First: I made Jim Butcher sick to his stomach. (Actually, it’s a very nice comment from him.)
Second: Everyone Loves Blue Dog? Still not done.
Third: Today? Done. And I’m still sick.
Raiders Story Conference
StandardThis is a link to a blog post about the recently released full transcript of the many story conferences George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Lawrence Kasdan had about Raiders of the Lost Ark. All those phone conversations, transcribed.
The post is just the highlights and some lessons learned (about point 4: um, yeah. It sure puts Wesley’s time as the Dread Pirate Roberts into perspective) but I thought some folks here might be interested in reading how one of the most popular stories of the last several decades was conceived.
I haven’t read the transcript myself, since I’m supposed to be working on my book right now.
Seen via matt_ruff
The Writer’s Life
StandardCan I be CASTLE? Seriously?
I don’t know if any of you watched that show, but Nathan Fillion plays a filthy rich bestselling novelist with the mayor on speed dial. Now, I realize that, fundamentally, TV is not real, but I still love the fantasy life–as long as I don’t have to become a divorced, irresponsible boy-child who drinks and gambles too much. I’d rather keep my wife, and I’m happy to accept all that money, too.
As a show, it’s fine. The two stars have a bit of chemistry and the mystery was fun. Too bad it’s on so late.
Next: here’s a NSFW review of some time-traveling erotica. Um, yeah. Has to be seen to be believed.
Also, some folks are very happy that Warren Lapine has bought Realms of Fantasy, and will continue publishing it. I admit to being more skeptical that things will turn out well.
Finally, I finished the minor revisions for Everyone Loves Blue Dog during the wee hours of the morning. Being sick and sleepless has advantages. There’s still more work to do, since the ending needs work. Not coincidentally, I also read this interview. The author being interviewed at that link has a refreshingly practical attitude, but I’m not sure it would suit me.
If I’m still sick tomorrow, I’ll stay home for work and try to finish the whole thing.
Hope everyone is having a good day.
Followup to previous post
StandardAs a follow up to my previous post about Flycon, if you want to sign up for a panel, you can do that right here.
Have I mentioned this?
StandardI’m going to be taking part in Flycon next weekend. What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s a virtual science fiction convention being held on LiveJournal and sff.net, in which people from all over the world can get together online at an appointed hour and post about specific subjects.
Jeez, I really did forget to mention this before now, didn’t I? Well, let’s just say that for a long time it seemed really far off in the future, and now suddenly there’s a preliminary schedule for next weekend.
I’ll post the times and places of my discussions when the schedule is finalized. Hope to see you all there.
“… frankly I wouldn’t mind a return to a more fascist way of life…”
StandardAuthor E.E. Knight posts about a very special review of one of his novels.
Oy.
Revisions continue
StandardRevisions to Everyone Loves Blue Dog, the sequel to Child of Fire, continue. My editor asked me to cut a 15-page sequence down to a couple of lines–bad pacing–and my first thought when I looked at it in-depth was “Aw, come on! I researched this!”
But no matter! Things that need cutting must be cut! Whether that includes this sequence or not is another matter, since there are important story beats buried here, and I don’t have anywhere else to put them. Seriously. Some plot points can be moved to other scenes, but in this case I’d have to just write a new sequence to do this work.
However, it does drag a bit. I’m going to try to tone it up–small salads, Pilates, rowing machine, all that. Then we’ll see how it looks.
Also, I had a note from John O’Neill, the editor at Black Gate, asking if I wanted to send him an excerpt from Child of Fire. It’s a very cool idea, but I have to get permission from Random House first, and I have to find an excerpt that will work. I’ll follow up later, if it turns out well.
Next, here’s a video that I really like:
It’s Lovecraftian Musical Theater! Funny and creepy at the same time.
And because I have very little self-control, here’s the only Lego kit I’d still be willing to buy my son:
The Cthulhu was pretty cool, but I always thought it was green.
Finally, down here at the bottom of the post where the RSS feed won’t show, I’ve set up an AmazonConnects account to publish this blog on the pages where they’re selling my book and the issues of Black Gate I’m in.
Finish your book!
StandardLike George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss is struggling to finish his book and struggling to deal with the impatience of his fans.
There’s been quite a few blog posts around the internet on this subject, but Rothfuss’s includes cartoons. Funny ones.
Sites for Readers
StandardIs anyone reading this active on one of these sites?
LibraryThing
GoodReads
Shelfari
LivingSocial
RedRoom
WeRead
I find that Child of Fire is already on Shelfari and I am already on LibraryThing under my short story name.
But are any of you folks active on these sites? If so, what do you like about it?
I’m allergic to the idea of joining a social networking site solely to promote my book (although I received this list of sites from a how-to-promote document from my publisher)–in fact, I’m tempted to drop my book cover as my default user icon on LiveJournal because I’m thinking it’s a little tacky. But I’m not averse to joining an interesting site.
What do you think?
Larry Whilmore
StandardLarry Whilmore was on my local NPR station this morning to promote his new book. He talked about writing comedy, writing craft, being a correspondent on THE DAILY SHOW, and spending a year in an office he wasn’t allowed to be in while rewriting the first three pages of the pilot for THE BERNIE MAC SHOW, a script that later one an Emmy.
It’s interesting stuff about craft, and it’s funny, too. It’s almost an hour long, but you can get a podcast of it (I think). Give it a listen.