I thoroughly enjoyed the Rigante series. It has everything that I’ve come to love about David Gemmell’s books: scarred but good-hearted people struggling to do the right thing in the face of great hardship and evil, some of which lies within. Every chapter is compelling and filled with conflict, and while you know that most… Continue reading Stormrider by David Gemmell
Tag: endings
Now I have the perfect ending
Guys, I just plotted out the last two books in the Genesis Earth trilogy, and it is going to have the most fantastic ending ever. I can’t tell you anything about it, since that would spoil everything, but it’s going to be amazing. Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea to wait ten years to… Continue reading Now I have the perfect ending
Only two more chapters!
I’m only two chapters away from finishing the first draft of Gunslinger to the Stars! This book was supposed to be finished a month ago, but life got busy and my chronic disorganization got in the way. Of course, these last few chapters are taking WAY longer to write than I thought they would, just like all… Continue reading Only two more chapters!
Operation SB #4: The Curse of the Lifewalker
Title: The Curse of the Lifewalker Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Word Count: 4,340 Time: 1 day (sort of) So after “L’enfer, c’est la solitude,” I was kind of in a short story mood for a couple of days and decided to bang out another one. This one is actually an adaptation from my novel Lifewalker, a post-apocalyptic… Continue reading Operation SB #4: The Curse of the Lifewalker
Trope Tuesday: Fridge Logic, Fridge Horror, and Fridge Brilliance
You know that moment after the end of the show, when the credits are rolling and the glory of that crowning moment of awesome is just beginning to fade? When you go to the fridge to get something to eat, and all of a sudden that gaping plot hole or internal consistency problem with the… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Fridge Logic, Fridge Horror, and Fridge Brilliance
On the verge of another story
So with Star Wanderers coming to a close, at least as far as the actual writing is concerned, I’ve recently found myself back in that weird writerly place where I don’t have any pressing projects to work on. Whenever this happens, I find that it’s generally a good idea to start something new. Until just a… Continue reading On the verge of another story
Trope Tuesday: Deus Ex Machina
This one is by request. A Deus Ex Machina, or “God from the Machine” ending, is basically when the author writes himself into a corner and pulls something out of his butt to resolve the story. The term comes from ancient Greek theater, which often employed this technique–probably because the audience was known to get violent… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Deus Ex Machina
Trope Tuesday: Hoist By His Own Petard
One of the most satisfying ways to defeat the villain is to have his own nefarious scheme bring about his downfall. In Hamlet, Shakespeare described this as “hoist by his own petard,” or blown up by his own bomb. Basically, it’s a self-deposing villain whose evil plans have gone horribly right. Not only is this a… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Hoist By His Own Petard
Trope Tuesday: The Cavalry
Things look bleak: the Big Bad is on the verge of conquering the world, and the heroes have gathered for one last stand. Just when it looks like all hope is lost, a horn sounds in the distance, and the cavalry arrive to save the day. Whether a ragtag bunch of minor characters, an army… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: The Cavalry
plot vs. PLOT and an interesting serial publishing idea
Back in English 318 at BYU, Brandon Sanderson used to tell us that there was a big difference between “little-p plot” and “big-p Plot.” The first applies mostly to chapters and scenes, which he said he could teach us. The second refers to the overall story structure, which he couldn’t teach in a classroom setting… Continue reading plot vs. PLOT and an interesting serial publishing idea