Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Fiction, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing on October 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »
You know you’re a writer when you look down to see that your sleeve is soaked in blood* and think, “For your next action story, remember the sensation of blood-saturated fabric as it cools against the skin.”
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, cli-fi, creativity, Fiction, free fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing on October 11, 2022| 1 Comment »
Tuesdays don’t have to be all bad. You may remember I mentioned a call for optimistic fiction about our climate future. Here is the resulting free collection.
Imagine 2200: The 2022 climate fiction collection | Fix
This year’s three winners and nine finalists bring new perspectives to the vital genre of climate fiction, with short stories that offer visions of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope. Join us in celebrating an uprising of imagination with 12 stirring, surprising, and expansive looks at a future built on sustainability, inclusivity, and justice.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, Jo Miles, Nature's Futures, Writers, writing on September 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »
My afternoon disappeared with a giant sucking sound, so please enjoy this story about hope, the power of community, and doing what you can where you are.
Her branches reach for the stars (Jo Miles in Nature: Futures)
Lieutenant Auri Murr knew the exact moment when her grandmother died.
She was on duty in engineering when Grandma Shanna’s dappu-wood bead on her kin-necklace cracked: a sharp, dry, quiet sound, unmistakable to anyone from Darmindu Colony. It could have woken Auri from a sound sleep.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, books, Fiction, knowledge, Thoughts on September 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“Don’t join the book burners. Don’t think you’re going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don’t be afraid to go in your library and read every book…”
― Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Fiction, historical fiction, inspiration, Writers, writing on September 23, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Hilary Mantel, celebrated author of Wolf Hall, dies aged 70
The Booker prize-winning author of the Wolf Hall trilogy, Dame Hilary Mantel, has died aged 70, her publisher HarperCollins has confirmed.
Mantel was regarded as one of the greatest English-language novelists of this century, winning the Booker Prize twice, for Wolf Hall and its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, which also won the 2012 Costa book of the year.
…
Writer and broadcaster Damian Barr said her death is “such a loss”.
“With every book she redefined what words can do,” he tweeted, adding: “She’s the only person I ever interviewed that speaks in whole, flawless paragraphs. I can’t believe we won’t have another book from her.”
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“The pen is in our hands. A happy ending is ours to write.”
— Hilary Mantel
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Fiction, Fireside Magazine, genre fiction, Tina S. Zhu, Tuesdays, Writers, writing on September 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »
It’s Tuesday, so you almost got an encouraging quote and pretty picture, but this short story appeared in my inbox.
I was never a philosophy student but the message still tickles my funny bone (I probably would have taken that job, though).
You might like it too.
Recipe by Tina S. Zhu
Makes one reluctant vampire hunter.
Ingredients:
1 desperate jobseeker
4 YouTube videos on cooking with tomato sauce
2 fire alarms, batteries not included
1 friend willing to smuggle blood
4 cloves garlic
1 gallon expired holy water
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Fiction, genre fiction, Thoughts, worldbuilding, Writers, writing on September 12, 2022| 1 Comment »
Whether your story rests on a historical foundation or you’re starting a world from scratch, writers, game-builders, and creators of all kinds can benefit from an in-depth understanding of how social and economic systems operate.
There is a lot of related material out there but I came across this guide, specifically aimed at creators of fiction, and thought I’d share.
Resources for World-Builders by The Pedant, a.k.a. Dr. Bret C. Devereaux
I know a lot of my readers are interested in constructing fictional worlds which follow historical rules and patterns, where things like agriculture and armies make sense. So I thought I would gather together some of the material I’ve written that might be of use.
As an example, here’s an analysis of what it took to for pre-modern farmers to make bread. It certainly makes me appreciate the ease with which we can now access high-quality flour (and legal protections, and insurance).
Bread, How Did They Make it? (I, II, III, IV, A)
And finally, just to point out the obvious: farming labor is hard. It is back-breaking, uncomfortable stuff.
The resource collection includes material on the following categories, with examples from history (fictional and otherwise).
This site has a Lot of other interesting material as well, so if (for example) you’ve ever wondered why the Industrial Revolution didn’t happen under the Roman Empire, this is the resource for you.
* Also note, for more on what and how people ate in the Western Middle Ages, SF Canada writer Krista D. Ball has a detailed and useful book on realism in fantasy food: What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I drafted a drabble. I drafted a haiku. I drafted another drabble. None of these pieces are ready to share, so instead I’ll leave you with this back-to-school story from Fireside ok, that was too scary so I’ll just go submit a story to an anthology!
Such is the writing life.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Fiction, genre fiction, Hugo Awards, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The winners of the 2022 Hugo Awards have been announced!
Click through the links above for free access to the winning novelette and short story, or visit the awards page for the full list of awardees.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, Ken Liu, Uncanny Magazine, Writers, writing on August 31, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I’m apparently out of practice balancing the day job with other things. I also spent a good part of my day interfacing with computers, so while I relearn time-management skills, here’s a story from Ken Liu.
/can’t find the story
/now where is that link hiding?
/AI help needed!
Ah, here we are.
50 Things Every AI Working with Humans Should Know – Uncanny Magazine
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