“The Guide says there is an art to flying”, said Ford, “or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
― Douglas Adams
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Posts Tagged ‘Writers’
The Art of Flying
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, creativity, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers on May 5, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Color Me Impressed
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, creativity, Fiction, inspiration, writer, Writers, writing on May 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »
You may remember that I’ve talked about NaNoWriMo, where intrepid writers challenge themselves to write a 50,000-word novel in a month. Professional writers often do much more than this (Dean Wesley Smith is a poster author for it), but I wouldn’t say it’s common. At all.
Now that AI is a thing, however, it’s easy to put many words in a line very fast. Not good words, mind you, but words.
I just ran across a reference to an author who has decided to embark on a writing challenge, pitting herself against AI.
Alberta author Alison McBain decided to do an “Author Vs AI” challenge. The goal? A well-written book a week for a total of two million words in 365 days. Dang.
She started a week or so ago and is posting daily word counts as she goes.
Here she is ramping up for the starting line: Three Days before Launch… Tips & Tricks to Writing Quickly
Here’s she is, taking off: TODAY Starts 2 MILLION+ Words in 365 days!
Of course, we aren’t really comparing apples to apples here. We’re comparing one person’s ability to convert their history, emotions and expertise into a coherent recipe for another person to experience, versus a predictive extrapolation of the collective yet selective distillation of humanity known as the internet, produced through many (many) hours of training and often poorly-paid drudgery.
(Trying to resist the obvious joke about it not being so different from writing after all, but also obviously failing. Even so.)
Writers write because they have something to say. They’re unable to shut up. They have a point of view. They put themselves through an emotional wringer to get it across, and sometimes lightning strikes and their work resonates with other people. — Ilona Andrews
I love that this writer has given herself a fun challenge, and frankly, she had me at “well-written.”
Color me impressed.
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If One Thing
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, creativity, future me, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers on April 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Habits: On Making and Breaking
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, creativity, habits, poetry, Thoughts, Writers, writing on April 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Some habits are good, some not so much. How do you break a bad habit (just as a totally random example, like jumping straight into day job work instead of carving out a bit of time for creativity)?
It’s National Poetry Month, so here’s a poem on the subject. And while I don’t necessarily agree with the slightly depressing penultimate line (“unhelped, alone”), I do think the larger message is a good one: if you made it, you can break it.
Habit
How shall I a habit break?
As you did that habit make.
As you gathered, you must lose;
As you yielded, now refuse.
Thread by thread the strands we twist,
Till they bind us, neck and wrist;
Thread by thread the patient hand
Must untwine, ere free we stad;
As we builded, stone by stone,
We must toil unhelped, alone,
Till the wall is overthrown.
— John Boyle O’Reilly
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Earth Day: What’s Good
Posted in Holidays, Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, Earth Day 2024, fresh perspectives, genre fiction, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers on April 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Today is work work work but that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about what’s good for the planet. If you are looking for ideas on what to do and how to do it, check out the Earth Day 2024 website or this Earth Day Action Toolkit.
And for ideas on how interacting with nature can help change our perspective, here’s an article by documentary film maker and student of octopi Craig Foster:
Earth Day 2024: ‘Saving the Planet’ Is the Wrong Goal
I was gifted with a new way of seeing the day I got mugged underwater…
Note to self: do not swim with novel shiny things!
As we’re discussing octopi and how they see the world, let me also recommend Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Is it fiction? Maybe!
(And yes, my favorite character was the octopus.)
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Do You Sci-Fi?
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, #wotf39, genre fiction, Writers, Writers of the Future, writing on April 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »
I looked at the calendar and realized that a year ago, I was fresh off the plane and joining my fellow Writers of the Future winners in Los Angeles. Sleep deprivation aside, the week-long workshop was a fascinating experience and one which opened connections to a great group of people. Meeting and learning from contest judges and other famous writers opened some amazing doors, of course, but joining a cohort of excellent new writers was also incredibly rewarding.
If you are an amateur writer or illustrator with an interest in science fiction or fantasy, consider entering Writers of the Future. It’s free and includes four submission windows per year. The next deadline is June 30, 2024; visit the above links for more detailed information.
Not sure you’re ready, or just want to learn more about how to write a good story? Check out the free online writing workshop, with videos from judges David Farland, Orson Scott Card, and Tim Powers.
Because the world needs more fantastic fiction.
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Sorry, Censor…
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, meh, Writers, writing on April 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Upon realizing that the day is passing by much later than I hoped:
My internal writing censor: You should be writing!
Me: I tried, I mean, I’ve been at the computer all day and everything!
Censor: Did you work on your day job and bills and that house project you need to sort out? Did you take a break for lunch? Did you do (pauses dramatically) multiple loads of laundry?!
Me: It’s true, I did all of those things.
Censor: And you say you tried.
So judgy! Sorry, Censor. Some days it just doesn’t happen, and that’s got to be ok.
Onward!
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Today in Tech
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, technical issues, Writers, writing on April 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »
In“day’s Problms in Tech”Ii prreesent
In “Today’s Problem in Tech” I present severe yet intermittent keyboard lag. The above is an example of what I’m dealing with, so no writing for me until I find a way around this problem.
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Taxes and the (Not So) Grim Reaper
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, #wotf39, boook birthdays, David Hankins, fantasy, genre fiction, humor, inspiration, release day, Writers, writing on April 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »
It’s that time again for Americans: Tax Day. Fun? Not really, although my taxes are done and I can rest easy knowing that I have contributed to the collective project that is civilization, and also won’t get a disturbing letter from the IRS.
It’s also a day when a lot of us could use more humor in our lives, which makes it a perfect excuse to promote my friend David Hankins’ new book, out today!
Death and the Taxman | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store!
Allies are few and hijinks are many in this hilarious race against time as the Grim Reaper himself tries to cheat death and avoid an audit by Hell’s Auditor and the Office of Micromanagement.
After sharing an ill-advised cup of tea with IRS auditor Frank Totmann, Grim finds himself trapped in Frank’s life amid a world of dangers: love, betrayal, reckless cabbies, implacable demon hunters, and the incessant needs that keep his body ticking . . . for now.
David’s writing is terrific, and this book is based on his award-winning short story of the same name. It’s great to see humorous fantasy done so well. Want a sample of his writing? Preview a chapter here.
Because when it comes to taxes, who doesn’t appreciate a laugh?
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Exploration Zone
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, genre fiction, society, Writers, writing on April 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Science fiction has long been considered a harbinger, and sometimes a driver, of future innovations. It can also be one of our best venues for the “cultural brainstorming” required to interpret current social, technological and political challenges.
How do some of our leading authors view the impact of SF on society as a whole?
This fascinating interview asks N.K. Jemisin, Andy Weir, Lois McMaster Bujold, David Brin, Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross about this and much more.
Does Science Fiction Shape the Future? by Namir Khaliq in Nautilus
Recently, I interviewed six of today’s foremost science-fiction authors. I asked them to weigh in on how much impact they think science fiction has had, or can have, on society and the future…
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