eBook pricing is just too damn high

Posted inRants, Writing
The Kindle, the Nook, the this, the that. The makers of eBook readers are pushing pretty hard to make them the next iPod, only with words instead of tunes. Word of mouth tends to be very positive, too. Me, I just can't jump on board yet. The price of entry is still too high -- over $250 for the low-cost model -- and the price of books on it is, in my opinion, absurd. You're generally paying $9.99 for a new release, which is fine if you're a person who needs to have a book right now, but is still…
When your own stories surprise you

When your own stories surprise you

Posted inWriting
I've already mentioned that I'm working on a dystopian science fiction novel. It will be, I hope, Philip K. Dick meets George Orwell thrust into a Stephen Spielberg film. That's the aim, at least. I've had some rough nights where the words just don't want to come (and those that do are crap), and other nights when things click and I'm at the edge of my seat, wondering what's going to happen to our protagonists. Wait, shouldn't I know what's going to happen to my characters? Well, yes and no. I'm writing with an outline, but it's pretty loose. It's…

Churning out that first draft

Posted inWriting
Shortly after posting yesterday about National Novel Writing Month, I came across an excellent blog post by literary agent Rachelle Gardner. This is great advice that I wanted to share with those taking part in NaNoWriMo -- or anyone working on a big writing project, really. Now is NOT the time to self-edit or worry about all those writing tips you've been taught. Just write. Let the words flow. If you've been studying the craft, you'll naturally be inclined to show more than tell, write snappy dialogue, and be aware of how much backstory you're allowing in. That's great. But…

National Novel Writing Month

Posted inWriting
Did you know it's National Novel Writing Month? National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is a creative writing challenge now celebrating its 10th year. The premise is simple. The idea is to bang out an entire novel in the month of November. Why? Just because. Just to see if you're up to the challenge. The goal, according to the rules of the exercise, is to hit 50,000 words in a month (which is a but slim for today's marketplace, frankly, but the challenge isn't meant for you to churn out the next Great American Novel). You go to the website,…

The novel chugs along

Posted inRandom Musings, Writing
Since vowing last Thursday that I would finish the first draft of my dystopian science fiction novel by the end of the year -- a ridiculous vow, considering all else I'm juggling on a daily basis -- I've averaged just at the maximum end of what I need to average to get it finished. In doing so, I've slammed out a couple of chapters, wrote my way through a three-chapter action set piece, and figured out a plot puzzle that had been vexing me. Wrote myself into a corner while I was at it, but I'm sure that will work…