Bryan Thomas Schmidt's Blog, page 20
July 18, 2013
Rumors, Scandals and Other People’s Drama, oh my!
I went through a lot of drama in my former marriage due to my wife’s mental illness. I didn’t realize until recent events how much that changed me. For one, I have a very low tolerance for other people’s unnecessary drama these days. There are things worth drama and things that are blown out of [ Read More ]
July 15, 2013
Take Time To Be Present aka Turn The Damn Cell Phone Off
This weekend I had the privilege of attending the funeral of two high school friends’ mother. I call it a privilege because this was no somber mournfest. This was a celebration of life and love. In fact, it was so good, it made me regret not taking time to get to know their mother better [ Read More ]
July 5, 2013
Ruminations on Freedom
Freedom is a funny thing. Celebrated far and wide as an ideal. Yet when you have it, you don’t always feel it, because freedom does come with a certain weight of responsibility. Some choose to ignore that. More and more these days, it seems. But that’s still true. After all, unrestrained, unabashed freedom can lead [ Read More ]
July 1, 2013
Guest Post: Genre Mashups by Michael J. Martinez
I love a good genre mashup. Elves in the 1940s? Awesome. Cybernetic werewolves? Bring it. Steampunk dragons? You bet. Horatio Hornblower in space? …actually, I wrote that, more or less. Crashed a frigate into Mars and everything. Anyway. Take your favorite sci-fi and fantasy subgenres, critters and tropes, write them on 3×5 cards and shuffle [ Read More ]
June 29, 2013
Revised Table Of Contents and Cover For Beyond The Sun
10 Introduction • Bryan Thomas Schmidt 13 Migration • Nancy Kress 30 The Hanging Judge • Kristine Kathryn Rusch 45 Flipping the Switch • Jamie Todd Rubin 61 The Bricks of Eta Cassiopeiae • Brad R. Torgersen 77 The Far Side of the Wilderness • Alex Shvartsman 85 Respite • Autumn Rachel Dryden 97 Parker’s [ Read More ]
June 27, 2013
A Culture of The Worst?
I love interacting with people from other cultures. Discovering the world through their eyes, looking through that other lens, exploring it, seeing where it leaves, discovering new questions, new answers, new approaches. It’s why I got hooked on traveling to foreign places like Ghana, Brazil, Mexico and more, interacting with natives and trying to understand [ Read More ]
June 23, 2013
WriteTip: Using Assumption as a Dramatic Device
Since I’ve talked a lot about assumption over the past week, it seems appropriate to point out how useful it can be in creating conflict and tension in your fiction. Assumption is deadly for unity and relationships, most of us have learned this by experience or will at some point. The same can be true [ Read More ]
June 22, 2013
Life Goes On
This is going to be my last post on the SFWA Civility line. It’s tired. And it’s time to move on. But a few final words. It’s funny how a few people keep reacting to my posts as if I have not responded appropriately. I suppose they expect an apology. But why apologize? I should [ Read More ]
June 21, 2013
And The Letters Make It All Worthwhile
Just two recent examples of the types of letters I’m getting in response to the brouhaha this week. Not posting names because they shouldn’t face repercussions from the crazies. But it’s certainly made it all worthwhile. Thanks for taking a stand against incivility. The SFWA is seriously getting out of hand, and we need more [ Read More ]
A Week Under Siege
Actually, the title’s a joke. I’m far from under siege. There are a lot of people who don’t know me spreading accusations and damning me right now because of Monday’s post. But, frankly, they are uninformed assumers with no credibility. Anyone who knows me and reads my posts can see the truth. I was calling [ Read More ]
