Monthly Archives: January 2015

Lord Dunsany Re-Read: Time and the Gods, Part 6

time and the godsBill Ward and I are continuing our Lord Dunsany re-read with the next two stories published in the original Time and the Gods (not the omnibus). You can find a free copy of the book here and join in the discussion. Our rating system is pretty simple. One star is a standout, and two stars is truly notable. Most of Lord Dunsany’s fantasy work is already fairly remarkable, so even a “no star” story on this scale may be worth a look. This week we read “Night and Morning” and “Usury.”

Parallel Stories

plagueshadowsI first experimented with parallel story structure when I wrote Plague of Shadows for Paizo’s Pathfinder series. In that book, I’d occasionally flash back in time fifteen years for vignettes that slowly revealed background relationships illuminating why the characters acted toward each other the way they did in the present.

It wasn’t a NEW technique, for I’ve seen it done elsewhere, and you probably have as well (especially in Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard books). But it was new to me.

In my new series I’m attempting to use it in a far more complex manner, for approximately half of each book (thought not all in one chunk). Characters who are dead or missing in the present are point of view characters in the past, and they are searching for explanation of mysteries that we see characters in the present discovering (all while dealing with the aftermath of actions taken by both themselves and these other POV characters long ago).

Lord Dunsany Re-Read: Time and the Gods, Part 5

time and the godsBill Ward and I are continuing our Lord Dunsany re-read with the next two stories published in the original Time and the Gods (not the omnibus). You can find a free copy of the book here and join in the discussion. Our rating system is pretty simple. One star is a standout, and two stars is truly notable. Most of Lord Dunsany’s fantasy work is already fairly remarkable, so even a “no star” story on this scale may be worth a look. This week we read “The Men of Yarnith” and “For the Honour of the Gods.”

Robert E. Howard’s Birthday

solomon-kane3Here’s to Robert E. Howard, creator of my favorite genre, sword-and-sorcery, on the anniversary of his birth. Raise high your goblets and drink deep.

What is best about Robert E. Howard’s writing? The driving headlong pace, the seemingly inexhaustible imagination, the splendid cinematic prose poetry, the never-say-die protagonists? It is hard to pick one thing, so it may be simpler to state that Robert E. Howard possessed profound and often astonishing storytelling gifts. Without drowning his readers in adjectives (he had the knack of using just enough adjectives or adverbs, and knew to let the verbs do the heavy lifting) or slowing pace, he brought his scenes to life. Vividly.

Link Day

trek continues crewToday I offer a bevy of interesting links.

First, you may recall when I gushed about Star Trek Continues. Now’s your chance to jump in and lend a hand because the talented cast and crew need your help making new episodes (and possibly an engine room and planetary set if stretch goals are hit!) Stop by and check out their Kirkstarter, and if you haven’t already, watch their episodes. If you’re a fan of the original series you’ll be amazed.

With The Beatles

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, John LennonWhat strangely lovely weather we’ve been experiencing here. If I were better rested I’d be able to enjoy it even more. Hopefully I can soon get these sleep issues straightened. As it stands, I’ve little energy for normally daily activities, let alone anything extra.

Lord Dunsany Re-Read: Time and the Gods Part 4

time and the godsBill Ward and I are continuing our Lord Dunsany re-read with the next two stories published in the original Time and the Gods (not the omnibus). You can find a free copy of the book here and join in the discussion. Our rating system is pretty simple. One star is a standout, and two stars is truly notable. Most of Lord Dunsany’s fantasy work is already fairly remarkable, so even a “no star” story on this scale may be worth a look.

Re-Learning Mistakes

Hulk PuppySo far I think I’m doing a great job with my New Year’s resolutions, but I’ve let one of my habits slip, which is to review my Writing Mistakes every day before I write. And you know the mistake I’ve found myself making over and over on this new one? NOT knowing what my characters want before I start writing the scene. Even if it says what they’re going to do in the outline, I have to be the director and tell those people what they want!

Prep time does not begin and end with the outline, Howard!

On the other hand, I finally have a good openings sentence to the book, so that’s pretty nice. A lot of times I don’t have the opening sentence until much later in my outline.

So, what do I have to do that involves writing this year?