Today, I'm blogging at The Gritty Blog, Grit City Serial's blog, about why I decided to publish an ebook.
Currently Reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Scribings is now available!
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21 August 2011
09 August 2011
Awesome Idea!
Fellow SHUer Meg Mims has an e launch party today at Goddess Fish. What an awesome idea! Go check it out.
Currently Reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Scribings is now available!
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Currently Reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Scribings is now available!
Submissions out
Flash: 0
Short: 0
Agent: 0
22 July 2011
Editor Interview
I interviewed William H. Horner, Editor in Chief at Fantastist Enterprises, on the GPS Blog last Wednesday. Go see what Will has to say.
Currently Reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
SCRIBINGS is now availible at Smashwords.com and in the iBookstore
Currently Reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
SCRIBINGS is now availible at Smashwords.com and in the iBookstore
13 July 2011
The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E. Howard
The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E. Howard
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book this old. And this book has been on my to-read list for a long time. A mentor in my MA program suggested I read some Robert E. Howard and so I got this book but I never quite got to it.
The Hour of the Dragon is Howard’s only novel-length story--the mass market paperback wasn’t even 300 pages. It was featured in installments in Weird Tales starting in 1935. Magic and betrayal, wizards, death and quests what’s not to love about this original sword and sorcery story?
While Howard had great stories to tell, I found myself cringing at the usage and style. Exclamation points everywhere, ill-placed Middle English, impossible names (yet not as impossible as his contemporary and friend H. P. Lovecraft). Every time I cringed, I had to remind myself how long ago this was written. Have tastes in prose changed so much? Or was that just the result of the cheaply produced pulps of the era?
Despite all that, delicious vocabulary crept among the purple prose on which 90’s Sword and Sorcery was built. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to look up a word while reading, and I think it’s a shame that I don’t have to do so more often. Maybe I’m just not reading the right stuff?
What about Conan himself? The character that people could not get enough of in his heyday? I can certainly see the draw to him. He was the strapping giant that no one could beat, he fought on the side of good and didn’t back down from confrontation. Despite being a little sexist by my own 21st century standards, he had respectable morals and philosophies. He also was intelligent. He had a mind for politics, even though he obviously hated them, and could strategize a battle--and Howard could write it well enough to draw out the suspense (this is probably the key to his success).
As I mentioned before, Howard created the original Conan character during the Great Depression. And now, the new movie for Conan the Barbarian is coming out, during this new depression we’re living through. Coincidence? What do you think?
Review cross posted at Greater Portland Scribists
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Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Tribe that Laughed
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book this old. And this book has been on my to-read list for a long time. A mentor in my MA program suggested I read some Robert E. Howard and so I got this book but I never quite got to it.
The Hour of the Dragon is Howard’s only novel-length story--the mass market paperback wasn’t even 300 pages. It was featured in installments in Weird Tales starting in 1935. Magic and betrayal, wizards, death and quests what’s not to love about this original sword and sorcery story?
While Howard had great stories to tell, I found myself cringing at the usage and style. Exclamation points everywhere, ill-placed Middle English, impossible names (yet not as impossible as his contemporary and friend H. P. Lovecraft). Every time I cringed, I had to remind myself how long ago this was written. Have tastes in prose changed so much? Or was that just the result of the cheaply produced pulps of the era?
Despite all that, delicious vocabulary crept among the purple prose on which 90’s Sword and Sorcery was built. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to look up a word while reading, and I think it’s a shame that I don’t have to do so more often. Maybe I’m just not reading the right stuff?
What about Conan himself? The character that people could not get enough of in his heyday? I can certainly see the draw to him. He was the strapping giant that no one could beat, he fought on the side of good and didn’t back down from confrontation. Despite being a little sexist by my own 21st century standards, he had respectable morals and philosophies. He also was intelligent. He had a mind for politics, even though he obviously hated them, and could strategize a battle--and Howard could write it well enough to draw out the suspense (this is probably the key to his success).
As I mentioned before, Howard created the original Conan character during the Great Depression. And now, the new movie for Conan the Barbarian is coming out, during this new depression we’re living through. Coincidence? What do you think?
Review cross posted at Greater Portland Scribists
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Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Tribe that Laughed
17 June 2011
For Immedate Release!
Portland Writing Group Indie-Publishes eBook Anthology
Portland, ME June 17, 2011 It’s all about the technology. Literature has finally entered the Indie Revolution thanks to ebooks, and the Greater Portland Scribists aren’t hesitating to join. GPS has produced Scribings to get their bearings on the technologies that are bringing ebooks to the world. As new authors, they are experimenting with this low-cost, high-yield mode of publication to reach out directly to their audience. Find Scribings on Smashwords.com, and many other ebookstores, beginning June 17th 2011. Look for cards with discount codes circulating the Portland area!
Scribings is a fabulous compilation of speculative tales by four Maine authors. The collection consists of eleven pieces of short fiction, including one piece of flash fiction from each author. These stories exhibit a range of styles and genres from fantasy to science fiction and beyond. Watch young gods learn their place, see what the afterlife is like, meet Dappil, taste the sweetness of revenge, feel the fires of judgment and more.
Over the last year GPS has been blogging about the development of ebook popularity and how epublishing is affecting the publishing industry. Also on their blog are reviews of writing software, book reviews and occasionally a free story.
Greater Portland Scribists is a group of speculative fiction writers from the greater Portland, Maine area. They coined the term “scribists” to pay homage to the scribes of yore, monks who spent hours bent over manuscript pages, writing for as long as they had light to do so. GPS members are Jamie Alan Belanger; Cynthia Ravinski, MA; Lee Patterson and Richard Veysey.
Contact Info:
Greater Portland Scribists
scribists@gmail.com
http://scribists.blogspot.com
facebook.com/GreaterPortlandScribists
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Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Tribe that Laughed
11 May 2011
Maria V. Snyder's Glass Series
I’ve just finished reading all of Maria V. Snyder’s Glass series. This includes, Storm Glass, Sea Glass and Spy Glass. Simply put, they are wonderful. I couldn’t put them down. That is part of the reason I’m reviewing the series and not each book. The other part of that reason is that each book picks right up where the previous left off, so it’s almost like one really long book.
In Storm Glass, we follow Opal, who we met toward the end of the Study books, through her last year at the Keep, that is at magic school. Except she’s an odd student with odd abilities and her education didn’t go smoothly, especially her last year. We hardly see her at school though. There is tons of action, tons of on-the-spot decision making, and characters that are easy to relate to. Opal is not the super hero that waltzes in and just saves everyone. She suffers, she sacrifices and she gets very upset by the things that happen to her. She also has to deal with the consequences of being a young person in an adult society.
The only unsatisfying thing for me about Storm Glass is the ending. (Mild Spoiler Alert) While the build up and action were great, it died for me after. Opal goes in, does her thing and just passes out. The others deal with the clean up, and I feel like I missed out on something, like she missed out on it. Sure it’s not important to her story, but by not seeing the payoff I almost feel like it didn’t happen.
Sea Glass sees Opal returning to school, only to have her story turned against her. Everything that happens to Opal always gets turned around on her. Her decisions are always questioned. But she is resolute to set things right. She gets closer to that in this book as she gets older and more experienced with the “joys” of the real world. Old enemies turn up, with more at stake and different agendas. Conflict twists around Opal and her abilities and reputation, constantly getting her into trouble. But she’s able to put smarts to use and depend on her trusted friends. This book did not let me down at all.
Spy Glass gives us a new Opal. She’s had so much happen to her in the first two books. This one shows how she recovers from the events up to now. She has a more hardened exterior, more smarts and knows a lot more about her enemies. But this still doesn’t make it easy for her. Her personal life is in a shambles and she’s working through the last few issues from all her previous exploits. But the way she tackles them now is the good result of all her previous trouble. I almost feel like a proud parent watching the ways she’s grown. (But I’m not a parent, and any parent in their right mind would never put their children through these things.)
Another thing I can laud about the book is introduction of “really cool stuff.” She shows us the processes of glassmaking as only someone who’s done it can, and not too many people have. She talks about diamonds and other gemstones (my other passion) with authority. This book is not the first time people have blackmarketed diamonds to fund a war. So bonus points for working in modern issues. Snyder has done her homework. And some things, like all the spy work, I really wonder how she describes it so well? Has she done some of that, or is that just the skill of her writing at hand?
This entry is cross posted at Greater Portland Scribists.
Submissions out
Flash: 0
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Agent: 0
Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Tribe that Laughed
The Making
In Storm Glass, we follow Opal, who we met toward the end of the Study books, through her last year at the Keep, that is at magic school. Except she’s an odd student with odd abilities and her education didn’t go smoothly, especially her last year. We hardly see her at school though. There is tons of action, tons of on-the-spot decision making, and characters that are easy to relate to. Opal is not the super hero that waltzes in and just saves everyone. She suffers, she sacrifices and she gets very upset by the things that happen to her. She also has to deal with the consequences of being a young person in an adult society.
The only unsatisfying thing for me about Storm Glass is the ending. (Mild Spoiler Alert) While the build up and action were great, it died for me after. Opal goes in, does her thing and just passes out. The others deal with the clean up, and I feel like I missed out on something, like she missed out on it. Sure it’s not important to her story, but by not seeing the payoff I almost feel like it didn’t happen.
Sea Glass sees Opal returning to school, only to have her story turned against her. Everything that happens to Opal always gets turned around on her. Her decisions are always questioned. But she is resolute to set things right. She gets closer to that in this book as she gets older and more experienced with the “joys” of the real world. Old enemies turn up, with more at stake and different agendas. Conflict twists around Opal and her abilities and reputation, constantly getting her into trouble. But she’s able to put smarts to use and depend on her trusted friends. This book did not let me down at all.
Spy Glass gives us a new Opal. She’s had so much happen to her in the first two books. This one shows how she recovers from the events up to now. She has a more hardened exterior, more smarts and knows a lot more about her enemies. But this still doesn’t make it easy for her. Her personal life is in a shambles and she’s working through the last few issues from all her previous exploits. But the way she tackles them now is the good result of all her previous trouble. I almost feel like a proud parent watching the ways she’s grown. (But I’m not a parent, and any parent in their right mind would never put their children through these things.)
Another thing I can laud about the book is introduction of “really cool stuff.” She shows us the processes of glassmaking as only someone who’s done it can, and not too many people have. She talks about diamonds and other gemstones (my other passion) with authority. This book is not the first time people have blackmarketed diamonds to fund a war. So bonus points for working in modern issues. Snyder has done her homework. And some things, like all the spy work, I really wonder how she describes it so well? Has she done some of that, or is that just the skill of her writing at hand?
This entry is cross posted at Greater Portland Scribists.
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Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Tribe that Laughed
The Making
05 May 2011
From the Pulps to Pixles: an eBook Survey
Win a $20 gift card to the ebookstore of your choice. Tell us about your ereading habits by taking our survey. Winners and results will be announced on June 17th at . First place wins a $20 gift card and a free copy of our ebook. We’ll also give away five more free copies.
Click here to take our survey.
Currently Reading: Many Genre's One Craft Arnzen & Miller This book is now availible!
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In the Business of Rotting
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Click here to take our survey.
Currently Reading: Many Genre's One Craft Arnzen & Miller This book is now availible!
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In the Business of Rotting
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03 April 2011
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
After I read the Lies of Locke Lamora, I knew I wanted to read its sequal… and I just got around to it now 2.5 years later. I’ll share that this is one of those books you don’t need to go back and read the first one so you know what is going on. Why the delay? Because I am a bad supporter of literature and don’t buy a lot of books. But I lent a friend Lies and then he went out and bought Red Seas and lent it to me in turn. Everything works out in the end.
But I’m blathering… I’m struggling to write a review of this book and I know why. I loved reading this book, and SPOILER it did not have a happy ending. It had a “reality sucks” ending. I hate that. To top it off, the third volume of the Gentlemen Bastards Sequence is still forthcoming-November 2011, just in time for my Birthday! So I can’t just go and find out what happens. Damned cliff hanger endings.
But anyway, Lynch did not disappoint in the middle volume of the Gentlemen Bastards. Jean and Locke ran amok and caused trouble, witty and clever as ever, though quite a bit darker in tone than before. I see it as their recovery from the ending of Lies. And in recovery, one must grieve and heal one’s ugly scars.
Through alternating between the present and the recent past, Lynch slowly exposes the Gentlemen in their preparation of their plans leading up to the present. But in his standard form, Lynch doesn’t reveal too much. He leaves out just enough, so we don’t suspect anything (unless we know better), but when the plan comes to fruition it came out of left field. Lynch is adept at this. I envy his tricksy plotting mind. This structure not only added to the suspense and impact of the end, but it also served to keep most of the story in the present, and not have to recap a long period of time--only the bits and pieces needed to lead us by the nose to the end.
Plotwise, Red Seas only has one tie to Lies, and that very tie didn’t get resolved here and will undoubtedly show up in the third volume. That being said, this feels like the kind of story that they will reference in the future, “Hey remember that time in Tal Verrar…” But to say that this 600 some odd page book was just filler content for a 7 volume series doesn’t seem right either, especially knowing Lynch’s plotting style.
As I said before, Jean and Locke were licking their wounds as they faced the tribulations brought to them this time around. We watched them try to distract themselves, and do a fine job of it, yet as they walked though this madness, I could only watch the desire for reprisal set more deeply in the brilliantly strategic mind of Locke. His gears are turning and the longer they turn the scarier the outcome will be down the road.
I admire Lynch’s work for more reasons than just his plotting. The voice, for one, is hilarious and gripping. No matter how dark the situation gets, the characters are sarcastic as ever. Beyond that, Lynch skillfully employs many craft techniques. He describes new places in ways that appeal to the senses via the characters. He uses the “swoop” when introducing something important to set it apart from the characters own experiences. His pacing is break-neck and he never slows it down, though sometimes I wish he would for some moments. Somehow, somehow he can make the plot and characters complex yet keep the story easy to read.
So I will be eagerly awaiting the release of book number three in the Gentlemen Bastards Sequence and the four following it as well.
Currently Reading
Storm Glass - Maria V. Snyder
Submissions out
Flash: 0
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Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Tribe that Laughed
The Making
After I read the Lies of Locke Lamora, I knew I wanted to read its sequal… and I just got around to it now 2.5 years later. I’ll share that this is one of those books you don’t need to go back and read the first one so you know what is going on. Why the delay? Because I am a bad supporter of literature and don’t buy a lot of books. But I lent a friend Lies and then he went out and bought Red Seas and lent it to me in turn. Everything works out in the end.
But I’m blathering… I’m struggling to write a review of this book and I know why. I loved reading this book, and SPOILER it did not have a happy ending. It had a “reality sucks” ending. I hate that. To top it off, the third volume of the Gentlemen Bastards Sequence is still forthcoming-November 2011, just in time for my Birthday! So I can’t just go and find out what happens. Damned cliff hanger endings.
But anyway, Lynch did not disappoint in the middle volume of the Gentlemen Bastards. Jean and Locke ran amok and caused trouble, witty and clever as ever, though quite a bit darker in tone than before. I see it as their recovery from the ending of Lies. And in recovery, one must grieve and heal one’s ugly scars.
Through alternating between the present and the recent past, Lynch slowly exposes the Gentlemen in their preparation of their plans leading up to the present. But in his standard form, Lynch doesn’t reveal too much. He leaves out just enough, so we don’t suspect anything (unless we know better), but when the plan comes to fruition it came out of left field. Lynch is adept at this. I envy his tricksy plotting mind. This structure not only added to the suspense and impact of the end, but it also served to keep most of the story in the present, and not have to recap a long period of time--only the bits and pieces needed to lead us by the nose to the end.
Plotwise, Red Seas only has one tie to Lies, and that very tie didn’t get resolved here and will undoubtedly show up in the third volume. That being said, this feels like the kind of story that they will reference in the future, “Hey remember that time in Tal Verrar…” But to say that this 600 some odd page book was just filler content for a 7 volume series doesn’t seem right either, especially knowing Lynch’s plotting style.
As I said before, Jean and Locke were licking their wounds as they faced the tribulations brought to them this time around. We watched them try to distract themselves, and do a fine job of it, yet as they walked though this madness, I could only watch the desire for reprisal set more deeply in the brilliantly strategic mind of Locke. His gears are turning and the longer they turn the scarier the outcome will be down the road.
I admire Lynch’s work for more reasons than just his plotting. The voice, for one, is hilarious and gripping. No matter how dark the situation gets, the characters are sarcastic as ever. Beyond that, Lynch skillfully employs many craft techniques. He describes new places in ways that appeal to the senses via the characters. He uses the “swoop” when introducing something important to set it apart from the characters own experiences. His pacing is break-neck and he never slows it down, though sometimes I wish he would for some moments. Somehow, somehow he can make the plot and characters complex yet keep the story easy to read.
So I will be eagerly awaiting the release of book number three in the Gentlemen Bastards Sequence and the four following it as well.
Currently Reading
Storm Glass - Maria V. Snyder
Submissions out
Flash: 0
Short: 0
Agent: 0
Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Tribe that Laughed
The Making
06 March 2011
The Cold Knife of Rejection Cuts The Business of Rotting
and it was just in the form of email... Ironically, as I was sitting in the GPS writing session today my phone lets out this horrendous beeeeeeep, which echoes around the corners of the back room of the Scarborough Public library. It interrupted my typing so I pick it up and check it. Lo and behold it's from The Pedestal Magazine. I eagerly check it, cringe then hand off the phone to Jamie so I don't have to speak aloud the dreadful message.
THEY SAID NO! UGH! ok, got that out of my system. They also said...well I'll just paste the damned thing:
They said they enjoyed reading it. And only one of the708 submissions made it. Did they even think of it as a finalist? according to their reading window, they had about two more weeks to get back to me. In my mind, the longer they hang onto it, the better my chances.
My other line of thought asks if this could be a form letter? I see the wording so much, and so few personal remarks that I'm beginning to think that is the norm now. Looking at what happened to Clarkesworld's submission process, I can't imagine other magazines won't start doing that soon too.
This is rejection #4 for this story. I'm shopping it to all the SFWA approved, pro-rate magazines... and I'm starting to run out of relevant venues for this one. I'm almost ready to stick this at the bottom of a drawer somewhere buuut...
If the editors did enjoy it, but couldn't publish it, I'm sure they had their reasons. But, I'd like to get paid for my products, especially if people enjoy it. That's the way this business is supposed to work, am I right?
This story is going to rot my brain...
Currently Reading
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
Submissions out
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Agent: 0
Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Making
The Tribe Who Laughed
THEY SAID NO! UGH! ok, got that out of my system. They also said...well I'll just paste the damned thing:
Dear Cynthia:
Thank you for submitting your fiction to The Pedestal Magazine. We enjoyed reading it but after careful consideration have decided that we cannot use it at this time.
Please feel free to submit other work to us in the future.
Best,
The Editors
The Pedestal Magazine
They said they enjoyed reading it. And only one of the708 submissions made it. Did they even think of it as a finalist? according to their reading window, they had about two more weeks to get back to me. In my mind, the longer they hang onto it, the better my chances.
My other line of thought asks if this could be a form letter? I see the wording so much, and so few personal remarks that I'm beginning to think that is the norm now. Looking at what happened to Clarkesworld's submission process, I can't imagine other magazines won't start doing that soon too.
This is rejection #4 for this story. I'm shopping it to all the SFWA approved, pro-rate magazines... and I'm starting to run out of relevant venues for this one. I'm almost ready to stick this at the bottom of a drawer somewhere buuut...
If the editors did enjoy it, but couldn't publish it, I'm sure they had their reasons. But, I'd like to get paid for my products, especially if people enjoy it. That's the way this business is supposed to work, am I right?
This story is going to rot my brain...
Currently Reading
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
Submissions out
Flash: 0
Short:
Agent: 0
Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Making
The Tribe Who Laughed
16 February 2011
Plugging some friends
WRITING WITH AUTHORITY Online Course for Pennwriters
INSTRUCTORS: Jason Jack Miller and Heidi Ruby Miller
DATE: April 1 – May 2, 2011
LIMITED CLASS SIZE. Enroll now.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The easiest way to engage your reader is by using concrete nouns and action verbs. In this one-month online course, Seton Hill University creative writing faculty Jason Jack Miller and Heidi Ruby Miller will show you how to analyze your writing and use easy techniques that will increase the authority of your voice. Participants will:
* Discover how to spot passive voice
* Scrutinize their writing for generic nouns and indefinite pronouns
* Learn to avoid weak verbs and overuse of "be" in all its forms
* Practice using strong synonyms to find the best action verb
* Apply word cloud research to make their plot come alive
FREE BONUS: Course participants will receive a free excerpt (.pdf) from the new writing guide, MANY GENRES, ONE CRAFT: LESSONS IN WRITING POPULAR FICTION (Headline Books, Inc.) edited by Heidi Ruby Miller and Michael A. Arnzen with contributions from Jason Jack Miller et al.
Currently Reading
http://www.amazon.com/Red-Seas-Under-Skies/dp/0553804685
Submissions out
Flash: 0
Short: In the Business of Rotting
Agent: 0
Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Making
The Tribe who Laughed
INSTRUCTORS: Jason Jack Miller and Heidi Ruby Miller
DATE: April 1 – May 2, 2011
LIMITED CLASS SIZE. Enroll now.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The easiest way to engage your reader is by using concrete nouns and action verbs. In this one-month online course, Seton Hill University creative writing faculty Jason Jack Miller and Heidi Ruby Miller will show you how to analyze your writing and use easy techniques that will increase the authority of your voice. Participants will:
* Discover how to spot passive voice
* Scrutinize their writing for generic nouns and indefinite pronouns
* Learn to avoid weak verbs and overuse of "be" in all its forms
* Practice using strong synonyms to find the best action verb
* Apply word cloud research to make their plot come alive
FREE BONUS: Course participants will receive a free excerpt (.pdf) from the new writing guide, MANY GENRES, ONE CRAFT: LESSONS IN WRITING POPULAR FICTION (Headline Books, Inc.) edited by Heidi Ruby Miller and Michael A. Arnzen with contributions from Jason Jack Miller et al.
Currently Reading
http://www.amazon.com/Red-Seas-Under-Skies/dp/0553804685
Submissions out
Flash: 0
Short: In the Business of Rotting
Agent: 0
Workshoping:
Beyond the Cemetery
The Making
The Tribe who Laughed
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