Sing along with nanotechnology

Does the concept of nanotechnology boggle you a bit? Have you ever wanted it taught to you Sesame Street-style? Well, your wishes are now answered:

You may now die happy and fulfilled with life. Right?

I see that smile.

Sci-fi publishing contest!

TorUK and SciFiNow.com are hosting a science fiction publishing contest for new writers who have a whole novel manuscript completed. The winner won't get an advance on their book (which is supposed to be published in 2010, if the editorial schedule allows) but if they get to the point of receiving royalties, then there's potential earnings from that. So, tell me, is it worth entering just to get your story published, or do the stipulations of this contract (such as the publisher owning all world rights) hold you back?

Further details and links are on my Examiner page: http://www.examiner.com/x-13081-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m6d19-Science-fiction-publishing-contest

I see that smile.

Breaking up with a dinosaur

Not quite sure where this came from, but it's amusing--at least to those of us who appreciate dinosaurs. And if you don't...what did dinosaurs ever do to you?

I see that smile.

Hysterical video game reviews

Ok. Major warning before anyone clicks through: There is some strong language and potentially offensive graphics in these videos (even though it is mostly stick-figurish in quality), so if you are cautious about what you expose yourself to, I'd suggest avoiding this post altogether.

That said, if you are into video games in any way whatsoever, you gotta check out these video reviews done by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, through EscapistMagazine.com. Ben provides cutting commentary on old and new game releases, and his rapid-fire delivery, wit, and hilarious accompanying graphics make every review a pleasure, whether it's a good game or not. Lots of nerd culture humor that had me busting out laughing.

Enjoy. (with caution--remember my warning and don't blame me if you get offended!)

I see that smile.

Revision Checklist

Literary Agent Nathan Bransford has posted a great list of items to check off when revising your manuscript. As people comment and suggest other notes as well, he's updating the list, so check back every now and then to see what's new.

Here are a few I thought were the most helpful:

- Look closely at each chapter. If you can take out a chapter and the plot will still make sense, is it really necessary? Should some events be folded in with others?

- Is your voice consistent? Is it overly chatty or sarcastic?

- Do you know what your writing tics are? Do you overuse adverbs, metaphors, facial expressions, non-"said" dialogue tags, or interjections? Have you removed them?

I see that smile.

Birthdays and hand grenades

Yes, today is my birthday, so taking it as easy as possible. Is 26 still mid-20's, or technically late-20's?

And if you're interested, check out my notice about a little contest being run by Underland Press, where the prize pack includes a hand grenade (defused!) and some other fun items.

I see that smile.

Fun news - I'm in two places at once!

So technically I've been hired by the same company twice. My new full-time job is for Examiner.com, as a Channel Assistant with Travel and Transportation. It involves processing writer applications and getting those who are accepted (called Examiners) set up on the site so they can start posting articles. Been fun so far.

However, I now also am an Examiner myself. The official title is National Speculative Fiction Examiner. Oy, that's long. But hopefully it should be a lot of fun. You might see a bit of lag in this blog as I divert some of my attention to these other articles, and some of the content will be cross-over, but a lot of it will retain the same flavor you get here. It will just be less "bloggy." I'll continue to cover news about all things speculative fiction, whether books, magazines, authors, etc. Plus I get to write about the craft side of spec fic, such as worldbuilding, systems of magic, and advice on the publishing industry. So feel free to drop by my page on Examiner.com.

I see that smile.

David Eddings (1931-2009)

A master in the fantasy genre passed away today. David Eddings died at the age of 77. I've read enough of his works to know that I should read more, but for a true sense of his accomplishments and work, I'll point you to a couple of articles.

One of the things I love most is that his wife, Leigh Eddings, was co-author to pretty much all of his books. That'd be quite a marital team.

Sad news. No smile today.

The disturbing and fascinating world of lock-picking

A video for you today (two, actually), touching on a topic that has always interested me, ever since I learned my dad once took a mail-order lock-picking course. He still even has the tools and has used them on rare occasions. Anyways, not only is it a fun topic, but this guy, Tobias, comes through as one of those people I would love to some day base a character on.



Here's the main article from Wired, and below is another video demonstrating this guy's skills.

I see that smile.

Cover art and copy for David Louis Edelman's third book

Edelman is preparing to release the third book in his Jump 225 trilogy, Geosynchron. He recently got permission to reveal the amazing cover art, plus the catalog copy for the book. Warning: If you haven't read Infoquake and Multireal, the copy will give away some spoilers.

DAVID LOUIS EDELMAN’S BUSINESS SCIENCE FICTION SAGA THAT BEGAN WITHINFOQUAKE AND MULTIREAL COMES TO A STUNNING CONCLUSION WITHGEOSYNCHRON, THE LAST BOOK OF THE JUMP 225 TRILOGY.

The Defense and Wellness Council is enmeshed in full-scale civil war between Len Borda and the mysterious Magan Kai Lee. Quell has escaped from prison and is stirring up rebellion in the Islands with the aid of a brash young leader named Josiah. Jara and the apprentices of the Surina/Natch MultiReal Fiefcorp still find themselves fighting off legal attacks from their competitors and from Margaret Surina’s unscrupulous heirs — even though MultiReal has completely vanished.

The quest for the truth will lead to the edges of civilization, from the tumultuous society of the Pacific Islands to the lawless orbital colony of 49th Heaven; and through the deeps of time, from the hidden agenda of the Surina family to the real truth behind the Autonomous Revolt that devastated humanity hundreds of years ago.

Meanwhile, Natch has awakened in a windowless prison with nothing but a haze of memory to clue him in as to how he got there. He’s still receiving strange hallucinatory messages from Margaret Surina and the nature of reality is buckling all around him. When the smoke clears, Natch must make the ultimate decision — whether to save a world that has scorned and discarded him, or to save the only person he has ever loved: himself.

And, as he notes, the book is available for pre-order. I await it anxiously.

I see that smile.

A recipe for sore feet

Rollerblading for 15 miles, or 2.5 hours, whichever sounds more appealing. Thank goodness the new job doesn't have me on my feet all day.

In writing news, Tor is holding a book giveaway contest. The books to be awarded to some lucky person are Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker, and Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World.

Wait...I want these books. Why am I encouraging others to enter? That's more competition for me.

Guess I'm just too nice for my own good. And for further fun, here's a video of how the cover art of Warbreaker was done:

Good luck, folks!

I see that smile.