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.