Novels
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So here we are at the end of January. I set a pretty ambitious schedule for myself this year, so let’s take a look at the scoreboard. Edits on Ink Calls to Ink are officially at the halfway point, which was my goal. I hope to finish edits in February. Part of the push to…
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Remember that post from November about Perspective? (No? It’s okay. I’ve linked to it.). It came back to me after the editing/rewriting I worked on last night for my next novel. The entire chapter was one scene–a street brawl between one of the three primary POV characters and someone posing a threat to his client.…
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First off, Happy New Year. Welcome to 2012. If the Mayans were right, the clock is ticking. If basic human biology is right, it’s already ticking–it’s just that we’ll all wind down at different times. On that cheery note, let me spin you a tale and share what I’m working on for the first part…
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Pausing on the slow decent into madness that is the holiday season, it occurs to me to take stock. Sure, 2011 isn’t over yet, but I can New Years from my window, so it’s good enough. Anything that comes up between now and then will be a pleasant surprise, the icing on the gingerbread cookie,…
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I’m the kind of guy who needs to write novels with an outline firmly in place. Now, it’s nothing too super-detailed. In the case of No Escape from Planet Motherfucker, it consists of four pages, and about 1,700 words, a chunk of which is character notes. I have each chapter notated with a few sentences…
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This is probably important to clarify. When writing sci-fi, it’s a really good idea to do heavy background not just on your characters, but on the alien species they might be involved with. I’m writing sci-fi where there are no true “humans.” With a five person ensemble cast and twin protagonists, that’s a lot of…
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I bet you thought I’d say outline or something, right? Don’t get me wrong. An outline is crucial, as is a good cast list. The cast list is not as descriptive as I would like, but I’ll flesh it out a bit later. And I just finished my outline this morning. It’s 1,700 words and…
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What do the movies Requiem For a Dream, Unforgiven, and Saving Private Ryan all have in common? Give up? They are all movies that were brilliantly made which I recognize as exceptional movies, but that I never want to watch again. And the reason is simple. Each movie portrays a bleakness, a world where hope…
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Expectations are a funny thing. For the sake of this analogy, consider Starbucks as an example. In my mind, speculative fiction, urban fantasy in particular, has been a lot like Starbucks. (I agree there are exceptions, of course, so untwist your chainmail BVDs.) A coffee purist might be quick to dismiss the ubiquitous coffee purveyor;…
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This year, many of my writing compatriots winged off to Austin for World Horror Con the week after Norwescon. Not only was Joe Lansdale there one of the featured guests, it was in Austin! Of all the cities in Texas, it’s the only one I would consider going to. So I made a vow that…
Tales from the Ragged Edge 