David B. Coe's Blog, page 35

Another Post About Character Description

Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, and Stuart Jaffe, among others. The post is called “The Observer and the Observed: Character Descriptions Revisited” and it’s a follow-up to last week’s post on character portraits. I hope you enjoy it.

Kudos for Magical Words!

A little recognition for MagicalWords.net, the group blog I maintain with Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, Stuart Jaffe, and A.J. Hartley. 

http://parkinglotconfessional.com/2010/07/02/and-the-blog-awards-keep-coming/

Interview With A.J. Hartley

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, my good friend A.J. Hartley has a new paperback out from Tor Books. The book is called Act of Will , and it is A.J.’s first foray into writing fantasy, after a highly successful run as a bestselling writer of thrillers. A.J. is one of the writers at Magical Words, our group blog on the craft and business of writing. He is also a theater professor at UNC-Charlotte and one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.

Here is a quick interview with A.J....

A Very Cool Magical Words Post From A.J. Hartley

Today is release day for my good friend and fellow Magical Words writer, A.J. Hartley.  A.J. is the bestselling author of such thrillers as The Mask of Atreus and The Fifth Day.  A.J. now writes fantasy for Tor Books, and his first fantasy novel, Act of Will, which was previously out in hardcover, is being re-released today as a mass market paperback.  To mark the occasion, A.J. has written today's Magical Words post in the voice of his lead character, Will Hawthorne.  It's a terrific post th...

A Post About Character Portraits

Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, and Stuart Jaffe, among others. The post is called “The Character Portrait vs. the Character Sketch” and it’s about using extended descriptions to introduce certain characters. I hope you enjoy it.

A Post About . . . Well, Read It . . .

Today’s post can be found at http://www.sfnovelists.com, the group blog on speculative fiction that I maintain along with a group of over one hundred published authors of fantasy and science fiction.  The post is called “The Inspiration I Draw From I. M. Notariter.”  I hope you enjoy it.

A Post About Your Draft Read-Through

Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, and Stuart Jaffe, among others. The post is called “Writing Your Book, part X: The Read-Through” and it’s about the final revisions I make to a newly finished manuscript before sending it off to my editor or other readers. I hope you enjoy it.

Seeing Robin Hood, After Writing Robin Hood

Last night marked the final chapter of my Robin Hood novelization experience:  Nancy and I finally saw the movie.  My reactions:

First, I liked it.  So did Nancy.  I honestly believe that many of the poor reviews were written by people who went to the theater expecting to see the conventional Robin Hood story.  This movie never claimed to be that.  It is a prequel of sorts to the legend, and is innovative and different -- good things both.  It is a darker story than one expects from a Robin Ho...

Another Tea Party Crazy

Another day, another example of right wing craziness, this one out of North Carolina:

Bill Randall is a Tea Party candidate seeking the GOP nomination for the 13th district Congressional seat currently held by Democrat Brad Miller.  The other day Randall offered a new theory for the cause of the Gulf oil spill:  The Obama Administration and BP conspired to make it happen.  Here are his remarks:

Now, I'm not necessarily a conspiracy person, but I don't think enough investigation has been done o...

A Thank You Note to Joe Barton

Thank God for Joe Barton (R-Texas).  Tuesday night, Barack Obama gave a speech on the BP-Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster that I would generously call uninspiring.  Yes, he spoke of the need for new alternative energy sources that could, at long last, wean America from its dangerous and environmentally catastrophic dependence on fossil fuels.  But he didn't do much else, and he certainly didn't lay out a strong, definite plan for achieving his goals.  Everyone from Jon Stewart to Fox News ga...