Jim Nelson's Blog, page 16

Twenty Writers: Kurt Vonnegut’s Bokononism in Cat’s Cradle

See the “Twenty Writers, Twenty Books” home page for more information on this series as well as a list of other books and authors

Scholars elevate Slaughterhouse-Five as Kurt Vonnegut’s greatest literary achievement. Readers gravitate toward the warm embrace of God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. For me, Vonnegut’s masterpiece is Cat’s Cradle. It belongs on the shelf beside 1984 and Invisible Man as one of the great novels of the 20th century.

Yet it’s a crime to call Cat’s Cradle a novel when i...

Interview with Sarah Meckler of GSMC Book Review

Sarah Meckler of GSMC Book Review recently interviewed me for their podcast. We discussed Bridge Daughter, its sequel Hagar’s Mother, and some of the background behind both books.

One (pleasantly) unexpected curveball: She also asked me what’s up with Edward Teller Dreams of Barbecuing People and how a book with that kind of title might tie in with my other work. What can I say? That’s my sense of humor.

You can listen to the interview here. It’s also on iTunes and YouTube if that’s easier fo...

Lessons learned from Ross Macdonald

Recently at San Francisco’s Green Apple bookstore I discovered an edition of Inward Journey (1984), a collection of essays, poetry, and remembrances dedicated to mystery writer Ross Macdonald and published shortly after his death. The collection is edited by Santa Barbara rare book seller Ralph B. Sipper, who also collaborated with Macdonald on his autobiographical Self Portrait: Ceaselessly Into the Past.

Ross Macdonald obviously affected and influenced a great number of people in and around...

Playwriting & screenwriting books every fiction writer should read

Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun

When I discuss fiction with other writers, I’ll often turn the conversation to playwriting and screenwriting. (My writing friends are kind of sick of the topic.) I talk about these other genres because I believe there’s much for a fiction writer to mine from them.

Plays and film are different narrative forms than a novel or a short story, and so not all their nuances translates well. However, like comics and graphic novels, I believe the similarities ou...

Blood in the margins

Previously I wrote glowingly on Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud. While I gushed how thoroughly McCloud dissects the language of comics, I didn’t spend much time (if any) on how Understanding Comics has affected me as a fiction writer.

Rather than expand my review to, oh, 10,000 words or so, I’ve broken up lessons I’ve drawn from Understanding Comics into separate posts. Most of these posts will deal with narrative structure in fiction, so they might be viewed as a sup...

Twenty Writers: Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics

See the “Twenty Writers, Twenty Books” home page for more information on this series as well as a list of other reviews and essays

So far in this series, about half of the books I’ve discussed have been nonfiction and the other half fiction. This is the first time I’ve written about a text on critical theory—and it may be the best lit crit book I’ve ever encountered.

The text I’m speaking of is Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. Published in 1993, the book remains the d...

Hagar’s Mother free this holiday weekend

In case you missed it on my Twitter or Facebook feed, the Kindle edition of my latest novel Hagar’s Mother is free this holiday weekend—no strings attached. The giveaway ends after Cyber Monday, so pick it up now!

This is a great chance to get both copies of the Bridge Daughter Cycle (Bridge Daughter plus Hagar’s). You can pick up both books for a total of USD$2.99 (which is kind of a steal).

If you do pick up the free book, it would be greatly appreciated if you submitted an honest review to...

Hagar’s Mother now available for pre-order

Mark your calendar for November 15th!

Hagar’s Mother is now available on Amazon for pre-order. Buy now and have a digital edition of Hagar’s Mother delivered to your Kindle, Kindle Fire, or phone on November 15th, the first day of sale.

As a thank you for supporting my work, Kindle editions of Hagar’s Mother are available for pre-order at a sale rate of $0.99. The price will raise after November 15th, so please take advantage of this rate.

For those of you waiting for a paperback edition, I’l...

Hagar’s Mother coming soon

Alas, Kindle Press took a pass on Hagar’s Mother (although their editors did pass on to me some rather complimentary and constructive comments).

No matter—I’ll be putting together Hagar’s Mother on my own and publish it soon on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback editions. Keep watching this space (and/or my Facebook and Twitter feeds) for news and updates.

Thank you for your support and patience with me over the past month during the Kindle Scout campaign. Book Two of the Bridge Daughter Cyc...

Author Q&A with Bookies: Monday, October 2nd

I’ll be leading a Q&A on Bookies’ Facebook page this Monday, October 2nd, from 5pm to 7pm (Pacific time). The event is part of Bookies’ #Authorberfest, their yearly October event giving independent authors a chance to meet readers and answer their questions.

This year I will be discussing Bridge Daughter and its upcoming sequel, Hagar’s Mother. I’m also working on a giveaway as part of the Q&A, so come and check it out!

More information about the event is on my Facebook page. Learn more about...