Did you ever notice that things play out differently in some anime movies? They just don’t follow the familiar pattern of action that we’re used to in Western fare. For fans expecting something like a typical action movie, it’s a disappointment. The reason? It’s a different story structure than we usually see. Anime fans usually don’t talk about story structure, it’s more of a writer thing. And many writers are … Continue reading →
(Chapter 1 is here) Chapter 08 – Sacrifices So, Mr. Fleur…” the high priestess began. AP had no idea how to fill the awkward silence, as she looked at him across the ornate desk with an expression of trepidation, with perhaps a touch of defiance. He was five hours late, but they were the ones who had given him an address eleven hundred years out of date. He accepted the … Continue reading →
(Chapter 1 is here) Chapter 07 – The Opener of the Way Abiff threw the worn bundle of reeds over the side, grabbed a fresh handful, and resumed scrubbing the deck. It kept him busy, but unfortunately left his mind free to dwell on his problems. Traveling upstream should have been a wonderful adventure. He’d never been on a boat, never even been out of the city. But his entire … Continue reading →
(Chapter 1 is here) Chapter 06 – A Message from the Gods AP wondered how Jo could enjoy sipping hot coffee in this weather. The woman appeared unconcerned by the heat, but she was probably used to it, having grown up in southern Alabama. She looked at the map she had bought from a street vendor. To AP’s amazement, she took out a red pen and began making corrections. She … Continue reading →
(Chapter 1 is here) Chapter 05 – The House of the Fella 3700 BCE – Khonsu Shipping Office Naram risked a glance out the window of the small business office. It had been over three hours since the screaming had started outside, and things hadn’t gotten any better. The Badi invaders had broken down the door of the next building, dragging the bodies of the occupants out into the street. … Continue reading →
The schedule for for Penguicon is out. Here’s what I’m doing: Writer’s Block ( Saturday, 4/30 6:00 ) I’ll be reading from A Wrecking Bar, a Chocolate Bar, and a Ka Offering for Na-Nefer-Ka-Ptah, and signing copies. The book will be available for sale at the con bookstore. This is a wonderful program for authors who are involved with the con! Life track: How to Poison Your Muse: The Toxic … Continue reading →
I recently ran a free book day promotion for my novelette A Wrecking Bar, a Chocolate Bar, and a Ka Offering for Na-Nefer-Ka-Ptah to get some reviews and ratings on Amazon and Goodreads. I posted notices several places, including some forums, Tumblr, and Facebook. One of the FB pages I run has almost 1,200 likes/subscriptions, and it’s reasonably on-topic for this story. It’s a great place for me to post … Continue reading →
Here’s the front cover for my novelette. I wanted something cute and fun, reminiscent of anime/chibi style. Britt “Ram” Williams, of K2Color, did a spectacular job! The only disadvantage I’ve seen so far is that people who aren’t familiar with anime (and recent SF and fantasy) assume it’s a children’s story. But they’re not my primary audience. What do you think?
Continue reading →In part 3, we finished our discussion of what you might find at a typical literary con. Now it’s time to plan our visit! In previous posts, I mentioned that conventions promote themselves by going to other cons. They throw room parties, leave flyers, and sell memberships. Volunteers who work at one con may help with others too. Con committees and staff network with other cons, and they always have. … Continue reading →
In part 2, we talked about things you might find at a typical con. Time for more. A further mention of the literature track programming: Many, many SF and Fantasy fans are curious about writing, how their favorite books get written, and what it’s like to be an author. And, of course, many people wish they had a book published. That makes writing panels popular. At some cons, you can … Continue reading →
