I picked up my paperback copy of this anthology at LTUE this year, and immediately set about collecting all of the signatures from the authors that I could find. I’ve currently got everyone except for Nancy Fulda, Wulf Moon, Beth Buck, and Julia H. West. Once I have acquired these last four signatures, it will… Continue reading Trace the Stars edited by Joe Monson and Jaleta Clegg
Tag: Dave Farland
Trope Tuesday: Pet the Dog
The basic principle behind this trope is that when you want your readers to feel some kind of sympathy toward a character, have them pet a puppy / puppy equivalent. Often used to show who the good guy is, but can also be used to add depth to a villain. I first learned about this… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Pet the Dog
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
Shoot your fans?
Today’s issue of Dave’s Daily Kick was titled “Hooking Credibility,” and I’m not sure what I think of it. At the end, Dave’s brother Tailspin Jim had the following to say: What I’m about to add is so basic that [Dave] would never think to include it, but you may be like the vast majority… Continue reading Shoot your fans?
Another publication in Leading Edge!
That’s right! My poem “Zarmina,” dedicated to Gliese 581 g (the first exoplanet discovered in its sun’s habitable zone) is published on page 98 of issue 61 of Leading Edge! Also included in this issue is an excellent essay by Brandon Sanderson, in which he introduces his second law of magic systems. It’s an excellent… Continue reading Another publication in Leading Edge!
Wolverton interview and more
The interview with Dave Wolverton was a resounding success! We had a fascinating conversation about science fiction and the gospel, his latest book In The Company of Angels, self-publishing, the English 318 class at BYU and the profound impact it’s had on the LDS writing community, and much, much more. On that, I suppose I… Continue reading Wolverton interview and more
T-minus 600 hours and counting
Haircut: check. Clean clothes: check. Bag lunch and dinner: check. Chilled water bottles: check. Directions to St George from Provo: check. Interview questions: check. iRiver 800 with sufficient recording space: check. iRiver to USB cord: check. Extra batteries: check. Asus netbook: check. 2003 Buick LeSabre Custom: check. 4+ hours of ocremix and other music: check.… Continue reading T-minus 600 hours and counting
The time sink
Man, life is different outside of school. So much time, so little structure. I find that I either write a lot, or I get distracted on some side project and write almost nothing. For example, my bike broke down last week. Since that’s currently my only form of transportation besides walking, I spent a good… Continue reading The time sink
“Why people read”
Dave Farland puts out this great e-newsletter called “Dave’s Daily Kick-in-the-Pants.” For the kick today, he suggested the following exercise: You probably have a good idea about what you want to write—horror, mainstream, fantasy, historical, romance, westerns, religious fiction, and whatnot. Sit down for ten minutes and on the left-hand side of your paper, list… Continue reading “Why people read”
Breaking 90k and other mundane excitements
(I almost always have trouble figuring out titles for these blogs posts. I mean, my writing life isn’t all that exciting–I just write. Check out my study abroad blog from last year for true (if old) excitement). I broke 90k words in Bringing Stella Home today. According to my goal of 120k, that’s the 3/4 mark.… Continue reading Breaking 90k and other mundane excitements