Phil Giunta's Blog, page 110
January 31, 2012
About this Writing Stuff...
And Steven H. Wilson provides a preview chapter of his upcoming SF novel, Unfriendly Persuasion. Enjoy!
5 Attitudes Toward Publishing You Should Avoid by Jane Friedman
My Favorite Writing Advice: Failing on the Page by Shelli Johnson
The New World of Publishing: Pen Names by Dean Wesley Smith
What is the Goal of Ranting? by Jami Gold
Multiple Personality Disorder? No, I'm a Writer by Jami Gold
The Great Social Media Flim-Flam by Susan Kiernan-Lewis
Is All The Hard Work Ever Going to Pay Off? by Jody Hedlund
At Home with the Sixes by JA Konrath
The Business Rusch: Readers by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Unfriendly Persuasion - A Preview by Steven H. Wilson
January 24, 2012
About this Writing Stuff...
Let me start with congratulations to friend, publisher, and writer, Steven H. Wilson on the upcoming debut of his third SF novel, Unfriendly Persuasion. Click HERE to read my review of the book in December 2011. The book launch for Unfriendly Persuasion will occur next month at Farpoint, a long-running SF media convention in Timonium, MD co-founded by Steve in 1993. Farpoint is a weekend loaded with actor guests, artists, writers, and podcasters with programming for adults and children alike.
In this week's round of articles, we have a double shot from JA Konrath as he questions the value of publicity and tackles the myth of the bestseller. We get two "How To's" from Jody Hedlund as she tells us how to make our books read like movies and how to find original ideas when you've run dry. There's been talk lately about "authors vs. writers" and Jami Gold weighs in on that. Sophie Masson covers covers while hubby and wife Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch talk about distribution, bestsellers, and other thoughts. Enjoy!
But Why Would You Not Publish to All Bookstores? by Dean Wesley Smith
The Value of Publicity by JA Konrath
The Myth of the Bestseller by JA Konrath
Do You Call Yourself a Writer or an Author? by Jami Gold
How to Make Your Book Play Out Like a Movie by Jody Hedlund
How to Find Original Ideas When You Have None by Jody Hedlund
Cover Story by Sophie Masson
Bestseller Lists and Other Thoughts by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
January 17, 2012
About this Writing Stuff...
However, I know I'm well overdue for my weekly list of articles culled from the information superhighway. Anne Kreamer presents some compelling reasons why even the most corporate types should pick up a novel now and again. Dean Wesley Smith differentiates writers from authors and discusses investing in your future. JA Konrath responds to comments about his success with a reality check. Jody Hedlund talks about getting your book into bookstores and those walls on the way to publication. Kristine Kathryn Rusch wants to smack some writers in the back of the head and Ann Aguirre offers five productivity tips. Enjoy!
The Business Case for Reading Novels by Anne Kreamer
Investing in Your Own Future by Dean Wesley Smith
Writer vs. Author by Dean Wesley Smith
Reality Check by JA Konrath
Why Not? by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Five Productivity Tips by Ann Aguirre
How Can Authors Get Their Books into Bookstores? by Jody Hedlund
Walls on the Path to Publication by Jody Hedlund
The Cover Revealed! Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History by Bob Greenberger
January 14, 2012
Update on my Second Novel
As my final exercise before submitting By Your Side to the publisher, I'm reading the entire manuscript aloud. Although I'm confident that the proofreaders have caught 99% of the typos, the benefits of reading out loud are two fold.
It's good practice for when I record the audio version later, but more immediately it allows me to find awkward phrasing that can be changed or excess words to be trimmed that might not catch the eye but could trip the tongue.Once I've completed that, then it's off to the publisher which might just happen as early as this weekend! Wish me luck!!
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January 11, 2012
Book Review: Flawless Ruins by Kieryn Nicolas
Two hundred years in the future, long after the final nuclear war, women rule America with an iron fist. Men are second class citizens, raised in cities designated by numbers where they eventually work as slaves in fields, factories, and mills. Knowledge of their existence is limited only to the female mayors of the cities and those women stationed to work in the numbered towns as teachers--and wardens.
Each boy receives a microchip, implanted as the base of the neck at birth, that allows them to be controlled by their female guardians. With the press of a button on their wristband "remotes", any woman can initiate an electric charge as "punishment" for a boy that is out of line, working too slow, or merely looking at them the wrong way. Needless to say, there is no lack of sadists among the powers that be.
Meanwhile, the most promising girls and career women grow up and work in luxurious "color" cities (think Blue City, Green City, Yellow City). Here, the most a teenager needs to worry about is planning her "Amora", a ceremony/dance party that occurs on her seventeenth birthday. Each "Amora" is presided over by the mayor who presents to the birthday girl her "Like", a customized male companion programmed to adore her mindlessly and serve her every need. Wonder where they come from?
Apparently, none of the girls do nor they seem to care if their "Like" even has a past. No questions are asked as each girl starts a new phase of her life with her 'Stepford' boyfriend.
It's just the way of things, why question it?
Until one Saturday night when Morgan Waters attends the "Amora" for her best friend, Lainey. Near the end of ceremony, before the 11PM curfew, the dance hall fills with smoke as a special effect--an anathema to Morgan who suffers from breathing problems. As the smoke fills her lungs, Morgan becomes disoriented and stumbles into a supply closet where she promptly blacks out.
It just so happens that on Saturday nights, the boys from City 4 come to Blue City for maintenance. They are the janitors and their work is performed after the women's curfew. Thus, the boys are invisible to all but their overseers. On this particular Saturday night, however, seventeen year old Neil enters the supply closet and finds more than mops and buckets.
Any male who is not a "Like" cannot be seen by a woman in the colored cities. If they do, the blame instantly falls on the boy and punishment is severe. However, Morgan becomes curious and manages to strike up a brief conversation with the frightened Neil. What she learns from him both confuses and concerns her. She must know more. Emboldened, Morgan buys clothes that match what the boys wear and sneaks off after curfew to visit City 4 to be with Neil. As the horrific truth of her society unfolds, how will she handle the knowledge? Can she keep what she learns contained as her own "Amora" approaches?
Morgan finds herself lost in a life that once held nothing but comfort and direction. Who can she trust as she digs further into the darkest secrets of her world? Meanwhile, Neil and his eloquent, charismatic roomate Han have been doing some detective work of their own as they watch their eighteen year old friends begin to disappear without a trace.
Last week, I reviewed Kieryn Nicolas' first novel, RAIN, a contemporary teen espionage story. While an admirable debut, Flawless Ruins is a clear example of a writer improving and growing in her craft. While there are many familiar elements in the story from the post-war dystopian society (in this case, "Big Sister") to mind control (in the vein of Stepford Wives) to a select few rebels who question authority and seek answers, Nicolas combines these deftly as she weaves a complete and believable setting.
Compared to RAIN, the characters in Flawless Ruins are stronger, the pacing is quicker, and story far more moving. I cared about Morgan, Neil, and Han. I wanted Morgan to rescue the boys from their abusers and to see Neil and Morgan fall in love as they expose the evils of their soceity. Call me a hopeless romantic, I don't care. Flawless Ruins was freakin' fantastic.
I look forward to seeing Nicolas tackle increasingly challenging themes as her writing continues to mature.
January 10, 2012
2012 Writing Events
January
The main event of all for me, submitting my next manuscript to my publisher!
February
Farpoint , a SF media convention in Timonium, MD. (). Featuring Peter David, Keith RA DiCandido, Howard Weinstein, Michael Jan Friedman, Bob Greenberger, Aaron Rosenberg, Terry Rioux, Steven H. Wilson, many other authors and podcasters, and oh yeah, ME! I've also talked GLVWG member and YA author, Kieryn Nicolas into going. Actor guests include Michael Hogan, Kate Vernon, and Kristin Bauer.
March
Write Stuff Conference in Allentown, PA. March 16-17. Featuring James Scott Bell and Gayle Roper as well as Katherine Ramsland and more.
April
Write it Right conference in Schuykill County, PA. Featuring author/former agent Ann Boyle. I will be speaking in two sessions here: Digital Publishing from 10-10:50AM and Writing Paranormal from 11-11:50AM.
May
BaltiCon 46 - Baltimore's oldest SF convention. Memorial Day weekend. I was a participant for the first time last year along with my publisher and author Steven H. Wilson. I met Ben Bova! I'm going back again. No idea what panels I'll be on yet.
July
Shore Leave 34 August 3-5, 2012. Writer guests normally include Peter David, Keith RA DiCandido, Howard Weinstein, Michael Jan Friedman, Bob Greenberger, Aaron Rosenberg, Kelly Meding, David Mack, Dayton Ward, and more. Many actor guests TBA. I will be participating in the Friday night book fair known as the Meet the Pros party.
January 8, 2012
Steven H. Wilson interviewed by Sci-Fi Diner Podcast
Sci-Fi Diner Podcast Episode 122 - Interview with Steven H. Wilson
January 3, 2012
Book Review: RAIN by Kieryn Nicolas
Amber Rind is a teenage spy raised practically from childbirth at the top secret Watson Institute in Rochester, NY. There, students are taught academics in the morning, self-defense and espionage in the afternoon. Advancement comes in the form of moving up through color coded groups (Yellow Group, Green Group, and so forth up to Red Group). Amber is one of Watson's most prodigious students, highly disciplined and motivated, yet rigid and practically devoid of a social life.
Enter the new kid, Anthony, a meteorology genius. Watson's omnipresent principal, Thomas Syme, assigns Amber the task of showing Anthony the ropes. To her surprise, they become fast friends. At one point, Anthony nicknames her 'Mel', short for melon in reference to her uber-healthy diet. In return, Amber calls him 'Rain' for his uncanny ability to predict the weather--Ray for short. From that point, the two refer to one another strictly by their new sobriquets. Then one night, Ray is killed by an attacker during a mission to stop a crime in progress and for some reason, Syme stops Mel from charging to his aide. Although she holds her emotions in check, Mel is devastated.
Two years later, Mel is sent on another mission, this time to Brisbane, Australia where she stays at Marvin Academy, a school associated with Watson. There she eventually makes friends with a group of girls her age, and a mysterious boy named Jonathan who also happens to be a weather wiz kid with very familiar personality traits. Jonathan and Mel quickly hit it off and it makes her wonder... Mel now finds herself with two missions, one that was assigned to her by Syme and the other to determine Jonathan's true identity and it isn't long before Mel's interest in Jonathan assumes priority...but could the two be related?
I have to admit that RAIN was the first YA novel I'd ever read in my life. Even in my teen years, I had been drawn to the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, JD Salinger, Harlan Ellison and Isaac Asimov. For light reading, I devoured media tie-in novels in the Star Trek, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones universes. I suppose some of those could be considered YA.
This was a new experience for me as was the fact that it was written in first person present tense, a bold move for a new author. Many a manuscript has been rejected by New York agents for this reason alone. Yet Nicolas pulls it off and I quickly became accustomed to it as the story drew me in. Nicolas creates unique characters and Mel's growth from an "all work and no play" secret agent to a young woman capable of feelings was commendable.
Still, the story slowed in the middle as Mel became closer with some of the girls at Marvin Academy and reluctantly adopted a social life (including wardrobe choices, hairstyling sessions, a school dance, and trips to the ice cream store). Although the tension was maintained much of the time, I found myself anxious to move forward with Mel's missions and was pleased with the suspenseful, action-packed climax in the last five chapters. However, my impatience may be more a sign of my age and gender than of the writing itself. :)
All told, a wonderful debut novel from Kieryn Nicolas who also released a second YA novel, Flawless Ruins, that takes place over 100 years in the future. It's also next on my list. Stay tuned for the review!
Also note that Kieryn will be appearing at Farpoint, an annual SF media convention in Timonium, MD. February 17-19, 2012!
December 31, 2011
2011: A Year in Interviews
January: Howard Weinstein
February: Alyce Wilson
March: Bob Greenberger
March: Aaron Rosenberg
April: Steven H. Wilson
April: Jon Gibbs
May: Denise Jaden
May: Michael Jan Friedman
June: Mark Benjamin
June: Kieryn Nicolas
July: Kelly Meding
October: Nicole Zoltak
November: Shelli Johnson
December 27, 2011
Book Review: Unfriendly Persuasion by Steven H. Wilson
As with his first novel, Taken Liberty , Wilson presents moral dilemnas between his very unique characters that conflict not only with the military chain of command in the Confederacy's space Navy, but also with personal friendships and religious beliefs.
Unfriendly Persuasion kicks off with a biased account of a terrorist attack against the Confederacy by reptilian aliens known as the Qraitians. The attack had been thwarted by the Titan, a massive battleship under the command of Captain Jan Atal. However, when the crisis erupted, Lieutenant Terry Metcalfe had been in command as part of a training exercise. Metcalfe is apparently a rare breed in the Inner Worlds, a Terran with strict morals that often make him a target of misunderstandings and ridicule from his fellow crewmates. From Metcalfe's human point of view, the morals of his crewmen and woman are loose at best. Yet over time, he has learned to accept and befriend them.
During a talk show interview, fellow Titan crewman and personal nemesis to Metcalfe, Sestus Blaurich, recounts the Qraitian incursion painting himself the hero and Metcalfe the blubbering, panic-stricken Terran. Needless to say, nothing could be further from the truth as the story progresses and centers directly around Metcalfe, his strength of will, of character, and of faith. Yet his victory over the Qraitian terrorists has left him changed, perhaps shaken. He seeks counseling as he searches for answers. All the while, he begins to alienate himself from his friends.
At the same time, the interview with the arrogant Blaurich fuels a fire already ablaze in the Confederacy, the need for heightened security at the sacrifice of personal freedoms--and this question is at the very heart of Unfriendly Persuasion. Admiral Fournier, Jan Atal's commanding officer, orders interrogations of all civilians working aboard Titan, detaining anyone who resists or shows even the slightest indignation.
Elsewhere in Confederate space exists a planet called Eleusis, a world that appears to harbor a vast and powerful intelligence, and possibly a weapon capable of destroying an entire solar system. Its pacifist inhabitants, calling themselves The Family, worship this intelligence as a god and welcome all beings to their world without question--including the Qraitians, some of whom abandon their former lives and join The Family.
The Confederate Admiralty finds this situation unacceptable. Fournier orders the Titan, carrying a contingent of Marines, to Eleusis to evacuate the inhabitants and arrest all Qraitians for interrogation. This becomes complicated by several factors. A Qraitian warship is in orbit around Eleusis to transport the disgraced Qraitians off planet and return them home for execution. On the planet, Metcalfe joins members of The Family in "Communion", a session of prayer to the God of Eleusis. During the experience, Metcalfe is directly contacted by the intelligence and discovers after a short time that the omnipotent Eleusis has chosen him to be The One. Could Metcalfe find the answers he seeks here?
Metcalfe is placed in a position to either follow orders and remove the pacifists from the planet or commit mutiny and join the Family as he is pulled deeper into the belief that he has, in fact, found The Almighty. The intelligence makes its power apparent when members of the Family are attacked. The aggressor simply disappears. This goes for Qraitians and Confederates alike.
Wilson keeps the tension high as all hell breaks loose above the planet between Captain Atal, Admiral Fournier, and Qraitian Commander Ustenar. The story centers around Metcalfe who finds himself also protected by the awesome power of Eleusis but also explores the other characters each through their relationships with Metcalfe and the lengths they would go to in order protect him and each other. It is these relationships that are called to the forefront at the story's ending.
Fans of the audio drama definitely have a rich, solid story to which they can look forward come February 2012 and the casual reader can pick up Unfriendly Persuasion without in-depth knowledge of all that has gone before.
