Richard Lee Byers's Blog, page 25
September 25, 2014
Dear Lotto Player
Dear Lotto Player,
I support your right to gamble however you like, with scratch-offs, the Saturday night drawing, or whatever.
It seems to me, though, that your daily transactions should be less time-consuming than playing your way to the final table at the World Series of Poker.
Just sayin'.
Sincerely,
The Guy in Line Behind You at Circle K
I support your right to gamble however you like, with scratch-offs, the Saturday night drawing, or whatever.
It seems to me, though, that your daily transactions should be less time-consuming than playing your way to the final table at the World Series of Poker.
Just sayin'.
Sincerely,
The Guy in Line Behind You at Circle K
September 21, 2014
The Bard's Tale Kickstarter is live!
Check out the Kickstarter for a cool new fantasy anthology focusing on bards. One of the Stretch Goals is a story by me.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dmmyers/the-bards-tale-anthology
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dmmyers/the-bards-tale-anthology
September 19, 2014
The Talonspire Kickstarter is live!
Check out this Kickstarter for a cool new gaming universe! The first Stretch Goal is a tie-in anthology for which I will write a story.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/355542524/talonspire-campaign-setting
September 18, 2014
Is the World Fantasy Award ugly?
I've been reading some of the discussion of whether a representation of H. P. Lovecraft is an appropriate choice for the World Fantasy Award. Occasionally, some of those who argue that it isn't throw in a comment like, "And it's ugly, too!"Many people have stuck up for Lovecraft, but I have yet to notice anybody defending Gahan Wilson, who sculpted the bust. Not, of course, that a creator as brilliant as Wilson actually needs defending. Still, I feel moved to say something.The bust isn't supposed to be a realistic portrait of HPL. It's a caricature in Wilson's signature humorously macabre style, and when you see it in that light, it's quite wonderful.
My Necronomicon 2014 schedule
This, give or take, is my programming schedule for Necronomicon 2014, which is being held in Tampa Oct. 3-5.
DAY
TIME
EVENT NAME
Friday
1:00:00 PM
Creating Fantasy & Science Fiction Worlds
Friday
5:00:00 PM
Writing with Florida Flair
Friday
6:00:00 PM
Putting Humor in Your Story
Friday
10:00:00 PM
The Obligatory Writing Great Villains Panel
Saturday
9:00:00 AM
Writing RPG Fiction
Saturday
11:00:00 AM
Lovecraft: Still Popular After All These Years
Saturday
1:00:00 PM
Pulp Fiction
Saturday
2:00:00 PM
Camp Cthulhu: the Writing Life
Saturday
3:00:00 PM
Hard Boiled Author Challenge
Sunday
10:00:00 AM
Writing in Shared Worlds
Sunday
12:00:00 PM
Get a Clue. How to Write a Mystery
Sunday
1:00:00 PM
Guilty Pleasures
For information on Necronomicon, look here:
http://www.stonehill.org/necro.htm
DAY
TIME
EVENT NAME
Friday
1:00:00 PM
Creating Fantasy & Science Fiction Worlds
Friday
5:00:00 PM
Writing with Florida Flair
Friday
6:00:00 PM
Putting Humor in Your Story
Friday
10:00:00 PM
The Obligatory Writing Great Villains Panel
Saturday
9:00:00 AM
Writing RPG Fiction
Saturday
11:00:00 AM
Lovecraft: Still Popular After All These Years
Saturday
1:00:00 PM
Pulp Fiction
Saturday
2:00:00 PM
Camp Cthulhu: the Writing Life
Saturday
3:00:00 PM
Hard Boiled Author Challenge
Sunday
10:00:00 AM
Writing in Shared Worlds
Sunday
12:00:00 PM
Get a Clue. How to Write a Mystery
Sunday
1:00:00 PM
Guilty Pleasures
For information on Necronomicon, look here:
http://www.stonehill.org/necro.htm
September 17, 2014
Let's do the blog hop!
Recently, my friend and colleague Chris A. Jackson tagged me to participate in a blog hop. Chris is…well, here he is in his own words:
“A sailing writer, or writing sailor (still not sure which), Chris A. Jackson is living his dream. Sailing full time since 2009, he and his wife are dividing their time between cruising and writing fantasy. As a sailor, nautical fantasy came naturally. His Scimitar Seas novels have won multiple gold medals, and his debut Pathfinder Tales novels, Pirate’s Honor has received high praise. The Weapon of Flesh Trilogy has become a Kindle bestseller, spurring international interest. His shorter works include Blood and Iron, a nautical novella in the Iron Kingdoms world released in 2014 from Privateer Press, stories in various anthologies, and a short story for Catalyst Game Labs in the Shadowrun universe pending release. More Pathfinder Tales, the Weapon of Fear Trilogy, and other works are coming in 2015, so drop by jaxbooks.com for updates!”
The way the blog hop works is that I’ll answer the four questions you’ll find below. Then I’ll tag three other writers who will do the same on their websites.
1. What am I working on?
I’ve just finished writing several short stories that connect to the works of H. P. Lovecraft. I think that well has run dry for the time being, so now I’m trying to decide which of three ideas for novels (one heroic fantasy, one urban fantasy, and one horror) to tackle. I may not get much done on any of them, though, because I’m waiting to hear back on several pitches, outlines, and what have you. If one of those projects gets green-lit, it will jump to the head of the line. (Unfortunately, I can’t go into detail about any of them yet.)
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Since I write in more than one genre, it probably depends on which part of my stuff we’re talking about. If it’s my heroic fantasy, I try to take advantage of the reading I’ve done in real-world history and my appreciation of other fictional genres. Many of my sword-and-sorcery tales have a fair amount of flat-out horror in them and also borrow tropes from detective and spy fiction.
3. Why do I write what I do?
I write that portion of what I love that I feel capable of writing. I love fantasy, horror, and science fiction, but I focus on the first two. That’s because I don’t have a deep enough understanding of science to turn out the kind of SF I admire.
4. How does my writing process work?
I whip ideas into a workable form by making sure they contain the three elements that are generally necessary to make a good genre story. These are the protagonist, the goal toward which he strives, and the obstacle or obstacles that block the way.
By working with the three elements, I come up with a basic outline for the story. This is generally in my head for a short piece but often written out for a novel.
When I’m ready to write the actual story, I keep to a production schedule. I sit down at my computer at prescribed times, and I keep working until I’ve produced enough new words to satisfy the schedule, Generally, the magic number is 1500, although it may be more if I’m on a tight deadline or less if I’m working on something that poses unusual problems.
I start each writing day by going over and revising the work from the previous couple days. This is good in and of itself because that work needs polishing, but just as importantly, it reminds me what’s going on in the story and helps me get in the writing groove to press onward.
Now for my three tags. The first writer is Jaym Gates, who describes herself thusly:
“Jaym Gates is an editor, author, and publicist, and the Communications Director for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Her anthologies include Broken Time Blues, War Stories, the upcoming Genius Loci, and an untitled anthology for the Exalted RPG line. She's been published in Goldfish Grimm, Heroes!, and Kaiju Rising.
“She's also frequently on the road for conventions, runs local events, and games whenever possible. Please send her coffee, scotch, or more calendars to track her deadlines.”
When she posts it, you’ll find her response to the blog hop at http://jaymgates.com
My second tag is Erin M. Evans. Please introduce yourself, Erin.
“Erin M. Evans got a degree in Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis–and promptly stuck it in a box. Nowadays she uses that knowledge of bones, mythology, and social constructions to flesh out fantasy worlds. She is the author of The God Catcher, The Adversary, and Fire in the Blood among other novels, and she lives in Washington State.”
Erin’s post will appear at http://slushlush.com
Finally, I’ve tagged Erik Scott de Bie, who has this to say about himself:
“Erik Scott de Bie is a 30-something speculative fiction author and game designer. He has published eight novels to date, including novels in the storied Forgotten Realms fantasy setting, the famous Traveller universe (his forthcoming novel Priority: Hyperion), a stand-alone novel for Broken Eye Books (Scourge of the Realm), and the original World of Ruin epic fantasy setting (his recently released novel, Shadow of the Winter King, is the first in that series). His short work has appeared in numerous anthologies and he is the author of the multimedia superhero project, Justice/Vengeance. In his work as a game designer, he has contributed to products from such companies as Wizards of the Coast and Privateer Press, and he is a lead creative consultant on Red Aegis from Vorpal Games. Check out his website: erikscottdebie.com”
“A sailing writer, or writing sailor (still not sure which), Chris A. Jackson is living his dream. Sailing full time since 2009, he and his wife are dividing their time between cruising and writing fantasy. As a sailor, nautical fantasy came naturally. His Scimitar Seas novels have won multiple gold medals, and his debut Pathfinder Tales novels, Pirate’s Honor has received high praise. The Weapon of Flesh Trilogy has become a Kindle bestseller, spurring international interest. His shorter works include Blood and Iron, a nautical novella in the Iron Kingdoms world released in 2014 from Privateer Press, stories in various anthologies, and a short story for Catalyst Game Labs in the Shadowrun universe pending release. More Pathfinder Tales, the Weapon of Fear Trilogy, and other works are coming in 2015, so drop by jaxbooks.com for updates!”
The way the blog hop works is that I’ll answer the four questions you’ll find below. Then I’ll tag three other writers who will do the same on their websites.
1. What am I working on?
I’ve just finished writing several short stories that connect to the works of H. P. Lovecraft. I think that well has run dry for the time being, so now I’m trying to decide which of three ideas for novels (one heroic fantasy, one urban fantasy, and one horror) to tackle. I may not get much done on any of them, though, because I’m waiting to hear back on several pitches, outlines, and what have you. If one of those projects gets green-lit, it will jump to the head of the line. (Unfortunately, I can’t go into detail about any of them yet.)
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Since I write in more than one genre, it probably depends on which part of my stuff we’re talking about. If it’s my heroic fantasy, I try to take advantage of the reading I’ve done in real-world history and my appreciation of other fictional genres. Many of my sword-and-sorcery tales have a fair amount of flat-out horror in them and also borrow tropes from detective and spy fiction.
3. Why do I write what I do?
I write that portion of what I love that I feel capable of writing. I love fantasy, horror, and science fiction, but I focus on the first two. That’s because I don’t have a deep enough understanding of science to turn out the kind of SF I admire.
4. How does my writing process work?
I whip ideas into a workable form by making sure they contain the three elements that are generally necessary to make a good genre story. These are the protagonist, the goal toward which he strives, and the obstacle or obstacles that block the way.
By working with the three elements, I come up with a basic outline for the story. This is generally in my head for a short piece but often written out for a novel.
When I’m ready to write the actual story, I keep to a production schedule. I sit down at my computer at prescribed times, and I keep working until I’ve produced enough new words to satisfy the schedule, Generally, the magic number is 1500, although it may be more if I’m on a tight deadline or less if I’m working on something that poses unusual problems.
I start each writing day by going over and revising the work from the previous couple days. This is good in and of itself because that work needs polishing, but just as importantly, it reminds me what’s going on in the story and helps me get in the writing groove to press onward.
Now for my three tags. The first writer is Jaym Gates, who describes herself thusly:
“Jaym Gates is an editor, author, and publicist, and the Communications Director for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Her anthologies include Broken Time Blues, War Stories, the upcoming Genius Loci, and an untitled anthology for the Exalted RPG line. She's been published in Goldfish Grimm, Heroes!, and Kaiju Rising.
“She's also frequently on the road for conventions, runs local events, and games whenever possible. Please send her coffee, scotch, or more calendars to track her deadlines.”
When she posts it, you’ll find her response to the blog hop at http://jaymgates.com
My second tag is Erin M. Evans. Please introduce yourself, Erin.
“Erin M. Evans got a degree in Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis–and promptly stuck it in a box. Nowadays she uses that knowledge of bones, mythology, and social constructions to flesh out fantasy worlds. She is the author of The God Catcher, The Adversary, and Fire in the Blood among other novels, and she lives in Washington State.”
Erin’s post will appear at http://slushlush.com
Finally, I’ve tagged Erik Scott de Bie, who has this to say about himself:
“Erik Scott de Bie is a 30-something speculative fiction author and game designer. He has published eight novels to date, including novels in the storied Forgotten Realms fantasy setting, the famous Traveller universe (his forthcoming novel Priority: Hyperion), a stand-alone novel for Broken Eye Books (Scourge of the Realm), and the original World of Ruin epic fantasy setting (his recently released novel, Shadow of the Winter King, is the first in that series). His short work has appeared in numerous anthologies and he is the author of the multimedia superhero project, Justice/Vengeance. In his work as a game designer, he has contributed to products from such companies as Wizards of the Coast and Privateer Press, and he is a lead creative consultant on Red Aegis from Vorpal Games. Check out his website: erikscottdebie.com”
September 16, 2014
MURDER IN CORVIS is almost here
My novella MURDER IN CORVIS releases 9/26, but neither the publisher nor I will mind if you preorder. https://skullislandx.com/iron-kingdoms/murder-in-corvis
September 11, 2014
BLACKGUARDS author's Reddit AMA is up and running
The BLACKGUARDS anthology authors' Reddit AMA is up and running. Several people are responding to questions already. More of us will be checking in come evening, probably around 8 PM-ish.
http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/2g46x6/ama_ragnarok_publications_blackguards_anthology/
http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/2g46x6/ama_ragnarok_publications_blackguards_anthology/
September 2, 2014
Fantasy's Scoundrels
Check out my guest post on SF Signal. It's about "Fantasy's Scoundrels" http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014/09/guest-post-richard-lee-byers-on-fantasys-scoundrels/?fb_action_ids=10204458274798311&fb_action_types=news.publishes&fb_ref=pub-standard
Narcissus goes to Dragon Con
I just got back from Dragon Con, where I had a fantastic time. Nearly every aspect of the event was wonderful.
But there was this one panel I attended (as a member of the audience, not a panelist)...
It was a one-hour panel, and the three writer panelists used up the first twelve minutes giving rambling introductions that were a mix of smug self-congratulation and hard sells for their various projects.
I was relieved when they finally moved on to addressing the topic, but my hopes for a discussion that would prove entertaining, illuminating, or at least easy to tolerate were cruelly dashed when the tone the intros had established prevailed throughout. Every answer to every question was some version of "Well, in MY wonderful book, I handle that this way..."
I was soon fantasizing about ascending the dais and beating each of the trio to death with a shovel, but I have to admit that when I checked out my fellow audience members, I seemed to be the only person reacting in this way. Maybe everybody else who showed up was a diehard fan of the three and thought their narcissism was entirely appropriate given the magnificence that is them. (And for all I know, they may be terrific writers. I haven't read any of the three.)
Or maybe my notion of how panelists ought to behave is off kilter. But I still think that a little humility, a softer sell, and a willingness to reference material that you didn't write yourself will serve you better when you're hoping to attract new readers to your work.
But there was this one panel I attended (as a member of the audience, not a panelist)...
It was a one-hour panel, and the three writer panelists used up the first twelve minutes giving rambling introductions that were a mix of smug self-congratulation and hard sells for their various projects.
I was relieved when they finally moved on to addressing the topic, but my hopes for a discussion that would prove entertaining, illuminating, or at least easy to tolerate were cruelly dashed when the tone the intros had established prevailed throughout. Every answer to every question was some version of "Well, in MY wonderful book, I handle that this way..."
I was soon fantasizing about ascending the dais and beating each of the trio to death with a shovel, but I have to admit that when I checked out my fellow audience members, I seemed to be the only person reacting in this way. Maybe everybody else who showed up was a diehard fan of the three and thought their narcissism was entirely appropriate given the magnificence that is them. (And for all I know, they may be terrific writers. I haven't read any of the three.)
Or maybe my notion of how panelists ought to behave is off kilter. But I still think that a little humility, a softer sell, and a willingness to reference material that you didn't write yourself will serve you better when you're hoping to attract new readers to your work.
