Phil Giunta's Blog, page 66
January 22, 2016
About This Writing Stuff…
This week, Steven H. Wilson and David Gaughran discuss copyright and potential violations of such. At Writer Unboxed, David King warns against the pitfalls of self-publishing while Sophie Masson dishes on author interviews, and Susan Spann reviews rights reversions (say that 5 times fast!).
Delilah S. Dawson sees no value in self-promotion…or does she? Meanwhile, the mayor of Baltimore declares January 19 “Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Day.”
All that and a little more. Enjoy!
Do Star Trek Fans Just Not Understand Copyright? by Steven H. Wilson
The One Where an Author Steals Text from My Book to Sell Pirated Software by David Gaughran
Obtaining Reversions of Publishing Rights: the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly by Susan Spann
The Art and Craft of Author Interviews by Sophie Masson
Please Shut Up: Why Self-Promotion as an Author Doesn’t Work and Wait, Keep Talking: Author Self-Promo that Actually Works by Delilah S. Dawson
The Perils of Self-Publishing by Dave King
Defying the Odds, Local Bookstore Reaches First Birthday by Pete Mazzaccaro
Revising Your Novel: Playground, Not Torture Chamber by Grant Faulkner
Baltimore Mayor Declares City-Wide Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Day via The Baltimore Sun
January 20, 2016
Book Review: The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells
Finding himself nearly bankrupt after a failed business venture, Mr. Bedford retreats to a cottage in the English coastal town of Lympne. There, he intends to write a play that he hopes to sell and thus, restore his financial position.
However, Bedford’s writing sessions are frequently interrupted by a peculiar and apparently self-absorbed little man whose daily perambulations bring him past Bedford’s window. This would not be a problem except that he utters a loud and vexing buzzing sound as he passes.
After a few incidents of this, Bedford decides to confront the man, who introduces himself as a scientist named Cavor. He is surprised to hear that he actually makes this bizarre buzzing noise as he walks and apologizes to Bedford. During their conversation, Cavor reveals that he is working on an experiment to create a gravity-defying material.
A few days later, during one of Cavor’s daily excursions, his home laboratory explodes, nearly leveling his house and damaging neighboring properties. Yet, rather than lamenting it as a disaster, Cavor realizes that he has found accidental success in the creation of Cavorite.
The two men then construct a massive glass sphere lined with Cavorite—leaving several openings for windows—and decide to literally float from the Earth’s surface to the moon. An airtight manhole cover becomes their airlock. Maneuvering is handled by the use of blinds covering the windows. Once in space, opening the blinds over a window facing Earth or the moon causes the sphere to succumb to the gravitational pull of one or the other body.
Their journey to Earth’s satellite proceeds without incident and eventually, Cavor and Bedford venture out onto the moon’s surface to find that while thin, the air is breathable. They encounter snow and a stunning variety of flora, some of which is edible, but with amusing side effects. During the day, the sun’s heat is nearly unbearable; even worse is the night’s insufferable cold.
Eventually, the two men encounter enormous animals they decide to call mooncalves, which are tended to by herdsmen that resemble bipedal insects with massive craniums. Cavor and Bedford refer to them as Selenites. Eventually, the two men from Earth reveal themselves to the Selenites. As a result, they are introduced to a diverse society thriving beneath the moon’s surface…
…but will the first contact between humans and Selenites end in amity or utter disaster?
The First Men in the Moon (notice it’s “in” not “on” the moon) was published in 1901. By then, scientific knowledge about space and the moon was fairly advanced—the fact that space is a vacuum, the fact that the moon and the Earth are comprised of the same elements, and the fact that the moon’s gravity is a fraction of Earth’s—but obviously there were many unknowns.
Thus, if you can ignore the fact that two chaps are bounding across the lunar surface clad only in tweed jackets and golf knickers, then you’ll probably enjoy this preposterous but fantastic adventure by the legendary H.G. Wells.
January 19, 2016
Happy 207th to the Master!
Happy Birthday to a master storyteller and one of my earliest inspirations!
January 15, 2016
About This Writing Stuff…
This week, the Kill Zone’s Kathryn Lilley warns us about zombies while Ron Vitale offers advice to forge lasting connections with readers. Anne R. Allen lists the telltale signs of a newbie novelist while Kristen Lamb challenges us to rise above the stigma of self-publishing.
Lately, there has been great concern and debate about the lack of equitable pay for writers. As Alison Flood reports, the problem is manifest in the UK as well.
All that and a little more. Enjoy!
Sorry, Grammar Nerds. The Singular ‘They’ Has Been Declared Word of the Year by Jeff Guo
10 Industry Predictions for 2016 by Tom Chalmers
Writing Note #1: Avoid Creating “Zombie” Characters by Kathryn Lilley
Building a Relationship with Readers by Ron Vitale via Veronica Sicoe
10 Things that Red-Flag a Newbie Novelist by Anne R. Allen
Episodic Storytelling is a Problem by Mooderino
Selling Books in the Digital Age-We ALL Have an Image Problem & Here’s What To Do by Kristen Lamb
Philip Pullman Resigns as Oxford Literary Patron over Lack of Pay for Authors and Professional Writers Set to Become an Endangered Species by Alison Flood
Author Newsletters: 6 Tips for Smart Strategies by Jami Gold
January 12, 2016
2016 Convention Calendar
Although I won’t be presiding or presenting this time, I hope to attend Write Stuff writers conference, April 7-9 in Allentown, PA, probably on Saturday.
I’m forced to miss Farpoint next month due to a conflict, but I will share a table with writer pal Steven H. Wilson at Amazicon in Wilmington, DE, April 15-17.
Over Memorial Day weekend, I’ll be a program participant at Balticon 50 in Baltimore, MD and July 15-17, I shall be an author guest at Shore Leave 38 .
There may be more to come in the latter half of the year, depending on other commitments. Stay tuned!
January 9, 2016
About This Writing Stuff…
This week, award-winning writer Steven H. Wilson imparts his experiences as a self-publisher and small-press founder. David Gaughran and Victoria Strauss discuss the Penguin Random House sale of the nefarious Author Solutions. Over at Writer Unboxed, they talk about tension, energy, and choosing the right path. The Mythcreants, a site replete with helpful articles and perspectives, offers tips on character development and clichés to avoid.
All that, and a little more. Enjoy!
Lessons Learned: Self-Publishing – Part One and Part Two by Steven H. Wilson
FYI: Penguin Random House is Still in the Vanity Publishing Business by David Gaughran
Author Solutions Sold to Private Equity Firm by Victoria Strauss
2016 Opens with a World Author Challenge to Publishing Contracts by Porter Anderson
Tension vs. Energy by Donald Maass
The Storyteller and the Roads Not Traveled in the WIP by Julianna Baggott
19 Tips on Writing Memoir from The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith
Six Cliches to Watch Out For by Oren Ashkenazi
The Six Traits of Strong Characters and Five Signs Your Character Is Fully Developed by Chris Winkle
January 5, 2016
Book Review: Robert A. Heinlein’s Orphans of the Sky
Traveling aboard a generational ship and with no memory of Earth, the human race has devolved into a class system, pitting the privileged Crew against the abhorrent “Muties” who live on the upper decks where few crewmembers dare venture under fear of death. The Muties are cannibals, infamous for taking prisoners who are never heard from again.
As far as the crew is concerned, the Ship is the entire universe. There is nothing beyond. Their god is Jordan, creator of the Ship. The Regulations, written by Jordan, are law. Engineering manuals written by Jordan are considered sacred texts.
Enter young Hugh Hoyland, an imaginative and curious student of the sciences who occasionally joins his friends for escapades into Mutie country—until he, too, is taken prisoner. However, while in their company, Hugh learns the true purpose of the Ship and the destination of the human race. He is led to the Control Room on the highest deck and begins to learn the instruments for operating the vessel he comes to know as the Vanguard.
Returning to the lower decks, Hugh reveals what he’s learned to those he considers allies, only to be arrested for heresy. After a daring rescue by the Muties, Hugh forms a new strategy for convincing the Crew of the truth, but will his mission result in a bloody civil war?
At 128 pages, Orphans of the Sky is a fast and easy read that maintains a steady pace. Hoyland and his comrades are likable and the lead Mutie with whom they ally, the bicephalic Joe-Jim, displays a remarkable mélange of savagery, sympathy, and intellectualism.
My only complaint is the treatment of women as less than second-class citizens. The few that are mentioned are portrayed as mere burdens or distractions. This struck me as a lazy way of reminding the reader that “yes, we have women around here somewhere”, while making it clear that they contribute very little to this society.
January 4, 2016
Pulling the Pin from the Grenade…and Liking It!
So…an article that I posted on my Facebook wall over the holidays about the renaissance of used bookstores in the age of Amazon initially sparked a friendly debate between myself and the lovely and talented Kristen Lamb, who was the keynote speaker at last year’s Write Stuff conference that I chaired.
I posted the original article here on my blog on New Year’s Eve.
My conversation with Kristen spanned a couple of days on Facebook and apparently inspired her to then discuss it on her blog in a post called PAY THE WRITER.
The main focus of the discussion is that writers make no money from the sale of used books.
The Passive Guy then shared Kristen’s post on his blog.
From there, Joe Konrath picked it up and commented.
And for once in my life, I can honestly say that I’m happy to have pulled a pin from a grenade! Yes, Kristen and I are still friends, but as Lex Luthor said in Superman II: “I never thought this thing would go the distance!”
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
December 31, 2015
About This Writing Stuff…
As 2016 approaches, one of my resolutions is to resurrect a popular, semi-regular feature here on my blog that went dark in April 2015 as my life just became too hectic to maintain it.
“About This Writing Stuff” is a collection of interesting articles from the writing and publishing world. Most are instructional, meant to provide helpful tools for writers. Some are merely news or updates, but all are meant to inform with no bias on my part. In other words, I don’t always agree with every article, but I welcome your feedback and opinions.
I thought I’d start on New Year’s Eve, especially since I recently discovered a fantastic website for fantasy and SF writers called Mythcreants, from which came three of the articles below touching on creating memorable character moments and riveting fight scenes as well as unrealistic tropes to avoid.
From Writer Unboxed, Lisa Cron delves into backstory, while SF author Veronica Sicoe is completely out of order. Jami Gold breaks down the characteristics of a strong story. We also talk Facebook for writers and the renaissance of used book stores. The latter sparked quite a debate recently on social media over the fact that writers receive no payment for the sale of used books. How do you feel about this?
Enjoy the articles and have a wonderful, healthy, and productive New Year!
What We’ve Been Taught About Backstory…and Why It’s Wrong by Lisa Cron
Writing Out of Sequence – The Best Way to Write by Veronica Sicoe
How to Best Use Facebook as an Author by Teymour Shahabi
The Critical Importance of Crafting a Strong Opening and 8 Tips for Picking Meaningful Character Names by Jody Hedlund
Does Our Story Have Everything it Needs? by Jami Gold
Six Unrealistic Tropes and How to Avoid Them by Oren Ashkenazi
Six Tricks for Memorable Character Moments and How to Narrate a Riveting Fight Scene by Chris Winkle
In the Age of Amazon, Used Bookstores Are Making an Unlikely Comeback by Michael S. Rosenwald
December 29, 2015
Shore Leave – The Best SF Con of the Summer!
I’m ecstatic to report that I shall be returning to Shore Leave in July 2016 as an author guest. In what will be its 38th year, Shore Leave has become one the longest running SF conventions in the country. I began attending in 1994 with Shore Leave 16 and have missed only two since then. I’ve been attending as an author guest since Shore Leave 33.
In 2016, the dates are July 15-17. Location: Hunt Valley Wyndham in Hunt Valley, MD.
Other author guests so far include Steven H. Wilson, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Peter David, Lorraine Anderson, Robert Greenberger, Howard Weinstein, David Galanter, David Mack, Joseph Berenato, Paula M. Block, Terry J. Erdmann, Michael Jan Friedman, Aaron Rosenberg, Russ Colchamiro, and more!
More updates to follow!
