Phil Giunta's Blog, page 74
March 29, 2015
Top Three Fun Things I Did with Kristen Lamb at the Write Stuff Conference
The
Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group
celebrated our 22nd annual
Write Stuff writers conference
just a few days ago. As conference chair, I had the opportunity to spend quality time with our keynote speaker,
Kristen Lamb
. While a conference recap is soon forthcoming, for now I give you the Top Three Fun Things I Did with Kristen Lamb at the Write Stuff Conference!
Picked her up at the Philly airport and drove her back to the Lehigh Valley when mechanical issues caused her to miss the connecting flight. Her company and conversation generated a rift in the space-time continuum, reducing an hour-and-a-half drive to what felt like 15 thoroughly enjoyable minutes. BONUS: I’m still getting over the fact that Kristen Lamb was in my car. I might have my passenger seat preserved in bronze.
Upon arriving in the Lehigh Valley, went grocery shopping at a Rite-Aid near Easton, PA then proceeded to get lost in the back streets with the goddamn GPS telling me to turn right into someone’s house. BONUS: Kristen assisted with navigation, never mind the fact that she’s from Texas and had never been to the Lehigh Valley before. I’m considering reprogramming my GPS with her voice, including a profanity option.
Along with two other writers—Aaron Rosenberg and Richard White—we hit the local Waffle House around midnight on Friday for breakfast food, pie, and high energy shop talk. BONUS: I took another wrong turn on the way out and got lost…BRIEFLY. Kristen’s response: “Recalculating!”
But seriously, folks, here’s the true bonus: Kristen is an inspiring speaker, an energetic teacher, and an adorable giver of hugs. The Force is definitely strong with the Social Media Jedi!
Picked her up at the Philly airport and drove her back to the Lehigh Valley when mechanical issues caused her to miss the connecting flight. Her company and conversation generated a rift in the space-time continuum, reducing an hour-and-a-half drive to what felt like 15 thoroughly enjoyable minutes. BONUS: I’m still getting over the fact that Kristen Lamb was in my car. I might have my passenger seat preserved in bronze.
Upon arriving in the Lehigh Valley, went grocery shopping at a Rite-Aid near Easton, PA then proceeded to get lost in the back streets with the goddamn GPS telling me to turn right into someone’s house. BONUS: Kristen assisted with navigation, never mind the fact that she’s from Texas and had never been to the Lehigh Valley before. I’m considering reprogramming my GPS with her voice, including a profanity option.
Along with two other writers—Aaron Rosenberg and Richard White—we hit the local Waffle House around midnight on Friday for breakfast food, pie, and high energy shop talk. BONUS: I took another wrong turn on the way out and got lost…BRIEFLY. Kristen’s response: “Recalculating!”
But seriously, folks, here’s the true bonus: Kristen is an inspiring speaker, an energetic teacher, and an adorable giver of hugs. The Force is definitely strong with the Social Media Jedi!
March 25, 2015
About This Writing Stuff...
This week, I'm excited to see my photo below the words "Real Writer" on Kristen Lamb's blog, but enough about me. Chuck Wendig expresses strong opinions about Clean Reader, an app that affords readers the option to remove profanity from eBooks. Meanwhile, Delilah Dawson explains why authors might, sometimes, under certain circumstances, seem like a$$holes.
Brace yourselves! The contract between HarperCollins and Amazon is about to expire. Will be this be Hachette all over again? Joe Konrath has always felt that libraries deserve better deals in acquiring ebooks, and he is doing soimething about it. Over in the Kill Zone, K.M. Weiland drops in to explain the "inciting incident."
All that and a little more...enjoy!
F**k You, Clean Reader: Authorial Consent Matters by Chuck Wendig
Worldbuilding: Adding Flesh to the Bones of Your Story by Chuck Regan
What Makes a "Real" Writer? and Selling & Social Media-DON'T Be a Personal Space Invader by Kristen Lamb
8 Reasons Why Authors Are Assholes by Delilah S. Dawson
Top Three Fun Things I Did with Kristen Lamb at the Write Stuff Conference by Phil Giunta
Writer Beware: Rights Grab - OMNI Reboot by Victoria Strauss
Another Major Publisher is Going to War with Amazon by Jillian D'Onfro
Ebooks for Libraries by Joe Konrath
What the Heck is the Inciting Event? by K.M. Weiland
Brace yourselves! The contract between HarperCollins and Amazon is about to expire. Will be this be Hachette all over again? Joe Konrath has always felt that libraries deserve better deals in acquiring ebooks, and he is doing soimething about it. Over in the Kill Zone, K.M. Weiland drops in to explain the "inciting incident."
All that and a little more...enjoy!
F**k You, Clean Reader: Authorial Consent Matters by Chuck Wendig
Worldbuilding: Adding Flesh to the Bones of Your Story by Chuck Regan
What Makes a "Real" Writer? and Selling & Social Media-DON'T Be a Personal Space Invader by Kristen Lamb
8 Reasons Why Authors Are Assholes by Delilah S. Dawson
Top Three Fun Things I Did with Kristen Lamb at the Write Stuff Conference by Phil Giunta
Writer Beware: Rights Grab - OMNI Reboot by Victoria Strauss
Another Major Publisher is Going to War with Amazon by Jillian D'Onfro
Ebooks for Libraries by Joe Konrath
What the Heck is the Inciting Event? by K.M. Weiland
March 23, 2015
Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group Anthology hits Amazon!
The Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG) has released a new anthology that will launch at this weekend's
Write Stuff Conference
. However, it has already gone live on Amazon!
The trade paperback version of GLVWG Writes Stuff is available for $7.99 . The group is still in discussion about when to release it in eBook format. Of course, the group is also about ready to throw their 22nd annual conference in a few days, so the eBook topic has been shelved until after the conference.
I am proud to have both a short story ("My New Shiny") and an essay ("Write or Die") in this new compilation of works written by members of GLVWG and I look forward to reading it!
By purchasing a copy of GLVWG Writes Stuff, you are supporting a non-profit organization that provides library talks, monthly sessions on various writing and publishing related topics, reference resources for writers, free monthly critique sessions, and much more. Check out our website here!
Thank you for your support!
The trade paperback version of GLVWG Writes Stuff is available for $7.99 . The group is still in discussion about when to release it in eBook format. Of course, the group is also about ready to throw their 22nd annual conference in a few days, so the eBook topic has been shelved until after the conference.
I am proud to have both a short story ("My New Shiny") and an essay ("Write or Die") in this new compilation of works written by members of GLVWG and I look forward to reading it!
By purchasing a copy of GLVWG Writes Stuff, you are supporting a non-profit organization that provides library talks, monthly sessions on various writing and publishing related topics, reference resources for writers, free monthly critique sessions, and much more. Check out our website here!
Thank you for your support!
March 15, 2015
A "Man to Man" Talk and a Tribute to Writer and Producer, Harve Bennett
Prometheus Radio Theatre is back on the air (or should I say the 'Net)! Steven H. Wilson's podcast site, a division of Firebringer Press, had taken a hiatus for a while but has returned with the audio version of my flash fiction story, "Man to Man", followed by an inspiring tribute to film producer and writer, Harve Bennett.
Mr. Bennett produced such television series as The Mod Squad, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Bionic Woman before moving to feature films with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.
Mr. Bennett was a guest at the Farpoint SF convention in 2006, 2007, and again in 2009. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Bennett at those cons. Farpoint was co-founded by Steve Wilson, who was deeply inspired by Mr. Bennett's encouraging words of wisdom.
Click here to listen to the podcast!
Mr. Bennett produced such television series as The Mod Squad, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Bionic Woman before moving to feature films with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.
Mr. Bennett was a guest at the Farpoint SF convention in 2006, 2007, and again in 2009. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Bennett at those cons. Farpoint was co-founded by Steve Wilson, who was deeply inspired by Mr. Bennett's encouraging words of wisdom.
Click here to listen to the podcast!
March 13, 2015
Meet short story writer Curtis Smith at the Write Stuff Conference!
The Write Stuff conference is just two weeks away! Joining our august faculty is short story writer Curtis Smith who will impart his experiences not only in writing, but in publishing.
Click here to read our blog interview with Curtis...
Click here to read our blog interview with Curtis...
March 9, 2015
About This Writing Stuff...
This week, Lincoln Michel considers the debate of "genre" vs. "literary" no longer relevant. For a chuckle, check out some absolutely horrendous Kindle covers.
We get a double-shot of James Scott Bell discussing ten ways to write solid characters and how to craft a better second act. PJ Parrish explores the origin of brainstorming and cites George Lucas and Steven Speilberg as examples of how to do it well.
Veronica Sicoe offers invaluable tips on how to use Microsoft Word more effectively, and Dave King differentiates between creating tension using plot versus using characters.
All that, and a little more. Enjoy!
The Last Holdouts of the Genre Wars: on Kazuo Ishiguro, Ursula K. LeGuin, and the Misuse of Labels by Lincoln Michel
Kindle Cover Disasters via KindleCoverDisasters Blog
Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Characters and How to Write Act II by James Scott Bell
Better Brainstorming...Even If You Write Alone by PJ Parrish
How To Clean Up Your Manuscript Formatting in MS Word by Veronica Sicoe
Bay Area Book Festival Defends Author Solutions Sponsorship by David Gaughran
Rakuten to Acquire Overdrive by Digital Book World
The Trouble with Indie Math by Dana Beth Weinberg
What Do Your Readers Know and When Do They Know It? by Dave King
Stephen King to Share Writing Tips in New Short Story Collection by Alison Flood
We get a double-shot of James Scott Bell discussing ten ways to write solid characters and how to craft a better second act. PJ Parrish explores the origin of brainstorming and cites George Lucas and Steven Speilberg as examples of how to do it well.
Veronica Sicoe offers invaluable tips on how to use Microsoft Word more effectively, and Dave King differentiates between creating tension using plot versus using characters.
All that, and a little more. Enjoy!
The Last Holdouts of the Genre Wars: on Kazuo Ishiguro, Ursula K. LeGuin, and the Misuse of Labels by Lincoln Michel
Kindle Cover Disasters via KindleCoverDisasters Blog
Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Characters and How to Write Act II by James Scott Bell
Better Brainstorming...Even If You Write Alone by PJ Parrish
How To Clean Up Your Manuscript Formatting in MS Word by Veronica Sicoe
Bay Area Book Festival Defends Author Solutions Sponsorship by David Gaughran
Rakuten to Acquire Overdrive by Digital Book World
The Trouble with Indie Math by Dana Beth Weinberg
What Do Your Readers Know and When Do They Know It? by Dave King
Stephen King to Share Writing Tips in New Short Story Collection by Alison Flood
March 7, 2015
Harve Bennett, Writer and Producer, 1930-2015
I had the honor of meeting Harve Bennett at Farpoint SF convention back in 2006. As I had grown up with the Star Trek films and the Six Million Dollar Man, it was an exciting moment for me. Mr. Bennett was definitely a fan-friendly guest with wonderful stories of working in the industry over a long and successful career. He had such a wonderful time at Farpoint that he returned in 2007 and again in 2009.
Star Trek fans are saddened by Mr. Bennett's passing, especially as it occurred only one week after the loss of Leonard Nimoy.
Star Trek fans are saddened by Mr. Bennett's passing, especially as it occurred only one week after the loss of Leonard Nimoy.
March 5, 2015
Welcome Gabriela Pereira to the Write Stuff Conference!
We welcome Gabriela Pereira to the Write Stuff conference next month! Gabriela is the Creative Director and Instigator of DIY MFA, the do-it-yourself alternative to a Masters degree in writing. She creates tools and techniques to help writers get the benefits of an MFA program without going to school. Gabriela earned her MFA from The New School and has taught both online and at national and international conferences. When she’s not teaching or working on DIY MFA, she enjoys writing middle grade and teen fiction, with a few “short stories for grown-ups” thrown in for good measure.
Click here to read her interview.
Click here to read her interview.
March 2, 2015
Book Review: A World Out Of Time by Larry Niven
Jerome Branch Corbell awakens from cryonic freeze to find himself cured of the cancer that had begun to ravage his body two centuries ago. To his dismay, the reason for his cure becomes quickly apparent--his mind had been transferred to an entirely different body, that of a young felon whose memory had been wiped as punishment for his crime.
Corbell quickly finds himself a stranger in a strange land where the only human who speaks English is his caretaker, a harshly detached man known only as Pierce. Corbell must badger Pierce for any information about modern society. Finally, Pierce relents and informs Corbell that Earth is ruled by a merciless governing body known only as the "State" and that they have ordered Pierce to oversee Corbell's training as a starship pilot. His mission: to fly a preset course through interstellar space and deploy canisters containing genetically modified algae onto planets that have been targeted as life-sustaining, thereby planting the seeds for future human expansion.
Corbell need know nothing else about the world. He won't be staying.
However, shortly after leaving the solar system, Corbell changes course and decides to flee to the galactic core, hoping to return to Earth 70,000 years later after the State would likely be long dissolved. No sooner does he reveal his plans than Pierce uploads his consciousness into the ship's computer just before the vessel is out of range. Pierce, revealing his true name as Peersa, attempts to bully Corbell into continuning the State's mission, but fails when it becomes apparent that he must obey Corbell's orders.
Corbell extends his life through long periods in cryonic sleep, but is an elderly man by the time they reach the galactic core. There is no way he will ever see Earth again...or is there? Calculating the result of skirting the accretion disc of a nearby black hole, Peersa indicates that they could return to Earth's solar system, but it would be three million years in the future!
Upon arrival, what they discover is a solar system completely out of order. Planets that resemble Saturn, Earth, and Uranus are far from their normal orbits. Earth now orbits Jupiter! How could the planets have been moved? Corbell and Peersa determine a way to convert an algae canister into a one-way landing craft which would allow Corbell to explore the Earth's surface. Before departing, Corbell informs Peersa that he will be released from Corbell's authority upon his arrival on the surface--dead or alive.
After surviving the descent to the Earth's surface, Corbell remains in contact with Peersa for a short time while he explores what appear to be the abandoned ruins of an advanced civilization and a drastically altered climate. It is not long before Corbell realizes that he is not alone when he is captured by an elderly woman named Mirelly-Lyra who is convinced that Corbell has knowledge of a substance known as "dictator immortality", a solution developed by the State eons ago to extend the life of its leaders.
Mirelly-Lyra reveals herself to have been a traitor to the State who, like Corbell, fled in a starship and returned approximately a century ago. The State no longer existed, but the childlike members of modern society arrested her for treason, tried her based on the laws of her time, and imprisoned with other criminals in a zero-time jail. They had only recently been released.
With no further help from Peersa, who had taken the ship elsewhere in the solar system, Corbell escapes in a stolen air car and flees across the ocean to another continent only to find a bizarre society where former State dictators, also freed from zero-time prison, are ruled by the same intelligent children mentioned by Mirelly-Lyra.
Taken prisoner yet again, Corbell explores this new world with wary wonder. As he learns about Earth's past, will he unlock the secrets of dictator immortality and discover who moved the planets?
Of the three Larry Niven books I read over the past few months, A World Out Of Time was the one of the more enjoyable and imaginative stories. Niven adroitly employed a mix of science and conflict to drive the plot. The relationship between Peersa and Corbell, initially antagonistic then progressively cooperative, was well-developed during their interstellar journey to and from the galactic core. I was fascinated by Niven's vision of a primitive post-war society not only as a consequence of a devastating conflict after the State's fall, but also by the displacement of the planets and the resulting drastic climate change.
I wasn't entirely convinced by the mechanism used to move the planets and there was much detail missing regarding exactly how Earth's society had evolved as a battle-of-the-sexes schism. Overall, though, it was a fun and well-paced read.
Corbell quickly finds himself a stranger in a strange land where the only human who speaks English is his caretaker, a harshly detached man known only as Pierce. Corbell must badger Pierce for any information about modern society. Finally, Pierce relents and informs Corbell that Earth is ruled by a merciless governing body known only as the "State" and that they have ordered Pierce to oversee Corbell's training as a starship pilot. His mission: to fly a preset course through interstellar space and deploy canisters containing genetically modified algae onto planets that have been targeted as life-sustaining, thereby planting the seeds for future human expansion.
Corbell need know nothing else about the world. He won't be staying.
However, shortly after leaving the solar system, Corbell changes course and decides to flee to the galactic core, hoping to return to Earth 70,000 years later after the State would likely be long dissolved. No sooner does he reveal his plans than Pierce uploads his consciousness into the ship's computer just before the vessel is out of range. Pierce, revealing his true name as Peersa, attempts to bully Corbell into continuning the State's mission, but fails when it becomes apparent that he must obey Corbell's orders.
Corbell extends his life through long periods in cryonic sleep, but is an elderly man by the time they reach the galactic core. There is no way he will ever see Earth again...or is there? Calculating the result of skirting the accretion disc of a nearby black hole, Peersa indicates that they could return to Earth's solar system, but it would be three million years in the future!
Upon arrival, what they discover is a solar system completely out of order. Planets that resemble Saturn, Earth, and Uranus are far from their normal orbits. Earth now orbits Jupiter! How could the planets have been moved? Corbell and Peersa determine a way to convert an algae canister into a one-way landing craft which would allow Corbell to explore the Earth's surface. Before departing, Corbell informs Peersa that he will be released from Corbell's authority upon his arrival on the surface--dead or alive.
After surviving the descent to the Earth's surface, Corbell remains in contact with Peersa for a short time while he explores what appear to be the abandoned ruins of an advanced civilization and a drastically altered climate. It is not long before Corbell realizes that he is not alone when he is captured by an elderly woman named Mirelly-Lyra who is convinced that Corbell has knowledge of a substance known as "dictator immortality", a solution developed by the State eons ago to extend the life of its leaders.
Mirelly-Lyra reveals herself to have been a traitor to the State who, like Corbell, fled in a starship and returned approximately a century ago. The State no longer existed, but the childlike members of modern society arrested her for treason, tried her based on the laws of her time, and imprisoned with other criminals in a zero-time jail. They had only recently been released.
With no further help from Peersa, who had taken the ship elsewhere in the solar system, Corbell escapes in a stolen air car and flees across the ocean to another continent only to find a bizarre society where former State dictators, also freed from zero-time prison, are ruled by the same intelligent children mentioned by Mirelly-Lyra.
Taken prisoner yet again, Corbell explores this new world with wary wonder. As he learns about Earth's past, will he unlock the secrets of dictator immortality and discover who moved the planets?
Of the three Larry Niven books I read over the past few months, A World Out Of Time was the one of the more enjoyable and imaginative stories. Niven adroitly employed a mix of science and conflict to drive the plot. The relationship between Peersa and Corbell, initially antagonistic then progressively cooperative, was well-developed during their interstellar journey to and from the galactic core. I was fascinated by Niven's vision of a primitive post-war society not only as a consequence of a devastating conflict after the State's fall, but also by the displacement of the planets and the resulting drastic climate change.
I wasn't entirely convinced by the mechanism used to move the planets and there was much detail missing regarding exactly how Earth's society had evolved as a battle-of-the-sexes schism. Overall, though, it was a fun and well-paced read.
March 1, 2015
Meet Writer, Editor, and Photographer J. Christine Richards at the Write Stuff!
Christine Richards is one busy woman. She is a writer, editor, photographer, and an active member of Toastmasters International, Words for the Journey Christian Writers Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Writers Guild.
Find out more about Christine on our conference blog!
Find out more about Christine on our conference blog!
