Moe Lane's Blog, page 155

Patreon Microfiction: A Stellar Aesthetic.

100WS-A Stellar AestheticDownloadPatreon!

One of the things about makes me sad about not being physically immortal is that I’m going to miss out on what happens to interstellar spaceships once they get cheap enough for the hobbyists to play around with them. The universe of “A Stellar Aesthetic” is full of them. It’s always these incredibly old dudes with a blowtorch, a cigar, and no protective gear, too. You encounter a guy like that working on your ship, you’d be bizarrely comforted by the sight…

‘Simple Gifts.’

Simple Gifts, Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss

#commissionearned

Book of the Week: Snow Crash.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere today, I still don’t know why the world of Snow Crash hadn’t been taken over by people with locally-sustainable military technology and a taste for conquest. It’s still a great book, though – and subversive in a way that’s different from the usual, trite shibboleths. (The sort-of sequel The Diamond Age is even more so.) Neal Stephenson’s a great writer.

The “My God Major Winters NO” THE RADLEYS trailer.

Sorry, but it really is a slight distraction. THE RADLEYS looks like it’ll be a fun little vampire flick, though. Cute gimmick with the two characters / one actor, too.

09/21/2024 Snippet, THE LAST DAYS OF UNHOLY TOLEDO.

It’s coming along.

Patreon!

Unlike the first chamber, the population of this one seemed not immediately hostile. Or at least they were not physically hostile; their sneers and supercilious glances shone out, despite the fantastical flickering colors from the braziers. “This is the Mirrorless Maze of Perfect Display,” the Monsignor told the others. “Here stayed those that knew they needed to go no further, for were they not the greatest adornment of any room they were in? I suggest you watch the ceilings as we pass through.”

“For what?” asked Nat.

The Monsignor paused — only to shake his head, unhappily, as nothing at all happened. “The spellcrafting down here must be strained,” he muttered. “Usually a question like that would be directly and drolly answered. I suppose it has been a long night.”

Writer Beware is a depressing, but unfortunately necessary, website.

I try not to read it too often, because the name is an accurate summation of Writer Beware‘s mission. There are a lot of scammers out there who specialize in going after independent authors and creators, because that’s where the fear, worry, and desperation is. Fear that you’re not going to be successful; worry that you’re not doing the right things; and desperation fueling your desire to do something, anything, that will relieve either one. Scammers love people like that.

The very bad news in all of this is that there are shortcuts in the self-publishing business, only they all involve spending money and playing the long game. Professional-grade copy-editing and proofreading (some might add, ‘structural editing’) services make a huge difference, not least because after you get the same terse note twenty times in a row, you stop abusing semicolons, or using the same word in a paragraph three times, or whatever. Those services cost money. Good cover art for your books is better than cheap, easily replaceable cover art for your books. That costs money. Things like a decent cover design, or proper page formatting (for people who don’t just let KDP do the latter) are valuable in the long run – and, again, cost money.

I could go on for a while. The main point here is, liquidity issues are the curse of the modern self-published authors, and there’s nothing like getting a little money coming in to attract the attention of people who will to try to convince you that they can get you a lot of money. …They cannot. Ultimately, whenever it comes to cash on the barrel-head, you are on your own.

Sorry to rip off the band-aid like that.

Moe Lane

PS: Mind you, it’s not good to dwell on this.

‘A Drop of Nelson’s Blood.’

Drop of Nelson’s Blood, The Longest Johns

#commissionearned

Obligatory semi-regular reminder: I am an Amazon Affiliate.

Even in these grim, post-blogospheric times Amazon links are a valued income stream for me. It would be a help if you clicked on them when buying things. Or… you could do it for other people, too. Some people need the affiliate income more than I do, admittedly.

I know I’m not supposed to say that last part if I want people to click my links, but I feel bad if I don’t.

#commissionearned

09/20/2024 Snippet, THE LAST DAYS OF UNHOLY TOLEDO.

Tough day, will not let that stop me.

Patreon!

At first the two fighting-men hesitated to slay, instead hoping to avoid the crawling wretches. But Nat hissed as one flailing claw struck his foot, chilling it immediately and making him stumble. Only Maddox’s lightning-fast grab of his shoulder kept the other man from falling. He stabbed down with his sword in the next motion, skewering the frothing attacker through the back. “Gah!” Maddox muttered. “I could feel the cold through the blade.”

“It will pass,” the Monsignor told them both. He idly impaled a few crawlers himself as they picked their way to the far door, seemingly indifferent as to whether his strikes killed clean. “They have just enough will to suck up heat, but wound them once and they can think of nothing else. But killing them works well enough, too. I do not suppose you fine fellows would like to wager on who can strike the most? …No? Pity.”

It took five minutes — or an hour; Nat and Maddox found time to oddly flow, down there between the braziers — of fending off the slow-motion stalkers before the three reached the doors that marked the end of the chamber. The Monsignor made no secret of his amused contempt as he watched the other two try to strike only those that came too close. “I tell you again: these creatures are weak. Too weak to be worth consideration. They chose to be here, and this is their reward. Why not amuse yourselves?”

Tweet of the Day, Behold The Depths Of My Utter Depravity edition.

I’d buy this.

I know it’s become a cliche, but…

“YOUR SCIENTISTS WERE SO CONCERNED WITH WHETHER OR NOT THEY *COULD* THAT THEY DIDN’T STOP TO THINK ABOUT IF THEY *SHOULD*!” pic.twitter.com/2muSk2aGyI

— Daddy Warpig (@DaddyWarpig) September 21, 2024