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 »

Interesting Links for 11-26-2010

Posting these a little late ’cause I’m moving slow after a fun Thanksgiving celebration. I hope each of you, whether in the US so with Turkey Day or not, had a grand Thursday.

Research

Before there was the Swiss Army Knife, there was the Roman Gourmet Utensil:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1247230/The-Roman-Army-Knife-Or-ingenuity-Swiss-beaten-1-800-years.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 10-29-2010

Life

It’s always nice to see signs that what I love has earned a place in popular culture, but this is one step further:

http://www.sfwa.org/2010/10/star-trek-cited-by-texas-supreme-court/

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 10-08-2010

I’m neck deep in the final preparations for the 2010 Muse Online Writers Conference, where there are writing workshops, networking opportunities, and even pitch appointments all from the comfort of your home, as well as bleeding red ink all over my latest edit, so the pickings are a little slim, but for all that I think you’ll find them fun and worth your while.

FYI, if you’re interested in coming to next year’s Muse Online Writers Conference, you can register here: http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=369

Note: You will need to create an account on the Muse forum to register, but that is also the account you’ll use for the conference when it rolls around next year.

Just for Fun

Holly Lisle names one of her set of student workgroups with animal collective nouns, and it set me searching. I found this for your amusement:

http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Pointless/AnimalGroups.html

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 10-01-2010

Is it just me, or is the year flying by? This week is mainly focused on the writing side. Maybe it’s a sign, or more likely that I had very little time to search things out, and coincidentally, I’m knee deep in a massive edit.

Editing

Here is a nice list of four common problems manuscripts have, along with examples and resources to explore them in more depth:
http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/look-for-four-writing-errors-when-you-revise/
Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 9-10-2010

Note: I’m moving the mini reviews to Wednesdays in a grand effort to focus my blog posts. I’ll post full reviews there too as they come available.

Writing

I couldn’t have asked for a better follow up to my posting of Karen McGrath’s stages of editing on Monday if I’d contracted one. A view from the other side of the revision letter:

http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-on-revision-letters.html

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 08-13-2010

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 8-6-2010

Sorry folks. Forgot to crosspost this for those of you who link to me on blogger.
What I Am ReadingElizabeth Bear’s All the Windwracked Stars is proving to be a complex and rather fascinating read.

A Stroke of Dumb Luck By Shiloh Walker, on Tor.com, is a fun urban fantasy story that does an excellent job of establishing the world all the while maintaining tension:

http://www.tor.com/stories/2010/07/a-stroke-of-dumb-luck.

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 5-14-2010

What I Am Reading

I’m in the middle of Steamed: A Steampunk Romance by Katie MacAlister. It’s not quite what I expected, but I’m enjoying the ride so far. Ballsy characters in a neat setting make for a fun read.

The Last Stand of the Ant Maker by Paul Jessup on Apex Magazine is a bizarre almost prose poem. I skimmed the first few lines, thinking I wouldn’t like it, but ended up reading the whole thing, pulled in by its surreal nature. I wanted to know what was going on even though I could tell I never would be able to exactly.
http://www.apexbookcompany.com/apex-online/2010/05/short-story-the-last-stand-of-the-ant-maker

Writing

Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to create character conflict:
http://www.plottopunctuation.com/blog/show/77

Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting Links for 4-2-2010

What I’m Reading

I just finished Silky, a novel by Lazette Gifford who happens to be a friend as well as a talented writer. My sister, years before I knew Zette, had already read and enjoyed the first edition. Now I know why. Silky is available through Holly Lisle’s Shop:

http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=207&rn=403&action=show_detail

My current read is Iron Man 2 by Alexander Irvine, which I received as part of the LibraryThing reader program. I’m finding it quite interesting because it maintains a comic book/men’s adventure feel.

Writing

Fun super hero generator that can be used as a story prompt:

http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/comics/herogen/

(more…)

Interesting Links for 3-19-2010

What I Am Reading

I finished George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, and now I understand why people are so opinionated and desperately waiting for the next installment. That book epitomizes the epic part of epic fantasy, following several different ruling families and their conflicts in a compelling narrative that manages to juggle a huge cast of POV characters with very few slips.

I also read The Rat Catcher by Kate Rothwell, a wonderful historical romance with unlikely main characters and a venture into the seedier side of historical New York crossed with a sheltered virgin whose ignorance is a source of much confusion, discomfort, and humor. (more…)

Friday's Interesting Links

What I’m Reading

This week is a recap of last week’s because I have finished neither. Some weeks it’s a breeze to finish 2 or more books, while others I struggle to finish one. This is an odd case of reading two at the same time, but they’re very different in content, even beyond the non-fiction to fiction, simply because one is philosophy and one is physics…though they end up having a lot in common at times. Usually, this reading speed difference has to do with how much the particular book asks of me. If it’s thought provoking, I tend to read more slowly to make sure I absorb every possible aspect. If it’s brain candy, I just dive in head first and plow through to the end, enjoying the ride but ultimately sad when it comes to an end. Both of these book fall into the thought provoking category, and with a big programming push as well, they’re taking their time getting read. I have not stopped, nor do I have any intention of, stopping, because I’m enjoying both book, albeit slowly.

As a reminder:
* Judge by Karen Traviss
* How to Teach Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel (http://dogphysics.com/)

(more…)

Friday's Interesting Links

Books I’ve Read

I have decided to post the book reviews, even mini-reviews, as separate posts again. I swear this decision has nothing to do with the fact that I’m still 100 pages or so from the end of the novel I’ve been reading this week and barely started with the non-fiction one. That’s no reflection on either book. I just started very late and haven’t had much time to read, though every time I start reading the novel, Magic to the Bone, I have to tear myself away.

There are a couple reasons behind this: (more…)

Friday's Interesting Links

There’s no “What I’m Reading” section for this week as I haven’t finished either reading the book or listening to the audio book. That said, both will be coming with me on my next trip, along with at least one other.

Science
More assumptions about ancient South American vanishing under new evidence:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427383.800-ancient-amazon-civilisation-laid-bare-by-felled-forest.html (more…)

Friday's Interesting Links

Notice: I have been getting up-to-date market news from Ralan.com for years, and so know that the information is kept up and accurate. That’s where I point people first. With the proliferation of searchable databases, apparently Ralan.com is slipping out of the public eye despite reliability being key. Ralan has asked, if you benefit from his efforts, that you tell Writer’s Digest, using the information below:

* Send an e-mail to writersdig (at) fwpubs (dot) com with the Subject line: “101 Websites”

* Write a short note asking them to check out the site for possible inclusion

* Specify the name and URL: Ralan’s SpecFic & Humor Webstravaganza, http://www.ralan.com

* Mention why you think the site should be included

What I Am Reading

I’m in the middle of enjoying Crystal Healer by S.L. Viehl, but I wanted to, oddly, mention something I haven’t read yet. I got my first issue of Weird Tales in the mail the other day (I have been an on-and-off subscriber), and I left it in a prominent place, pointing it out to both my sons without a lot of expectation. They’re avid readers, but not particularly interested in short fiction. However, the youngest (15) picked it up on his own, and made a point of telling everyone how much he enjoyed the story he read (which of course I can’t remember the title of). Still, it’s a worthwhile recommendation because both of them have good taste when it comes to speculative fiction. (more…)

Friday's Interesting Links...on Saturday

What I’m Reading:

I just finished Soulless by Gail Carriger. It’s the first of her Alexia Tarabotti series and combines supernatural romance with Victorian England and a touch of steampunk. I’m planning a more lengthy review, but let me just say that I lost a few good work hours to this novel because I didn’t want to put it down. Delightful in all the right ways with enough interpersonal conflict to keep me reading and a big enough external plot to set the characters up royally. I highly recommend Soulless to anyone with a taste for adventure and love in Victorian times.

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The link pickings are a little spare this week, largely because I’ve been NaNo focused and Thanksgiving distracted, but I hope you find something of interest below.

Publishing (more…)