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Posts Tagged ‘writing’

Getting Happy

Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 5, 2016| Leave a Comment »

“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy… you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.”

― Stephen King

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You’ve Gotta Go On Living

Posted in Entertainment, Funny, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »

So there I was, submitting a story to Daily Science Fiction, when I stumbled upon “Shark’s Teeth” by T.A. Pratt. Now, I wasn’t planning to post this or any other DSF story because I didn’t want anyone (hello DSF editors!) to think I was sucking up, but hey, it’s a fun story. It also put me onto Pratt’s Marla Mason series, and I love finding new worlds to explore.

Marla Mason, sorcerer in exile, looked over the railing of the balcony, down at the lavish resort hotel’s pool with its swim-up bar and tanned, happy people lounging on chairs, and thought, I can’t take another day of this.

“I can’t take another day of this,” she said aloud…

Time to stock up on lembas a.k.a. chocolate chip cookies (my exploring food of choice, feel free to substitute as necessary!) and find a copy of Marla’s introductory novel, the 2007 Blood Engines🙂

Enjoy!

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The Hugos, or, Time to Get Reading!

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The finalists for the 2016 Hugo Awards have been announced! If you’re interested in the best new science fiction today, or just looking to pad your reading list, the Hugo roster is a great place to start.

Check out the complete list at MidAmeriCon II (this year’s Worldcon host). For more on the award and this year’s slate, John Scalzi has a new piece up at the LA Times:

The Hugo finalists: John Scalzi on why the sad puppies can’t take credit for Neil Gaiman’s success*

I’ve read all but one of the candidates for Best Novel, but only two of those for Best Novella and a handful of the remaining works (I’ve seen all but one of the films, though, so quick and digestible, movies!).

If you’re interested in voting for any of this fine fiction to win a Hugo, you’ll need an active membership to Worldcon. (If you aren’t planning to attend the conference, the most accessible way to do this is with a $50 Supporting membership, which comes with many of the nominated works in the Hugo Voter Packet.)

Links to the (mostly not free) nominated stories are available via Locus Online or in Google’s handy summary search sidebar, along with past winners. I’ll add one more link to the free short story nominee at Nature:

“Asymmetrical Warfare” by S. R. Algernon (Nature, Mar 2015)

Time to get reading:)

——

* Yes, the whole “puppies” kerfuffle remains ongoing, but looks to be less of an issue for this year’s Hugo nominees and going forward. Thankfully!

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Welcome to My Day Off… With Fiction

Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I don’t know about you but (for fairly uncomplicated reasons involving a working weekend) I’m taking at least part of today off. I plan to read. A lot. I plan to read stories like Caroline Yoachim’s recent piece “Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station | Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0“, available free to all at Lightspeed Magazine.

Enjoy!

🍁

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Door to New Worlds

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

Some photos beg to be story prompts, don’t you think?

Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life.

― John Muir

 

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Lovely Libraries

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 20, 2016| 1 Comment »

Last week was National Library Week in the U.S. I’m coming to it late* but as far as I’m concerned, most weeks should involve a library:) Why, you may ask? So many reasons! And for those of us North of the Border, stay tuned because October is Canadian Library Month!

Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.
— Ray Bradbury

NLW-banner_0

 

* I blame a hectic work schedule but mostly the glorious backlog of library books on my shelves, just waiting to be read:)

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The Balance in Blood

Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Today’s free fiction selection is Elizabeth Bear’s “And the Balance in Blood,” from the November/December 2015 issue of Uncanny.

Bear writes both novels and terrific, frequently magical shorts.* (“Tideline,” a 2008 Hugo award-winner from Asimov’s Science Fiction, holds a special place in my heart, but the text version isn’t freely available [audio link at Escape Pod].)

If you’re curious about Bear’s other works or where to start with her (many) series, check out Tor.com’s helpful article Where To Start with the Work of Elizabeth Bear.

Enjoy!

* Also, what a great pen name. Makes me want to write as Jennifer Okapi or Swan or Fossa:)

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Extra Super Busy Today, But…

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

Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.”
― Jane Smiley

Me too:)

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Haldeman’s “None So Blind”

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 11, 2016| Leave a Comment »

For today’s dose of free fiction we have a short story by Joe Haldeman. Haldeman is a Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inductee (2012), author of The Forever War and many, many other works, and retired MIT writing professor.

“None So Blind” won the Locus and Hugo Awards for 1995’s best short story, and first appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine.

Enjoy!

 

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A Comfort to the Lost

Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Life is not supposed to be neat. And it’s a comfort. It’s a comfort to all of us who have messed up. And then you find your way back…

— JK Rowling

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