Adam Heine's Blog, page 22

How to Get Good at Something

I have to tell myself this every time I start a new novel.

"Hey, I've got this idea for a book. Maybe you could write it for me..."

This is why I'm politely noncommittal when people tell me their ideas.

First Impact: Out of the Water by Deniz Bevan

Time for another First Impact critique. Remember, if you share your thoughts in the comments, you are eligible to win a 10-page critique from Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Your critique doesn't have to be long, just useful!



To continue this feature, we need stuff to critique! Send your queries, first pages, etc. to firstimpactAE@gmail.com. Details here.






A big thank you to long-time reader Deniz for submitting the query for her historical romance, OUT OF THE WATER. (...

Connecting With a Character (and Dr. Horrible)

One of the most important things we need to do as writers is help the reader connect with the character. But what the heck does that mean?



It means the character is sympathetic. We like them and want them to succeed. They don't even have to be a good guy. They can be a villian, like Dr. Horrible.









Dr. Horrible is one of the most sympathetic villains I've ever seen (and I won't spoil the series except to say he gets even more sympathetic). What makes us root for him can work for any chara...

A Tale of Two Johns

(remix)



This is an old story from the computer game world, but there are lessons here for everyone, even writers.



In
1990, id Software was formed by two men: John Carmack and John Romero.
Over the next 6 years, id redefined PC gaming and the first-person
shooter genre with games like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake. Romero is
even credited with coining the term "deathmatch."



(If you have
no idea what I'm talking about to this point, here's the summary:
Carmack and Romero made really good...

First Impact: Dead Reckoning by Aline Carriere

Time for another First Impact critique. Remember, if you share your thoughts in the comments, you are eligible to win a 10-page critique from Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Your critique doesn't have to be long, just useful!



If you want your material critiqued, send it to firstimpactAE@gmail.com. Details here.






Thank you to Aline for submitting the first page of her erotic historical adventure novel, Dead Reckoning. (Don't worry if erotic isn't your thing -- it isn'...

In Favor of Drawing Maps

You guys know I love maps. And though I sometimes resort to quick and dirty tricks to make one, mostly my maps are a labor of love -- one I spend way too many hours on.



It may surprise you, then, that I almost never draw them.



I know, right? I'm willing to draw cheap puns, but not a map for my beloved world. What I usually do is find a map generator that lets me specify parameters and hit the random button a bunch of times until I find something I like. (If that's your style, btw, this pr...

Avenger Pigeons

These guys came out of a very odd conversation between me and Susan Quinn. Something about a way to get paper copies of her books past Thailand's Swiss cheese postal system -- like armored carrier pigeons.



You've seen Avengers, right? If not, why the heck not ?



And if you have, can you please tell Authoress why she needs to see it? (And whether she really needs to see all the movies leading up to it. I vote no, provided she gives me twenty minutes to explain the origins of the four main c...

First Impact: The Eyelet Dove by Lindsay Kitson

Time for another First Impact critique. Remember you are eligible to win a 10-page critique from Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency, if you share your thoughts in the comments. Your critique doesn't have to be long, just useful!



If you want your material critiqued, send it to firstimpactAE@gmail.com. Details here.






Thank you to Lindsay for submitting the back cover copy of her Dieselpunk novel, The Eyelet Dove.



Keep in mind all this is just my opinion. If it doesn't feel...

Speculative Fiction: A Diagram

Following up our conversation a couple weeks ago, I present Adam Heine's Official Definition of Speculative Fiction:



1. Speculative Fiction is an umbrella term covering everything that is either science fiction or fantasy.



2. Science Fiction and Fantasy are the two main branches of speculative fiction. Sometimes they overlap.



3. Horror is fiction intended to frighten or scare. It could be sci-fi, fantasy, both, or neither.



4. Magical Realism is not sci-fi, but to quote Terry Pratchett, it...