Blair MacGregor's Blog, page 10

On SFWA’s Anniversary

For SFWA’s 50th Anniversary Blog Tour, I wrote up a little post on why I joined last yearand why I’ve decided to stay.

Here you can find a more detailed version of my original decision process, and here’s what I wrote once the decision had been made.

It’s been somewhat of a tumultuous year to be certain. I anticipate a bit more tumult as the results settle in, and am satisfied by knowing we’re heading in the right direction.

Tagged: sfwa, writing

Update: Breath of Stone

My darlings, there is indeed forward movement!

This week and next week are for major structural revisions. We’re talking quite major here. Were this an architectural project, I’d be doing something akin to replacing spiral staircases with glass elevators, and installing fireplaces in place of heating ducts. Sure, it would be relatively simple were I just changing the artistic renderings. But elevators and fireplaces require the installation or creation of all sorts of things that’ll be hidden...

Look! Quickly!

The price changes haven’t yet shown up for Sand of Bone and Sword and Chant. That means you can, right this moment, spend a hair under $5 and get both novels for Kindle!

At this point, I cannot control when it changes, so… Go! Quickly!

#SFWApro

Tagged: sales, Sand of Bone, sword and chant

Once More, GenCon

I wrote last year about the GenCon Writer’s Symposium — the enjoyment of reconnecting with a couple folks, the exasperation over the comments and panels on self-publishing. It looks as if the latter problem will be solved by reducing any direct mention of self-publishing to two single-presenter hours.

Here’s the schedule.

One presentation is called, “Self or Traditional: Pros and Cons of Each.” The other is, “Self-Publishing: Why It Works, Why It” (I’m assuming the cut-off word on the schedul...

My Not-A-Review of Age of Ultron

My son took me to see Age of Ultron last night, and I enjoyed it muchly!

I’m not very good at writing actual reviews, and Cheryl Morgan has already written here much of what I’d say anyway. But I do want to add a couple of things:

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Nat and Bruce are in a PTSD-governed relationship. Really, Hulk is the epitome of some forms of PTSD, and many families of soldiers will see the connection. What Natasha does for Bruce—the push-pull of connection and fear and rage—will be recognizab...

After the Smack (or Stab, or Break, or Burn, or…)

Since I’ve just gutted the middle of Stone because the plot was moving with all the grace of a square-wheeled locomotive chugging over the Rockies, you get a Sunday blog post so I can clear my head before I resume stitching the innards back together.*

So here it is: As I mentioned on Twitter, discussion forums for MMA and other fighting sports are a goldmine of writerly information.

There are bunches of little guides out there on how fantasy writers can realistically and vibrantly portray com...

Cover Reveal: Breath of Stone

Thanks to the wonderful work of Cabil Services, we have the perfect cover for Breath of Stone.

I love it. I love, love, love it. And I totally love how the two covers work together.

Now: One of the most wonderful comments a writer can hear from readers is, “I hope there’s a sequel!” And I do a happy dance of joy for each reader who said that after reading Sand of Bone.

I so wanted to have that sequel, Breath of Stone, completed for you by the end of April. Alas, it simply isn’t going to hap...

A Review, A Musing, and A Last Call

The Review: As you might know, fantasy author Mark Lawrence put together the framework of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (details here), and Bob Milne of Beauty In Ruins is the book blogger randomly assigned to evaluate Sand of Bone. Can I just say that any review whose opening sentence includes the phrase “quite astounding” is enough to make this writer do the Snoopy happy dance? Check it out for yourself–both the praise and the critique.

*quickly pulls out soapbox*

And I’ll reiteratem...

Awesome Pups Are Awesome

Now for something happy!

Our new little girl, Tanner, is settling in a little more every day. She’s loving all the cuddles and playtime and—now that she’s well-trained to the invisible fence and the weather is better—is merrily running around the yard, investigating rabbit trails, and bounding on and off the deck just for fun.

She and Gambit have reached friendly cohabitation and are working toward being buddies. One night last week, we let her in the house while Gambit was still out romping....

Musing That Might Or Might Not Apply To Current Conversations

My admiration for a professional acquaintance grew during the Indiana RFRA upheaval (which I introduce here as an EXAMPLE, not something I really want to debate right now*). She is a life-long Republican activist. And I do mean activist. She organizes and attends political rallies, works in campaign offices, and is always ready to intelligently discuss policy. My beliefs and hers overlap in very few places, but I’ve always enjoyed our conversations whether we’re agreeing or disagreeing.

She h...