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Progress report, and thank-you

skzb — Sun, 09 May 2010 03:23:46 +0000

I’m on the last chapter of Tiassa, and I want to take a moment to thank Alexx Kay for his timeline, Mark Mandel for Cracks and Shards, and everyone who has been maintaining the Dragaera Wiki; these resources have been especially useful over the last couple of days.

Progress report, and thank-you

Another Tiassa Update

skzb — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:59:37 +0000

After several conversations with Reesa, what I think is the last chunk of Tiassa has fallen into place well enough that I can see where I’m going. I think. Maybe. For the moment. So I believe I’m on track to finish it. I have noticed that, with each of the last several books, I have pissed off some percentage of Vlad fans, and this makes me sad. So, with this book, I’m hoping to piss off all of them. I hate half measures.

Another Tiassa Update

Headsmack

skzb — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:14:34 +0000

Today I was at a Borders looking for Poker Pro magazine (on account of I’m in it, how cool is that?). While there, I, as usual, checked the sf section to see how well represented I was. I skimmed past the row Jim Butcher, found the row of Lois Bujold, and there I was. Two books.

Two lousy books.

Sad. Miserable. Depressed. I moped out of the store to my car, then stopped.

Two books? I have two books at Borders?

How many people do I know who would give their right cliche to have two books at Borders?

Man. I have BOOKS. In a BOOKSTORE. And there was my car, that I bought with money I got for WRITING BOOKS.

I drove home feeling much better.

*Headsmack*

Iorich – Spoilers

skzb — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:59:36 +0000

Place to discuss Your Itch.

Iorich – Spoilers

Tiassa Update

skzb — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:47:02 +0000

It’s been pointed out to me that I’ve been slacking off on giving progress reports.

Tiassa is being difficult. Between conversations with Reesa and with Neil, I’ve been convinced to try something a bit challenging. I think it’s going to be really cool if it works, but at the moment I’m beating my head against it about halfway through. Judging by past experience, I imagine in a week or so things will fall into place and I’ll be moving forward.

Tiassa Update

Woohoo!

skzb — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:32:40 +0000

It seems that Cory Doctorow likes my book. I am happy. Praise from Caesar is praise indeed, as some Hungarian once said.

Woohoo!

Dark fantasy recommendations, please

skzb — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:17:01 +0000

A friend just asked me to recommend some dark fantasy, and I realized that, with the exception of anything by Tim Powers, I don’t know much about it. You can argue about what “Dark Fantasy” means, if you wish*, but also throw in some reading suggestions. Thanks!

*One friend recently explained, “If I like it, it’s dark fantasy, if I don’t like it, it’s horror.”

Dark fantasy recommendations, please

Vlad novels – Spoilers – Part 2

skzb — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:27:04 +0000

Topic started by request. I’m about a third of the way through the first draft of Tiassa. Or, as I affectionately call it, Hadassah. – Hadizsákmányapa Copyright 2008 The Dream Cafe. Vlad novels – Spoilers – Part 2 ©2012 Words Words Words. All Rights Reserved..

Vlad novels – Spoilers – Part 2

A Walking Tour of the Shambles by Neil Gaiman & Gene Wolfe

skzb — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:12:31 +0000

I hope you’ve read Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. If not, go read it. If you have, imagine stopping at one of those cities and finding the weirdest, darkest little area in it. Then imagine a description of that area by Gaiman and Wolfe. That the city in this case happens to be Chicago is besides the point. It is a perfect little gem of delightful madness and charming evil. Go read it.

A Walking Tour of the Shambles by Neil Gaiman & Gene Wolfe

Great moments in literature

skzb — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:46:28 +0000

1. In This Immortal, by Zelazny, when Conrad says, “Feathers or Lead?”

2. In Twenty Years After, by Dumas, when M. de Beaufort removes the poniard from the pie and says, “I hold one of these poniards to La Remee’s heart and say to him, ‘My friend, I am truly distressed, but if you make any movement or utter a cry, you are a dead man.’”

It’s things like that, those catch-your-breath instants, that are what I live for–why I say I’ll do anything for a good scene. A long, slow build-up, and a payoff that makes the brain explode.

So–can you think of moments like that, lines that are the culmination of a scene that make your heart skip a beat? (And, just so no one thinks I’m fishing for compliments, let us exclude any that I might be responsible for).

Great moments in literature