Monthly Archives: October 2011

Tweaking

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I haven’t been happy with my online bibliography since I first posted it. It was one long line of short story publications before any of the books came up (yes, I’m proud of that long line, but unless someone was looking just for that, it’s a lot to wade through). So, not that I necessarily think the books are more important, but I did put them first because there are fewer of them naturally and this makes them easier to find.

Is it better now? Yes? No? Anything you’d like to see included in the bibliography or elsewhere here that isn’t? Inquiring minds want to know!

Telling Vs Showing, Or Is It?

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The advice is hammered into a baby writer’s head almost from Day One: “When writing anything,show don’t tell.”

I’m not the first to point out the following, but it bears repeating, so let’s think about this, shall we? And let’s begin with two character descriptions:

“Jim Bob Hattrick was the sort of man who would have everyone in the county attending his funeral, if only to see for themselves that the sumbitch was dead.”

“In orderly fashion, the long line of people in their Sunday best filed by Jim Bob Hattrick’s open casket. Some made a show of spitting on the corpse, but most were content to glare. No one cried, but a few did laugh.”

Which one is telling, and which one is showing? Continue reading →

Party Animals

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A friend is hosting a Halloween party this year, and today Carol and I worked on our costumes a bit. She’s going as the Queen of England and I’m going as a football (soccer to us in the Colonies) fan. Carol decided that I had to be a fan of the Bolton Wanderers, because she’s only three generations removed from Bolton and still has family there. I’ve got an official jersey and everything, plus a bag shaped like a soccer ball to carry candy in. I thought I was set.

Not quite. While we were killing time in a flea market today, Carol scored a piece of pristine Waterford crystal for $2.  I found a Halloween mask in the shape of a soccer ball. Okay, NOW I’m ready!

Drowning My Sorrows – A Literal Interpretation

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At this week’s writer’s group meeting we were handed a challenge–write a flash piece around the old saw, “Drowning Your Sorrows” and given a fifteen minute time limit. For your potential amusement, here’s what I did.

Drowning My Sorrows

It was the opposite of transcendence – I wasn’t looking for unity with all things and detachment from the purely physical, rather I was taking something that had no separate physical existence and giving it form and substance. Something I could deal with. The other way was hard, took years and years of whatever it took. This had to be easier. Let other people seek enlightenment. Me, I had other priorities, and  I always took the easier way.

“And just what do you think you’re doing?” Continue reading →

Beneath Ceaseless Skies #79 – Double Issue

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Beneath Ceaseless Skies #79 is now live. This is a double issue, with the latest Lord Yamada novelette, “The Tiger’s Turn,” as the lead story.

ToC:

Richard Parks – The Tiger’s Turn
Kat Howard – The Calendar of Saints
Nicole M. Taylor – A Spoonful of Salt
J.S. Bangs – The Judge’s Right Hand

The stories are free to read, but if you like what you find, consider supporting the magazine. It’s the most consistent source of literate adventure fantasy around.

Speaking of Lord Yamada, and for those who were wondering, the Yamada collection is still a go. It should be out from Prime Books in 2013. More information when there is some.

Note to Self: Doublecheck the issue number. Especially when it’s really, really early in the morning.