Posts since 3-26-2011

I fell a bit behind in the crossposting, so here's what you might have missed out on.

5 Interesting Links for 4-15-2011

Life

A sideways look at education that reflects the students’ skills and needs rather than a rubber stamp plan: Read the rest of this entry »

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Shotgun Bride by B.J. Daniels

I received this romance through the Tell Harlequin program where Harlequin sends out examples of their different lines to get feedback from readers. If I’d had my choice, I wouldn’t have taken this one because it is an Intrigue, the one line of Harlequins I tend not to appreciate because relationships formed under extreme pressure don’t feel like they have a chance of surviving past the last page. I am delighted that Tell Harlequin made me re-examine my thoughts about this line while introducing me to an extremely talented author.

Is Shotgun Bride an Intrigue? Absolutely. There’s a link to the criminal underground, there are secrets held that threaten to break families apart, there’s even a kidnapping and big rescue. All of these elements are standard thriller fare and need to be there for the novel to qualify in this line. However, they also connect into the story, layer upon layer woven together with the skills of a master despite the short number of pages, only 212. Read the rest of this entry »

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Interesting Links for 4-8-2011

Publishing

A tongue in cheek but completely accurate flowchart for getting published with a work of fiction:
http://www.katehart.net/2011/03/how-to-get-published-flowchart.html

Research

Juliette Wade pointed me to a YouTube channel of snippets of vanishing languages, something sure to offer those building a society around language some good ideas: Read the rest of this entry »

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More Fun with Art

I had a spare moment the other day and sketched a simple picture on my phone.

Then I used a different program on my computer to play with coloring it in.

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Interesting Links for 4-1-2011

Online Reads

Another fun story from Daily Science Fiction. L is for Luminous by Tim Pratt, Jenn Reese, Heather Shaw, and Greg van Eekhout is part of a series of alphabet stories. It’s short, funny, and poignant at the same time.
http://dailysciencefiction.com/story/tim-pratt-jenn-reese-heather-shaw-greg-van-eekhout/l-is-for-luminous

Publishing

A look at the current big events in the traditional vs. self-publishing debate that offers a decent analysis of the variety of things happening: Read the rest of this entry »

The Shadow Conspiracy II edited by Phyllis Irene Radford and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff

The Shadow Conspiracy II edited by Phyllis Irene Radford and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff caught my eye in the LibraryThing Early Reader program because I’d met both the editors at BayCon (and had, in fact, heard both of them read). Between that and the steampunk theme, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity, and I am glad I didn’t.

This is a wonderful collection of eleven steampunk short stories by the following authors: Amy Sterling Casil, Judith Tarr, Irene Radford, Brenda Clough, Sue Lange, C.L. Anderson, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, Nancy Jane Moore, Pati Nagle, and Chris Dolley. It contains both stories set in the more traditional arena of Europe, and ones occurring in the New World and even Africa. The characters range from society darlings, to pirates, and even on to missionaries and newspaper men. The main characters are just as likely to be male as female as well (despite the inclusion of only one male author), offering rather different perspectives on the stories and environments. The stories themselves range from psychological/philosophical pieces to adventures and mysteries.
Read the rest of this entry »

Posts for the Week of 3-25-2011

Interesting Links for 3-25-2011

Have you ever had one of those weeks when you lose track of what day it is? On top of that, Forward Motion started the March Madness challenge this morning. I’m a little over 1k into a new steampunk novella. Well, better late than never, here are your interesting links.

Life

A look at sleep, needs and consequences of too little, as well as some tips for recovering from sleep deprivation:
http://talktoyouniverse.blogspot.com/2011/03/ttyu-retro-sleep-tidbits-for-characters.html

Publishing

With the Google Settlement case back in the news, I found this exploration of the events, complete with quotes from various players, to be clear and interesting: Read the rest of this entry »

Do eReaders Signal a New Life for Short Stories?

I’ve been involved in a big project for a while so my reading time has been limited. What this means regarding my Wednesday posts is that I haven’t finished the wonderful steampunk short story collection, The Shadow Conspiracy II, I’m in the middle of, so can’t very well review it. Instead, I wanted to talk a bit about eReaders and what I’m discovering as I use mine more frequently.

I’m a determined supporter of short fiction, but over the years I’ve not been much of a reader, whether online or in print. I have a number of subscriptions, but the magazines pile up with few getting a full read.

Since February 8th, I have read 3, almost 4 books. All of them have been eBooks, the longest run of eBooks vs. print so far, and with the exception of the first, they’ve all been short story collections or magazines.
Read the rest of this entry »

A Different Creativity Tool

So I now have an Android phone. I wanted it to replace my Palm, which can no longer sync with my new computer. My focus was on email, contacts, notes, and task lists (something I still having achieved because I use a local Outlook install.

What I have discovered is Zuma Blitz, various solitaires, and (of course) Angry Birds. The Palm had been a source of productivity for me as much as a distraction, and seeing as I’ve done novel notes, wrote book reviews, and even outlining using the quick office app, I can’t say my phone has not served that purpose well. I’ve yet to do a creative work, but I see that time coming soon enough.

However, I’ve discovered that “creative work” might be taking a different direction than I’d expected.

A little backstory: Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 3-4-2011

This week has a lot more entertainment than usual, though there are a few writing posts as well. Take a break, enjoy what’s below, and then maybe learn something too.

Just for Fun

Talking with my family about a TV show called Dweebs, we tried to remember the difference between a geek, nerd, or dweeb. Found this Venn diagram that explains it all:

http://laughingsquid.com/nerd-venn-diagram-geek-dork-or-dweeb/

Clearly my extracurricular Internet reading has been focused on taking breaks this week, but here’s hilarious milk commercial: Read the rest of this entry »

A catchup post

Life got a bit interesting, but I hadn't realized how far behind I'd fallen in my crossover posts. While I'm seeking a better mechanism, here's what you've missed if you don't follow my main blog on http://margaretfisk.mmfcf.com/blog/:

Interesting Links for 01-14-2010
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Online Reads

This poignant story, Flower Fairies, will only be available free until the end of the week, but Kristine Kathryn Rusch is offering a fiction story for our enjoyment on her blog every Monday, with the post staying complete for one week. Click the Free Fiction Monday tag to find the latest story:
http://kriswrites.com/2011/01/10/free-fiction-monday-flower-fairies/
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The Deconstruction of Iron Man 2
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I am in the middle of reading George R.R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings, and so though I’ve read almost a normal book’s worth, I’m nowhere near done. Therefore, I thought I’d let you in on a book-related project I’ve been working on.

While my book reviews focus on my reader reactions, I often toss in a writing observation or two if I see one. Additionally, I’ve been teaching writing classes both on Forward Motion and the Muse Online Writers Conference for a while now.

Because of this, I was invited to participate in the Deconstruction Seminars, a new offering on SavvyAuthors.com. I will be deconstructing the novel Iron Man 2 by Alexander Irvine, a book I reviewed on my blog here.
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Interesting Links for 01-21-2011
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Just for Fun

This is a under 5 minute video about a boy’s imagination and where it takes him on a rainy day. Lovely little break pointed out by Lynn Viehl:
http://vimeo.com/5442611
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Thinking About Author Branding
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I was commenting on a friend’s blog post about author branding (linked below), and it got me thinking. I thought I’d share some of my thoughts with you all and see what you think as readers and writers.

Since the Internet opened ways for authors to have more control of, and responsibility for, marketing their books, writers at all stages have been told to develop a brand, something that would be tied to their books in readers’ minds.

On the surface, this makes a lot of sense because you want your name or titles to come to mind whenever a particular concept is mentioned. This is what advertising attempts to do with other types of products, which has proven successful. Marketing journals often talk about how what matters is name recognition, which is why good and bad attention serves a purpose. When someone is scanning the shelves, they’re more likely to pick up the book with an author they have heard of, even if they don’t remember where or when that connection was made...
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To keep this post from getting way too long, I'll just add that there are more interesting links and a review of A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin waiting for you as well. Come on over and enjoy: http://margaretfisk.mmfcf.com/blog/

Interesting Links for 12-07-2011

This week has been a good one for discoveries, and so I bring you a broad range of areas, including a beautiful short story. I hope you enjoy them.

Anthropology

A glimpse into the death practices of an ancient city:

http://heritage-key.com/blogs/owenjarus/ancient-city-petra-tombs-reveal-61-burials-and-islamic-gold-medallion

Read the rest of this entry »

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is the book I have reread the most. It’s my comfort read, the one I turn to every five to ten years. While normally I talk about more recent books in the hopes of encouraging you to try out some new authors, or of getting suggestions of similar authors for me to try, something interesting happened while I was rereading Pride and Prejudice that I would like to explore.

First of all, I read this as an ebook. It came already installed in my Sony eReader, and I began it a while back but didn’t start seriously reading it until last month. While format can make a difference, I read a lot of books on my eReader and even on my Palm, so this isn’t a new format for me.

Okay, at this point I suspect you’re thinking I’m going to say, despite my history, that now I hate the book, but I’m done being mysterious. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters as much as I always do. I like the stilted but witty crisscross, the arrogance that gives way to self-examination, and the culture of the times. None of that changed for me.

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 12-17-2010

Just for Fun

When I was a kid, my grandmother would take me in to New York City to look at the window displays, but they had nothing like this back then. Enjoy a YouTube video of Saks Fifth Avenue’s Snowflake and Bubble 3D holiday light show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_9AYqhaw64

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 12-10-2010

Editing

Weronika Janczuk offers some suggestions for how to turn familiar text into unique text so the errors stand out. I am boggled by the idea of posting something on the wall (of course I can’t reach any of my walls because of furniture), but most of her techniques are similar to what I already do except for the conversion to PDF, something I’m going to adopt.

http://www.weronikajanczuk.com/2010/12/tips-for-quick-self-editing.html

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting links for 11-05-2010

Promoting

Some solid tips on the difference between traditional and social marketing so that your efforts to promote aren’t received the wrong way:

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/two-ways-to-transform-your-book-marketing/

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 9-17-2010

Here is the first installment of my newly focused blog posts. Below, you’ll find links, links, and more links, each with a little explanation and/or commentary as it suits my mood. I hope you’ll see something interesting, and would love to hear back from you if you’re so inclined. Heck, you could even offer up a favorite link of your own, but be warned that I might prod you for a website review at Vision: A Resource for Writers (http://visionforwriters.com/) if it looks like it has potential.

Publishing

The steps necessary before a book gets accepted by a publishing house:

http://www.stevelaube.com/book-contract-or-rejection-who-decides/

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 9-3-2010

What I Am Reading

I finished Infamous by Suzanne Brockmann. She manages to bring everything together in the thriller plot, paranormal plot, and romance plot for a satisfying and fun read.

I’m reading On the Edge by Ilona Andrews, another wonderful urban fantasy offering from this writing husband and wife team. This one focuses a little more on the romantic aspects than the early ones in the Magic series, but at the same time, it’s not the sum total of the book. There are many levels to the story, all of which I’m enjoying.

Grammar

A good list of many (but not all) the times it is appropriate to use commas, with a focus on the problem of comma overuse:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 8-27-2010

What I Am Reading

I’m currently reading Infamous by Suzanne Brockmann which reminds me once again why my husband is willing to read romance novels by her. Brockmann is extremely talented and has established herself well enough to get away with the first person POV of a dead man in a romance novel. I can’t wait to get to the end, and I’m dreading it being over.

Fair Ladies by Theodora Goss (on Apex Magazine) is a melancholy, compelling story about young men and changing times. Very powerful.

http://apexbookcompany.com/apex-online/2010/08/short-story-fair-ladies-by-theodora-goss/

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 08-20-2010

This week vanished too quickly, and I’ve had little time for research or reading on line. What this means is that the links are incredibly spare, but that also gives you the opportunity to read all of them rather than having to choose based on your own limited time.

What I Am Reading

I have finished Elizabeth Bear’s All the Windwracked Stars, and not surprisingly, I’m happy to discover there’s more in the series. That’s not to say she didn’t manage to pull this one off, because she absolutely did, but there’s more to be told in this world, and this place and time. I find it amazing to end the book with the feeling of more to come when it starts at the end of the world. Her talents as a storyteller continue to delight me.

Read the rest of this entry »

Are You Predisposed to Like What You Choose to Read?

I’ve been thinking about this on and off for a long while, but the question still bugs me. When I pick a book out of my TBR pile and open the first page, I start with the assumption that I have this book for a good reason. That could be because the premise caught my eye, because I like the author, because someone recommended it to me, or even because I won it in a contest. The reason doesn’t matter. I assume it’s not there at random, and therefore I wanted to read it. Okay, it’s a sign of the extent of my TBR pile (1.5 bookcases and growing) that I can’t always remember why a book is there. This may be part of the reason I approach things as I do, but even when I was gobbling down 20+ books a week, I approached them looking for what this one offered me as opposed to demanding entertainment.

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Interesting Links for 08-13-2010

Welcome to Friday the 13th. Hope you’re all having a magical, rather than mundane, day.

What I Am Reading

Nearing the end of Elizabeth Bear’s All the Windwracked Stars, and so far it’s holding up well. I’m interested in seeing how she’s going to pull this all together in the end.

Just finished Public Affair, Secretly Expecting by Heidi Rice (part of a Harlequin reader reaction program I’m in). This one is from one of their “hotter” lines, which clearly plays a big part in the story, but at the same time, there’s a surprising complexity in the history of both main characters, affecting how Juno and Mac interact, and driving their interpretation of circumstances. I enjoyed this story a lot.

Life

Not sure where to place this one, but I wanted to share. It has suggestions for writing, for project management, and for a focus on success. Well worth the time to read this analysis of Pixar’s process:

http://www.copyblogger.com/pixar/

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 7-30-2010

What I Am Reading

I finished Demon Hunts by C.E. Murphy this week. It was everything I’ve come to expect of her writing and more. I’ll try to get my comments up next week.

I also finished the Irlen book. A lot to think about, but nothing that changed my mind about going forward with the lenses. If just having my monitor tinged green has helped my focus and online reading, how much more will having that ability all the time?

This has not been a heavy reading period for me because I’m writing a complex computer program that tends to grab what concentration I have, but I don’t last long without reading something .

Publishing

Tips on how to study the market for a manuscript:

http://chipmacgregor.typepad.com/main/2010/07/how-to-study-the-market.html

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 7-23-2010

Not as many links as I’d hoped to offer, but once again, I’m on the road (and this time not fast enough to post ahead of time. Still, there should be something of interest for pretty much everyone in the mix I’ve included. Enjoy.

What I Am Reading

While I’m still reading the Irlen book, I’ve also started Demon Hunts by C.E. Murphy. Not surprisingly, I’m enjoying this continuation of the Walker Papers, but what she’s done with this one is fascinating, because it offers old readers something new while grounding new readers in the world.

I also just finished listening to Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan, which I started listening to in Audio Book for all the way back in December of 2009. I don’t have much opportunity to listen to longer works because when I’m on a long drive, it is generally with someone else in the car who wouldn’t appreciate coming in on the middle of the book. On the other hand, it says a lot about the book that I was able to pick up right where I’d stopped with no loss of place or story.

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 7-16-2010

What I’m Reading

I am still reading a non-fiction book called Reading by the Colors by Helen Irlen (ISBN: 0-399-53156-4), but I haven’t had much reading time, in part because of the focus I’ve achieved with my first steps in Irlen Syndrome correction. I’ll soon be jumping back on the reading bandwagon.

And I forgot to mention I read Winters Passage by Julie Kagawa as well, a novella set in between two of her YA books I haven’t read. It was interesting the hints at the greater picture and what has happened along with the troubles still to come. I’m not planning to pick up her full-length books at this point because I’m not really the target audience, but if these characters continue to linger in my back brain, I may change that plan.

Publishing

A look at the various avenues open to selling short fiction:

http://kristadball.com/blog/?p=125

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 07-09-2010

My mind is still over in Canada, and I haven’t gotten back into the swing of things, so the pickings are a bit sparse. That said, here’s some solid links for you, plus some compelling reading choices to try.

What I’m Reading:

An aftermath of my wonderful trip to Canada has been that I’m walking in the mornings again. However, unlike there, I lack a furry companion to keep me interested. I had put a number of audio short stories on my phone for a road trip where I wasn’t driving, but I didn’t have time to listen to most of them. Finally, I had the equivalent of a commute, and a short story is the perfect length. I’ve been enjoying a run of stories from Beneath Ceaseless Skies, though I’ve noticed other ezines are starting to offer audio versions as well.

The Manufactory by Dru Pagliassotti is one I didn’t expect to find in this magazine, and yet the feel of it denies its modern/futuristic elements. This is not a comfort story. It explores the choices that status brings and takes away in a creepy and powerful tale:

http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/story.php?s=64

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 6-25-2010

What I’m Reading

I managed to take in a bit of short fiction while waiting for my son to finish the book he’d borrowed, Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews (which I now have). There are a bunch of good reads out there for the enjoying.

The Dead Man’s Child by Jay Lake on Cosmos Online offers a lyrical narrative that builds on itself to resolution in the manner of the old teaching tales. It’s not rushed or focused on action or gore, and is compelling for that very fact. What did you think of it?
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/fiction/online/885/the-dead-mans-child?page=0%2C0

I listened to Father’s Kill by Christopher Green on Beneath Ceaseless Skies in audio form. I rarely have time for audio, so it’s not my favorite method of “reading,” but the BCS reader is quite good. I found the tale evocative and primarily mood focused. It does have a twist at the end that I didn’t anticipate, but is both well seeded and surprising too so nicely done.
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/story.php?s=48

Read the rest of this entry »