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Posts Tagged ‘Fiction’

Can’t Stop the Feeling!

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »

It’s International Women’s Day and while there are a lot of related events taking place, I’d like to highlight one with particular interest to writers. Tor.com has put together a short fiction collection spotlighting women, justice and persistence.

Here’s an excerpt from Tor’s announcement:

In collaboration with colleagues Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Lee Harris, Liz Gorinsky, Marco Palmieri, and Miriam Weinberg, we have assembled this flash fiction collection featuring several of the best writers in SF/F today. Together these authors share unique visions of women inventing, playing, loving, surviving, and – of course – dreaming of themselves beyond their circumstances.

Look forward to stories from:

Charlie Jane Anders
Brooke Bolander
Maria Dahvana Headley
Amal El-Mohtar
Kameron Hurley
Seanan McGuire
Nisi Shawl
Catherynne M. Valente
Carrie Vaughn
Jo Walton
Alyssa Wong

The stories are inspired by the words “Nevertheless, She Persisted” and will roll out starting May 8th.

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Story Acceptance News

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 28, 2017| 1 Comment »

Happily, I’ve had two stories accepted this month. I’m particularly pleased on both fronts: one story is a bit peculiar, a flash of magical realism that may not fit into a convenient category, but (hopefully) captures the essence of an emotional experience. The second story is a rollicking sci-fi romp that’s one of my favorites, but its length (it started life at ~12,000 words) made it a hard sell. I’m delighted to have found homes for both stories!

I’ll post specifics when they are available, but celebrating is always fun. Yay!

Here’s hoping that you have things to celebrate this weekend too:)

 

 

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Why Writing Is Hard, Today’s Edition

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on January 27, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Writing is hard, almost all of the time. It’s been said before, but imagining a new world, reducing it to marks on a page, and sending it out to be reconstituted by another person is a lot like a magic spell. (Or mind control. Or sea monkeys, but hopefully more realistic;) It takes concentration, and focus, and clarity.

All of those things seem to be in somewhat short supply these days. There’s a lot going on in this world. And I fear that I have been neglecting you, fair readers.

So here’s what I’m planning to do: post more. No crazy promises I’m sure to break, like a post every 23 hours and 59 minutes, because let’s get real. I’m aiming for success, not self-recrimination:) And if a photo or quote is what I’ve got for the day, fine. With luck, it will cheer, inspire, amaze, or similarly affect you as it has me.

Because when it comes right down to it, isn’t that what it’s all about?

Here, have a picture of some sea monkeys:)

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We’ve Fallen Through the Trapdoor. Now What?

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 26, 2017| 1 Comment »

Slate has invited ten writers to envision the possibilities of a Trump future. As Ben H. Winters, author and the editor of this series explains, “fiction has a special power to clarify, galvanize, prophesy, and warn.” Writers include Héctor Tobar, Ben H. Winters, Nisi Shawl, Saladin Ahmed, Lauren Beukes, Jeff VanderMeer, Kashana Cauley, J. Robert Lennon, Edan Lepucki, and Elizabeth Bear.
Because as the motto says, it’s best to be prepared.

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Some of the Best of Tor.com, 2016

Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 13, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Tor.com has put together a selection of its short fiction from 2016. If you’re interested in an e-book of same (rather than reading the material online) it’s available free for the next few days.

We are very excited to offer a free download of the 2016 edition of Some of the Best from Tor.com, an anthology of 25 of our favorite short stories and novelettes from the last year. Readers worldwide can download the ebook for free by signing up for the Tor.com Publishing newsletter from midnight EST on January 10th until 11:59 P.M. EST on January 17th.

Free fiction. Mmm, tasty.

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Close Enough

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 12, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Happy Monday, everyone! I’ve got a new flash fiction piece out today: “Close Enough” is free and available now from the good folks over at Sci Phi Journal.

If you have ever wondered what you’d do if a question of moral ethics became more applied than theoretical, or if you just like a good revenge tale, this story might be for you.

Enjoy!

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Stories to Tell, Futures to Build

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 14, 2016| Leave a Comment »

It occurs to me that one of the things we really need now is storytelling. With a Republican-dominated government in the U.S., dissenters won’t have as many direct political options to make change via laws. That leaves hearts and minds.

And what’s best for changing hearts and minds? A compelling story.

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As I see it, an important part of our job right now as writers isn’t to bombard with facts and figures (or not only, of course there’s a place for that). Fiction writers have a special place in society. We imagine other futures, other paths, other worlds. We bring those experiences, those feelings*, to readers.

Our challenge is to inspire, to engage, to help others envision a better world. With a nod to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, to make them long for a kinder, more hopeful, and more just sea.

 

 

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* And as Ian Warren argues, at least part of what has happened with Brexit and the U.S. election seems to be that “what data and polling often misses, is how people think and feel” and that “the communication of effective emotional messages is currently beating data alone.”

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Life & Lapels

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I’m working on a new project and looking forward to finishing it up and getting it out the door. It’s been a busy month so far, but there never seems to be quite enough time to get everything done. It’s still fun to try.
maya1

My mother had this wonderful Maya Angelou quote illuminated and framed. (And who is that amusing young girl in the photo?:) She knew a thing or two about adversity, and about persistence.

Hang on, I’ve got to go take care of a few more things. Something about life and lapels…

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Summer’s End

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 15, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Nights are cool, maple leaves are touched with red, and while a mosquito recently gifted me one massive and very distracting bite, the pesky little blighters are all but done for the year. It is 46F as I write this, and this year’s fall equinox will take place on September 22nd.

It’s time to come to terms with the fact that summer is on its way out.
/insert brief pause for distraught handwringing… or not

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Actually, I think I’m ok with that. Why? Because fall is a terrific season. Because I love pie (mmm, pie:). Because if you were raised on fall as I was, its absence is missed. And because the nagging feeling at the back of my mind tells me that it’s time to get back to work.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t take the summer off. I’m still working, still writing, but I haven’t had much of a presence here. My schedule has been more erratic than usual, as fishing or family or other excursions called me away. And much of the writing I’ve done is tweaking, fixing, editing or otherwise sorting out existing material.

Fall is a great time to dig in and embark on new adventures. To make big plans. Use those extra hours of darkness to dream of the new, and on waking, make those dreams real.

I hope your summer was as fun as mine, and I hope that you, too, are ready for a change. It’s time to get to work.

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2016 Hugo Award Winners

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The good folks over at The Verge have the list of 2016’s Hugo award winners, complete with links and the complete list of nominees. Lots of women and authors of color this round. All in all, this year’s award race largely shrugged off reactionaries and controversy, a real win for diversity and innovative speculative fiction. Enjoy!

Winner: Best Novel

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