have come up with the most inventive murder weapon ever...a folding couch.


That's it for this week. See you when real life begins again on Monday.


I see that smile.

Gone all day...

Went to the Colorado Renaissance Festival with the wife and my sisters. Lots of fun, great costumes (including my own, minor effort) and much sun, jousting, turkey legs, and m'lords and m'ladies to be had by all.

Pictures may come, if you're lucky. Otherwise, a Weird News Weekend edition tomorrow, and then I'll see you at the start of the week.


I see that smile.

Mistborn 3 Prologue

Two warnings.

1. If you haven't read the first two books in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series, well, why haven't you? Go out and grab 'em. I recommend them wholeheartedly, and then come back to this post and the link after you've read them, that way this won't contain a bunch of spoilers for you. (You can still read the prologue, but it reveals a major spoiler about one character, plus basically gives away the whole ending of the second book. You are warned.)

2. This prologue is a creepy and graphic scene, so if you don't enjoy that, avert thine eyes.

Now then...

http://brandonsanderson.com/library/29/Mistborn-3-Prologue

This is a great series, and reading this prologue makes me all the more excited about the last book coming out. As has been mentioned before, Sanderson is also heavily wrapped up in writing the last book of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series, A Memory of Light. I'm thinking this guy has gotten himself cloned a few times for the amount of work he gets done.


I see that smile.

Ten things for Sci-Fi/Flovers

The title of this post is pretty self-explanatory. Check this link out for ten items that relate to science fiction and fantasy, and you'll find everything from treatise on worldbuilding to name generators for planets or sci-fi gadget doodads to lists of genre cliches to avoid. There's also free online workshops and articles of advice on writing about aliens and faeries, and why those kinds of creatures shouldn't just be humans in funny-looking costumes.

Plenty of stuff to keep you occupied or otherwise entertained, and some of it might even prove educational. Let me know if you find anything particularly surprising or useful.


I see that smile.

Clarity of Night short fiction contest begins again!

It's that time again. Jason Evans, over at the Clarity of Night blog has announced his short fiction contest. If you've taken part in any of the past contests, the rules are all the same. But if you are just now learning about this, here's a rundown.

Evans has posted a picture that is to serve as the inspiration for your short fiction. You are to write a story of no more than 250 words, in any genre, any style, based on this picture somehow, and submit it by the deadline of 11 PM, Wednesday, July 16th. That's one week, folks. You can do 250 words in a week.

Here's the picture. He calls it "Running Wind" but you can make of it whatever you wish.

Here are the prizes as well:

• 1st Place: $25 Amazon gift certificate, 8 x 10 print of the "Running Wind" photograph (inscribed by Jason Evans)
  
• 2nd Place: $20 Amazon gift certificate
  
• 3rd Place: $15 Amazon gift certificate
  
• 4th Place: $10 Amazon gift certificate
  
• 5th Place: $5 Amazon gift certificate
  
• Readers' Choice Award: $15 Amazon Gift certificate, 8 x 10 print of the "Running Wind" photograph (inscribed by Jason Evans)

For a break down of all the little rules about formatting, submission, etc. check out the blog. Good luck everyone. Can't wait to see what folks come up with.


I see that smile.

MultiReal is now...well...real!

David Louis Edelman, author of the science fiction smash Infoquake, has now released the long-awaited sequel: MultiReal. Both books have received a ton of praise, even before being unleashed on the general public, and from my own reading of Infoquake, I would highly recommend you grab both books, if you haven't already picked up the first.

Here's some of what's being said for MultiReal:

“Edelman brings fresh air to the technological thriller… MultiReal itself is firmly established as one of the most fascinating singularity technologies in years.”
Publishers Weekly

“A thoroughly-successful hybrid of Neuromancer and Wall Street, MultiReal is the kind of thought-experiment we need more of around here: rigorously backgrounded, tightly plotted, and built around one of the most intriguing neurotech conceits I’ve encountered in years.”
Peter Watts

“The Matrix meets Boston Legal… A true page-turner that I could not put down… The combination of extraordinary world building, compelling characters that grow on you in Jara and Natch, legal intrigue, political maneuverings and fast action made MultiReal an even more entertaining book for me than Infoquake, which I loved too.”
Fantasy Book Critic

And if that doesn't convince you, then let the writing speak for itself. You can read the first 8 chapters here. How can you miss out on a story about a future where software runs the human body, and we've just been given access to a program that lets us predict millions of possible futures for any event? Plus industrial espionage, some truly insane characters, and plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing. Enjoy the ride.

I see that smile.

A weekend without

So, aside from generally being a lazy butt, the other main reason for maintaining blog silence this whole weekend was the fact that, come Friday morning, our modem decided to take a holiday as well, without notice, I might add. Going for a couple days without internet emphasized two facts that will probably seem rather obvious to anyone else out on the blogosphere.

1. We spend far more time online doing non-essential stuff than we need to. (and since I've realized that yet again about myself, am I going to enact some huge time-saving program to curb my surfing addiction? Unlikely, but at least I'm not in denial about the problem)

and...

2. It's kinda sad how much we rely on Google for every little tidbit of knowledge these days. From restaurant hours to directions to instructions on how to light a grill, we are handing over all higher brain functions to this ginormous online algorithm and will eventually need computers to remind us to chew, breathe in/breathe out, and wipe our butts after going to the bathroom. Children of the next generation will use iPods, not as music players, but as portable brain packs just so they can remember where they live, recognize faces from day to day, and get calendar alerts so they don't forget when their own birthdays are. It ain't just a trend.

So there's my monday-morning status update. On the writing side, over the past several weeks I've received a lot of feedback on my latest story, and after revising it (happily noting that this story seems to have prompted less overhauling edits than previous ones, so that's progress, right?) I've sent out a few initial queries to test the waters.

How was your weekend?


I see that smile.

Writing Excuses

Here's a last writing resource for ya right before the holiday weekend hits. Probably won't be around much once it does, so this should keep you entertained for a while.

By writers, for writers, Writing Excuses/
is a collection of fifteen-minute podcasts on all sorts of topics and exercises that give you an excuse to sit down and finally get to writin'.

Run by Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler and Dan Wells, you'll come across discussions about "This Sucks and I'm a Horrible Writer," to "Make with the Funny," to "The Costs and Ramifications of Magic." Great material here, straight from the people with the experience to back up their advice. Plus there's all sorts of other goodies sprinkled throughout, and each episode is short and to the point.

Enjoy!


I see that smile.

A new comic adaptation

A lot of great series seem to be headed down this track lately. The Dabel Brothers have been working on Dresden Files comics, Dean Koontz comics, George R. R. Martin comics, Raymond E. Feist, and the list goes on...

And now they're going to adapt the whole of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Very cool. As you may also know, the last book in the Wheel of Time series, A Memory of Light, is being written by Brandon Sanderson. With the enormity of thePublish Post series, it will be interesting to see if this comic adaption reaches a wider audience, since they won't have to wade through 5-600 page books to get the whole story. Despite some of the slower, meandering portions of the tale, it still is one of my favorite fantasy stories, and I can't wait to finally see the end of it after all this time.

So here's a question. Which of all the fantasy or science fiction series that you've read would you really like to see a comic book adaption done for it? One of my picks would be Simon R. Green's Man with the Golden Torc series. He just writes so very visually that it would be such an easy transition to bring some life and color to the text.


I see that smile.

Recordings from the 2008 ConFusion

This year's High Voltage ConFusion hosted a number of notable authors, from Tobias Buckell to John Scalzi to Jim C. Hines. They ran numerous panels, interviews and lively discussions over topics that ranged everywhere...internet piracy, web marketing for authors, and so on.

If, like myself, you didn't get to attend this convention, there is still a way for you to hear some of their talks (and joking around) through these audio recordings done by the Time Traveling Show.

You'll get some great insight on what it takes to build up an internet presence and how that can help book sales, and ways that you can self-evaluate your work, push yourself to discover new talents, expose old weaknesses, and make yourself a better writer overall.

Listen up, folks. These are the pros talking.


I see that smile.