Today I was supposed to finish the second draft of Sholpan, but I moved apartments this weekend, so everything got thrown completely out of whack. I’m all moved into my new place now (with some awesome Quarkie roommates), but Sholpan is going to have to wait until Monday. Fortunately, I’ve only got a couple of… Continue reading News, a correction, and an awesome AvB remix
Category: Uncategorized
NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy
In case you didn’t know, NPR just put together a list of the Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy novels of all time. The list had a panel of judges who vetted nominations, but the voting was public and turnout–over 60,000–was pretty high. I usually don’t like top 100 lists, but this one did a… Continue reading NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy
The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang
Ana was a washed-up zoologist turned programmer looking for work; Derek was an avatar designer for the Data Earth virtual reality platform. The thing that brought them together: Blue Gamma Inc., manufacturer of autonomous self-aware AI pets known as digients. Like any pet, each digient requires constant attention as they learn and grow. Soon, Ana… Continue reading The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang
Should authors respond to reviews?
In the last six days since it went free, “From the Ice Incarnate” has had almost 2,250 downloads, and with so much attention, reviews are starting to trickle in. Amazon has a very elegant system, which not only allows other readers to vote on whether a review is helpful, but to comment and start a… Continue reading Should authors respond to reviews?
Publishing in 2016 by David Gaughran
If you’re a writer with any interest in indie publishing at all, David Gaughran is someone you should be following right now. He’s an up-and-coming Irish writer with a better handle on the changes in publishing than most. I’m about halfway through his book Let’s Get Digital, and it’s quite good. For today’s post, I asked… Continue reading Publishing in 2016 by David Gaughran
You should check this guy out
As some of you may know, in 2008 I traveled to Jordan with the BYU study abroad program. One of my friends from the program was Joey Anthon Jackson, pictured here. When we got back from Jordan in August, Joey graduated and promptly went back overseas. Ever since, he’s been traveling the world, spending no… Continue reading You should check this guy out
How’s my new blog template?
It’s up! What do you think? I especially like the sidebar layout, with the featured item on top and the double sidebars below. I think I’m going to put all my promotional stuff (books, social networks) on the right sidebar, with all the blog stuff (tags, archives, recent comments, blogroll, etc) on the left. I’m… Continue reading How’s my new blog template?
Why I am not afraid of the Noise part II
A recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal titled “Cherish the Book Publishers–You’ll Miss Them When They’re Gone” has ignited a firestorm across the indie publishing community. The post’s basic argument is that the ease of self publishing and the end of New York as the gatekeepers of quality will make it harder for readers… Continue reading Why I am not afraid of the Noise part II
Craving another retreat
Last night, I got together with an old friend from last year and went camping down in Sanpete county, in the Manti-Lasal National Forest. Even though I didn’t get a whole lot of writing done, it was a much needed change of scenery. Man, southern Utah is so different from the Salt Lake and Utah… Continue reading Craving another retreat
Writing is like tending an orchard
So I was hiking the Y tonight, pondering various things, and the thought occurred to me that writing is a lot like an olive orchard. First, you’ve got the land, both cultivated and wild. Cultivated land is like your conscious mind, where everything fits neatly into order and you have control over what you create. … Continue reading Writing is like tending an orchard