Chris Strange's Blog, page 10
April 15, 2011
Update on THE CONVERTED
My fantasy novel, THE CONVERTED, is on schedule for release in the Kindle store and Smashwords April 25th, shortly followed by distribution to all other major retailers such as Apple iBooks and Barnes & Noble.
(Actually, as of the time of writing THE CONVERTED is already available at Amazon and Smashwords. If you'd like to get your copy or view a sample before the official release date, go check it out.)
THE CONVERTED is also out with several book bloggers and fantasy book reviewers at the moment, so stay tuned for the verdicts.
If you'd like to get your hands on a free copy of the ebook, you can head over to LibraryThing and sign up for the chance to grab one. I'll also be giving away copies this #SampleSunday, so watch out for that.
To top everything off, you can check out the book trailer below. I noticed the trend among book trailers was that they were all cheesy. I decided to crank up the cheese to the next level. In the words of one of my early viewers, it is "delightfully and tragically melodramatic." It's like a car wreck, you just can't look away...
(Actually, as of the time of writing THE CONVERTED is already available at Amazon and Smashwords. If you'd like to get your copy or view a sample before the official release date, go check it out.)
THE CONVERTED is also out with several book bloggers and fantasy book reviewers at the moment, so stay tuned for the verdicts.
If you'd like to get your hands on a free copy of the ebook, you can head over to LibraryThing and sign up for the chance to grab one. I'll also be giving away copies this #SampleSunday, so watch out for that.
To top everything off, you can check out the book trailer below. I noticed the trend among book trailers was that they were all cheesy. I decided to crank up the cheese to the next level. In the words of one of my early viewers, it is "delightfully and tragically melodramatic." It's like a car wreck, you just can't look away...
April 14, 2011
Peter Jackson on the Making of THE HOBBIT
Bro, I'm so excited. This is why I love my country.
Peter Jackson leads us through the sets of The Hobbit and shows us some of the start of shooting.
Via Suvudu from Peter Jackson's Facebook Page
Peter Jackson leads us through the sets of The Hobbit and shows us some of the start of shooting.
Via Suvudu from Peter Jackson's Facebook Page
April 13, 2011
Skynet and Internet Legislation
I'd like to take a break from scheduled programming to have a short rant about the internet legislation law that was just passed in New Zealand.
Basically, its fucking stupid.
Really, incredibly, idiotically stupid. Its completely unworkable, pointless, and it won't do a damn bit of anything to stop piracy. Basically, I think it comes down to a complete non-understanding by the National Government of how file-sharing actually works. The bill allows copyright owners to request that people who repeatedly share protected material have their internet account suspended for 6 months.
First of all, having copyright holders put the onus on the ISPs is just freaking stupid. Why would an ISP want to cut off its own customers when they have done nothing to them?
Secondly, the Government passed this bill under urgency, which means they got to neatly avoid any chance for public discussion on the bill. Urgency is supposed to be used in emergencies, such as legislation relating to the Christchurch earthquake. Piracy has been around forever, and it ain't going anywhere fast.
And thirdly, it just won't work. I will be most surprised if it stops a single person from pirating anything. The way to reduce piracy is to use the technology available to make things available legally and for a fair price. A war against internet piracy is even more hopeless than a war against drugs.
To really get an appreciation for how little the government understands the issue, go to this link and watch the video where MP Jonathan Young compares the internet to Skynet.
Idiots.
Basically, its fucking stupid.
Really, incredibly, idiotically stupid. Its completely unworkable, pointless, and it won't do a damn bit of anything to stop piracy. Basically, I think it comes down to a complete non-understanding by the National Government of how file-sharing actually works. The bill allows copyright owners to request that people who repeatedly share protected material have their internet account suspended for 6 months.
First of all, having copyright holders put the onus on the ISPs is just freaking stupid. Why would an ISP want to cut off its own customers when they have done nothing to them?
Secondly, the Government passed this bill under urgency, which means they got to neatly avoid any chance for public discussion on the bill. Urgency is supposed to be used in emergencies, such as legislation relating to the Christchurch earthquake. Piracy has been around forever, and it ain't going anywhere fast.
And thirdly, it just won't work. I will be most surprised if it stops a single person from pirating anything. The way to reduce piracy is to use the technology available to make things available legally and for a fair price. A war against internet piracy is even more hopeless than a war against drugs.
To really get an appreciation for how little the government understands the issue, go to this link and watch the video where MP Jonathan Young compares the internet to Skynet.
Idiots.
Writing Prompt Wednesday
Welcome to a brand new series on the blog: Writing Prompt Wednesday. The premise is simple, I'll present you with a picture or a short video clip, and you use that as a jumping off point to write something. It can be a short story, flash fiction, a poem, or a literary treatise if you like. As long as you write!
I'll be participating too, and feel free to include anything you've written in the comments below.
Ok, drum roll please. The inaugural picture is:
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Enjoy, and happy writing!
I'll be participating too, and feel free to include anything you've written in the comments below.
Ok, drum roll please. The inaugural picture is:
[image error]
Enjoy, and happy writing!
April 11, 2011
More classic steampunk
For some reason I seem to be re-finding several awesome old-school steampunk-related things on the interwebs these days. The following postcards have been circulating around the web for the last few years, and I reckon they've got a sweet quaint charm about them.
They're illustrations by French artist Villemard in 1910, depicting what he thought the world might be like in the year 2000. I don't know about you, but that firefighter picture is sparking an idea for a steampunk short story. Something with a bit of darkness in it...
Find more here.
They're illustrations by French artist Villemard in 1910, depicting what he thought the world might be like in the year 2000. I don't know about you, but that firefighter picture is sparking an idea for a steampunk short story. Something with a bit of darkness in it...
Find more here.
April 10, 2011
Steampunk: Old School
According to Wikipedia, Georges Méliès' classic 1902 silent movie Le voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon) was the first science fiction film. I think it's a brilliant example of the mixture of turn of the century values and strange science that makes steampunk such a popular subgenre and subculture today. Check it out!
April 7, 2011
The Correct Way to Respond to a Rejection Letter
This might be a bit old, but I thought I'd share it for anyone who hasn't seen it. Enjoy.
April 6, 2011
Change is in the air
My approach to self-publishing has changed recently. In the few short weeks I've been querying agents for my novel THE CONVERTED, self-publishing has really come to the forefront of the blogosphere and the mainstream media. I've followed the news with great interest.
It may be starting to sway my resolve to pursue traditional (or legacy or commercial or whatever we're calling it) publishing. If you haven't read the long yet interesting conversation between JA Konrath and Barry Eisler from a couple of weeks ago, I suggest you do. Even if you're completely opposed to self-publishing, it's an intriguing take on the way the industry is changing.
So have I been convinced? I've gotten a few bites from my query search, but I'm beginning to wonder if self-publishing is a better road for me. I like to think of myself as a pretty independent guy (read: doesn't play well with others) and I like the idea of being able to hold onto my rights and get my book out when I want it out.
Stay tuned...
EDIT: A couple of hours after I posted this, I got another partial request from an agency I'd really love to have representing me in pursuing publishing with a traditional publisher. So I'm still on the fence. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but I'm determined to get my work out there one way or another.
It may be starting to sway my resolve to pursue traditional (or legacy or commercial or whatever we're calling it) publishing. If you haven't read the long yet interesting conversation between JA Konrath and Barry Eisler from a couple of weeks ago, I suggest you do. Even if you're completely opposed to self-publishing, it's an intriguing take on the way the industry is changing.
So have I been convinced? I've gotten a few bites from my query search, but I'm beginning to wonder if self-publishing is a better road for me. I like to think of myself as a pretty independent guy (read: doesn't play well with others) and I like the idea of being able to hold onto my rights and get my book out when I want it out.
Stay tuned...
EDIT: A couple of hours after I posted this, I got another partial request from an agency I'd really love to have representing me in pursuing publishing with a traditional publisher. So I'm still on the fence. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but I'm determined to get my work out there one way or another.
March 24, 2011
Self-Editing
This week I've taken my first dive into the huge septic tank known in writing circles as Query Hell. I'm taking a staggered approach, with around 8-10 queries for THE CONVERTED floating around at any one time. When rejections come in, I'll fire off a query to the next agent on my list.
So to distract myself from obsessively refreshing my Gmail every 30 seconds (even when I live on the other side of the world from the agents I'm querying and there's not much chance they'd be reviewing queries at 3am) I decided to write a blog post on self-editing, since that's been consuming most of my non-university time in the last few weeks.
In my first draft, I take a NaNoWriMo-like approach. Vomit the words onto the page, finish the story, and only then go back and edit. In practice, it's not quite so easy. I often have fights with my inner-editor where he tries to convince me that I need to find the right word RIGHT FUCKING NOW. Kicking the inner-editor to the curb takes a lot of mental acrobatics for me, but I will never be one of those people who can disable their backspace key. It would drive me nuts.
Anyway, onto the editing itself. First point: self-editing can be hard. It can also be fun, but trying to critically evaluate your own story is like trying to drive at night when it's raining and the windscreen is fogged up and a wasp is attacking you in the eyes. Spotting the bits of your work that shine and the bits that need to be cut out with a scalpel and the bits that need to be acquainted with my friend, the Molotov cocktail, is tricky.
The oft-given advice is to put the manuscript away for a period of time (suggestions range from a couple of weeks to six months or so). This works for me, although I rarely put the editing off for longer than two or three weeks. During this time, I let my girlfriend read the first draft and offer her criticisms. I realise this is heresy in some circles, but it works for me. My first drafts are usually clean enough and lean enough that the general story and character arcs are all in place, even if the prose itself needs an angle grinder taken to it. So my lovely girlfriend asks questions, tells me what characters she likes and dislikes, how the setting works, and so on. I write all these down without (much) arguing and let them percolate.
When the two weeks or so are up, I pull out the manuscript. Now, I've heard a lot of comments around that you MUST read the manuscript on paper. That's not how it works for me. Perhaps since I'm a bit younger than some of the people giving this advice, I'm more comfortable with reading my novel on a screen. Also, I'm a poor student, so spending money on ink and paper makes it harder to fund my instant-noodle diet. Though I write my novel in WriteMonkey, I read it in Word. I use Word's comment feature to make comments as I read through. These comments might be anything from emotional responses to the text, pointing out repeated story devices, inconsistencies, or things I need to add or cut. I don't let myself fix anything at this stage.
While I'm doing this, I also like to re-read my copy of Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne and King. I love that book like it's my mother.
Once I've read through the novel I have a good big-picture view of it. I will then start writing additional scenes or extra dialogue or description or whatever the story needs. I don't focus on the prose itself yet. I bounce ideas off my girlfriend, and the plot holes get shored up.
Now is when the polishing comes. I go through line-by-line, reading aloud to myself (with music playing so my flatmates can't hear me). This helps me catch repetition, problems with flow, strange word choices and so on. It also makes it easier for me to pick up typos. At this stage I tend to read the chapters out of order so I don't get caught up in the story and forget to focus on the words.
And then it's done! Well, it would be, if I would ever stop tinkering. But at some stage I have to force myself to put aside the novel and declare it completed. If I don't, I'll keep changing bits and pieces forever, and never get around to sending it out.
So that's my approach to editing my own work. It won't work for everyone, but it seems to do ok for me. These aren't immutable rules. Every novel I write is edited in a slightly different way, but this is my basic outline. And it can even be fun!
Well, these agents aren't going to query themselves. Happy writing!
So to distract myself from obsessively refreshing my Gmail every 30 seconds (even when I live on the other side of the world from the agents I'm querying and there's not much chance they'd be reviewing queries at 3am) I decided to write a blog post on self-editing, since that's been consuming most of my non-university time in the last few weeks.
In my first draft, I take a NaNoWriMo-like approach. Vomit the words onto the page, finish the story, and only then go back and edit. In practice, it's not quite so easy. I often have fights with my inner-editor where he tries to convince me that I need to find the right word RIGHT FUCKING NOW. Kicking the inner-editor to the curb takes a lot of mental acrobatics for me, but I will never be one of those people who can disable their backspace key. It would drive me nuts.
Anyway, onto the editing itself. First point: self-editing can be hard. It can also be fun, but trying to critically evaluate your own story is like trying to drive at night when it's raining and the windscreen is fogged up and a wasp is attacking you in the eyes. Spotting the bits of your work that shine and the bits that need to be cut out with a scalpel and the bits that need to be acquainted with my friend, the Molotov cocktail, is tricky.
The oft-given advice is to put the manuscript away for a period of time (suggestions range from a couple of weeks to six months or so). This works for me, although I rarely put the editing off for longer than two or three weeks. During this time, I let my girlfriend read the first draft and offer her criticisms. I realise this is heresy in some circles, but it works for me. My first drafts are usually clean enough and lean enough that the general story and character arcs are all in place, even if the prose itself needs an angle grinder taken to it. So my lovely girlfriend asks questions, tells me what characters she likes and dislikes, how the setting works, and so on. I write all these down without (much) arguing and let them percolate.
When the two weeks or so are up, I pull out the manuscript. Now, I've heard a lot of comments around that you MUST read the manuscript on paper. That's not how it works for me. Perhaps since I'm a bit younger than some of the people giving this advice, I'm more comfortable with reading my novel on a screen. Also, I'm a poor student, so spending money on ink and paper makes it harder to fund my instant-noodle diet. Though I write my novel in WriteMonkey, I read it in Word. I use Word's comment feature to make comments as I read through. These comments might be anything from emotional responses to the text, pointing out repeated story devices, inconsistencies, or things I need to add or cut. I don't let myself fix anything at this stage.
While I'm doing this, I also like to re-read my copy of Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne and King. I love that book like it's my mother.
Once I've read through the novel I have a good big-picture view of it. I will then start writing additional scenes or extra dialogue or description or whatever the story needs. I don't focus on the prose itself yet. I bounce ideas off my girlfriend, and the plot holes get shored up.
Now is when the polishing comes. I go through line-by-line, reading aloud to myself (with music playing so my flatmates can't hear me). This helps me catch repetition, problems with flow, strange word choices and so on. It also makes it easier for me to pick up typos. At this stage I tend to read the chapters out of order so I don't get caught up in the story and forget to focus on the words.
And then it's done! Well, it would be, if I would ever stop tinkering. But at some stage I have to force myself to put aside the novel and declare it completed. If I don't, I'll keep changing bits and pieces forever, and never get around to sending it out.
So that's my approach to editing my own work. It won't work for everyone, but it seems to do ok for me. These aren't immutable rules. Every novel I write is edited in a slightly different way, but this is my basic outline. And it can even be fun!
Well, these agents aren't going to query themselves. Happy writing!
March 15, 2011
Terry Pratchett in New Zealand
Just wanted to share this link with everyone in New Zealand.
Terry Pratchett, the ridiculously super-awesome master of comedy fantasy, is coming to Auckland Thursday 14 April. Get your tickets here.
First 100 people to buy tickets get a chance to meet the great man himself. How fucking amazing is that?
I've got my tickets. How about you?
Terry Pratchett, the ridiculously super-awesome master of comedy fantasy, is coming to Auckland Thursday 14 April. Get your tickets here.
First 100 people to buy tickets get a chance to meet the great man himself. How fucking amazing is that?
I've got my tickets. How about you?
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