Words    Words    Words

Argh! I just found probably the twentieth writing advice site in recent reading that states, in plain unambiguous language, “don’t write a story with a cast of thousands”. These sites may vary on nearly every other advice point, but on this one maxim they all seem firmly in agreement.
Fine, I hear that. […]

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My poem, “a 24th-century reflection on emptiness” has been published by Aberrant Dreams in their webzine. It’s great to see my poem online at such a nifty publication.
Our friend Marissa Lingen was also published by AD in January.

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For those unfamiliar with it, the Fourth Street Fantasy Convention is a fairly small convention that ran during the 80s. It’s oriented toward, well, how to read and write better. Or, put another way, it’s a convention of people who like to read, write, and edit good books, and want there to be […]

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When I’m working on a story, there is usually some background idea I’m investigating; what some might call a theme, although I don’t entirely understand that word.  In practice, it means that at some point in the process–usually pretty early–I discover that I’m using the story as a means to work out or explore some […]

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My review of Tanith Lee’s Indigara has been published on the SF Site. It’s one of the most negative reviews I’ve ever written, which was a little weird for me. I’ve enjoyed some of Lee’s work but this one was way short of the mark. I hope those who read my review will look […]

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It isn’t our job as writers to understand the inexplicable, only to explain it.

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If you live with a cat, “played with” means “gone forever.”  As in, “Where is my pen?”  “It fell on the floor and got played with.”  If you live with a bird, however, “played with” means, roughly, “torn into little shreds to the point of no longer being recognizable.”
In other news, I’m on chapter five […]

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My review of Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky has been published on the SF Site.
Page by page, Dansky builds the tension. This is not a horror novel with much gore or many appearances by the overtly supernatural. Instead it slowly layers on just enough fear, just enough confusion, and just enough weirdness to keep you […]

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Does an author have a responsibility to do anything for their readers, other than tell an entertaining story?
These questions came up tonight as I worked on a review of a young adult book which I’ll be publishing on the SF Site. I’m still thinking about my answers.
To give an example, I know I am bored […]

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As I said in my last post, I’ve been playing Morrowind a lot recently. The team at Bethesda Softworks did an excellent job creating an entertaining and engaging world and I hope this does not come across as criticism of them or their game; in fact, I bet a lot of what I mention here […]

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