I am a fan of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King (clearly it’s a love or hate relationship with sci-fi and fantasy fans.) I thought this video was an excellent analysis of the character of Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger, an unforgettable character that, love or hate the series, lingers in one’s mind. But I […]
Read More Roland Deschain: PTSD and RedemptionSo this is how we manage work deadlines for my writing. This is the stuff that I’m intending to write & work on up to June of this year. The pink post-its are writing deadlines, and the green post-its are deadlines for my editor. We include the submission deadline at the bottom of the editorial […]
Read More My Work Board for 2018 (So Far)By Alex Acks I’ve been reading science fiction and fantasy almost as long as I’ve been able to read, and I’m normally very good at suspending my disbelief. Unfortunately, seven years of university schooling and two degrees have now placed some suspension limits on certain areas—namely geology, landforms, and maps. I tend to notice little things like […]
Read More The Science of Desert PlanetsThe conclusion (for now) of the Wyrd West Chronicles releases tomorrow! The Widow’s Gambit is a full-length novella! The Widow Brinks, leaving a trail of death behind her, has fled to the city of Saskatoon to catch a train. The Gunslingers and their posse are hot on her trail. But she has acquired some of […]
Read More Conclusion of the Wyrd West Chronicles! (So Far)(Image features Cordelia Vorkosigan, nee Naismith, from the Vorkosigan Saga; an amazing example of a kick-ass heroine!) I was reading an SFR with a “kick-ass” heroine recently. The book is universally lauded. But something happened early on that ensured I wouldn’t go on to finish it, much less read the rest in the series. The heroine was […]
Read More How NOT to Write Kick-Ass HeroinesOne of my favourite authors, and personal heroines, died on Monday. I am grieving, as I’m sure many of her fans are, and I’d like to send out my deepest condolences to her friends and family. The world has lost a great light. But what is remembered, lives, so here’s a tribute I put together […]
Read More Farewell, Ursula K. Le GuinThe Dark Tower by Stephen King My rating: 5 of 5 stars Read for the 12 Awards in 12 Months Challenge, the Apocalypse Now! Reading Challenge, the High Fantasy Reading Challenge, and the Read the Sequel Reading Challenge. This novel won the Derleth Award in 2005. The conclusion of the Dark Tower series is probably […]
Read More Book Review: The Dark Tower by Stephen KingBy Kelly Robson I’ll always be grateful to Steven Barnes. At Orycon 2012, he passed on advice that made a huge difference to my writing. Steven said, when we get a story idea, we usually know either the character or the problem. To develop the story, we can ask ourselves the following questions: If we […]
Read More 2 Simple, Awesome Pieces of Characterization AdviceBy Morgan Daimler It’s generally assumed in Western culture today that elves, and more widely many types of fairies, have pointed ears and the image has become so ingrained in popular culture as to be a trope. Yet why do we picture elves and fairies with pointed ears, when most descriptions from European folklore^ emphasize […]
Read More Why Do Elves Have Pointed Ears?Song of Susannah by Stephen King My rating: 3 of 5 stars Read for the Second Best Reading Challenge, the Apocalypse Now! Reading Challenge, the High Fantasy Reading Challenge, and the Read the Sequel Reading Challenge. This novel was nominated for the Locus Award. I’d almost forgotten all of this one in my re-read. This […]
Read More Book Review: Song of Suzannah by Stephen King
