Matthew Ledrew's Blog, page 40
August 1, 2017
World Building & Maps with Dr. Christopher Lockett | The Writer’s Block
[image error]Dr. Christopher Lockett of Memorial University returns his lecture on World Building and Maps by popular demand from 3:00-3:50PM on Saturday, August 26th during the Avalon Expo Writer’s Block!
Dr. Lockett is an associate professor of English at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He is originally from Toronto, and did is PhD at the University of Western Ontario. Though his main area of specialization is twentieth century American literature, his enthusiasms (academic and otherwise) range widely into film and television, fantasy, cultural studies, and the ongoing definitions of humanism. His blog, found here, is his space to talk about pretty much anything that he wants, and of late has been a dissection of Game of Thrones (written with author Nikki Stafford) which has caused a brief stir on Twitter.
The discussion will be perfect for those authors or fans looking for insight into the importance of maps and constructing the world your characters inhabit in genre fiction.
The Writer’s Block will be a series of panels arranged in chronological order for those keeping notes, with the first panels on Friday being aimed towards coming up with ideas and starting your manuscript, and the final panels on Sunday being about getting your work published! We’re going to take you through it all!
In total, The Writer’s Block will be nearly twenty-three hours of writing-and-publishing related help, of the sort that would normally be valued at hundreds of dollars, all for the low-cost of an Avalon Expo 3 ticket.
Avalon Expo 3 Costs:
Friday: $20
Saturday: $25
Sunday: $25
Child Weekend: $5
Regular Weekend in Advance: $40
Regular Weekend at the Door: $45
Infinity Weekend: $175 (only available in advance)
Stay tuned here to Engen Books and on the Avalon Expo Facebook page as every few days we peel back one of the blacked-out slots on the banner above and reveal one of the epic courses that will be taking place, with some that will surprise you… including a Top Secret event that everyone’s going to want to attend 
July 29, 2017
What to do after your First Draft with Matthew LeDrew | The Writer’s Block
A lot of writing advice focuses on getting the author across the finish line, only to realize there are a series of finish lines after that that are just as creative and rewarding. In “You finished your first draft, now what?” Matthew LeDrew, author of over fifteen novels, will take you through the process of refining and making your manuscript the best it possibly can be in easy to follow, straight-forward steps. Many authors judge themselves too harshly on their first drafts: that piece of coal can be polished into a diamond, and you can have fun doing it. 
July 23, 2017
The Grasslands by Kenneth Tam | Other Indie
[image error]Kenneth Tam’s The Grasslands (Iceberg Publishing, 2008) is the first in the prolific author’s Her Majesty’s New World series. Known more for science fiction (The Defense Command and Equations series), Tam ventures into alternate historical fiction but eventually embraces his comfort zone – and that’s where this phenomenal book stumbles.
The book’s back cover informs us that in 1881, gateways to a new world have been discovered in both the American and British Empire’s sides of the Rocky Mountains. The two have partnered to settle the remarkably – and curiously – Earth-like world.
The story moves forward to 1919 where the renowned Royal Newfoundland Regiment (RNR) are brought out west and given their mission: escort three women into the untamed grasslands of the new world. Sounds easy for such an accomplished outfit, no? Well, unfortunately for Major Thomas ‘Tom’ Waller, Lieutenant James ‘Jimmy’ Devlin and the b’ys, the new world has a dangerous threat: the savages.
In the prologue, we’re teased with the severity of this threat. The beasts frighten trained members of the United States Cavalry and cause unease in Smith, the world-wise, American drifter. Abnormally strong and quick, the human-like savages also eat whatever is in their path… including their own.
Immediately noticeable is Tam’s ability to create unique voices for his characters. Smith’s old world sensibilities are contrasted against the dangers of the new world. Major Waller is introduced in a relatively sombre manner, and his interactions with the jovial Lieutenant Devlin and the rest of his men show one who has earned respect rather than demands it.
The charges of the RNR are Lady Emma Lee, her friend Kara Lynne and their maid. There are signs that things aren’t as they seem: the constant presence of an unusual black cape; a few instances where men’s minds become fogged when around the women. Oh, and did I mention the bizarre series of coincidences involving savages?
Tam’s hybrid of military action, character drama and tense western works wonderfully. His respect for the subject matter is evident. Unfortunately, the sheer attention to detail has a dark side. Sometimes we don’t need to see how the sausage is made – just give us the sausage! Another problem is the sheer number of names – and sometimes the amount of time that passes between linkage of name and role. If reading in a single sitting, this isn’t an issue but if breaks are needed, or after lengthy battle scenes, a reminder would be nice.
These complaints are minor blemishes; more frustrating is the final lap. This obvious sequel set-up may have fit better as a lengthy prologue than as several chapters, and is the sole reason I cannot award this book the full five stars. I suspect the next novel(s) will allow me to, when revisiting The Grasslands, view things in a different light.
‘Other Indie’ is a recurring series of articles on Engen Books in which authors highlight the best in independent publishing, in the hopes of helping readers break through the cluster of books they may not be sure about in an age when anyone can publish via digital formats. Engen Books is an independent small-press publishing company based in St. John’s Newfoundland and is proud to highlight the talent of independent authors not our own. The Grasslands is © 2010 Kenneth Tam. This review is © 2017 Jay Paulin. ‘Other Indie’ banner photo credit: Steve Lake.
July 22, 2017
Female Characters in Sci-fi and Fantasy | The Writer’s Block
[image error]The next Writer’s Block course we’d like to announce as happening during Avalon Expo is ‘Female Characters in Sci-fi and Fantasy,’ which is tentatively scheduled for Saturday August 26th from 1-1:50PM.
This panel will be essential to anyone looking to make sure they craft strong, reliable, and realistically-portrayed female characters into their genre fiction, a must in today’s market! It can be daunting — for writers of any gender — to get this delicate balance correct, partially because many of the traditions of genre writing are rooted in gender-norms that aren’t always reflective of today’s societies. How does one navigate the challenges of writing for today while respecting the greats that paved the way before you? The author-editor team behind As Fierce as Steel Christopher Walsh (the Gold & Steel Saga) and Erin Vance (editor of the From the Rock series) will help guide you through this path as an author… with a third special guest panelist yet-to-be-announced!
The Writer’s Block will be a series of panels arranged in chronological order for those keeping notes, with the first panels on Friday being aimed towards coming up with ideas and starting your manuscript, and the final panels on Sunday being about getting your work published! We’re going to take you through it all!
In total, The Writer’s Block will be nearly twenty-three hours of writing-and-publishing related help, of the sort that would normally be valued at hundreds of dollars, all for the low-cost of an Avalon Expo 3 ticket.
Avalon Expo 3 Costs:
Friday: $20
Saturday: $25
Sunday: $25
Child Weekend: $5
Regular Weekend in Advance: $40
Regular Weekend at the Door: $45
Infinity Weekend: $175 (only available in advance)
Stay tuned here to Engen Books and on the Avalon Expo Facebook page as every few days we peel back one of the blacked-out slots on the banner above and reveal one of the epic courses that will be taking place, with some that will surprise you… including a Top Secret event that everyone’s going to want to attend
July 21, 2017
Fairies, Mermaids, Vampires, and Zombies, OH MY! | The Writer’s Block
The first Writer’s Block course we’d like to announce as happening during Avalon Expo is Fairies, Mermaids, Vampires, and Zombies, OH MY!, which is tentatively scheduled for Saturday August 26th from 4-4:50PM!
This panel will be a fun and informative look at the staples of genre fiction — tried and true literary trends like fairies, mermaids, vampire, and zombies, some of whom have been with us since the oral tradition of storytelling. This panel discussion, aimed at authors, interested parties, and fans of genre stories, will be headed by an all-star cast of authors who have taken these pillars of fantasy and horror and used them in fun, exciting, and innovative ways! The panel will include: Ellen Curtis (editor of Fantasy from the Rock and author of the Infinity series), Charles O’Keefe (the spellbinding author of The Newfoundland Vampire and its sequels), Paul Carberry (author of the Zombies on the Rock series), and Amanda Labonté (author of the mermaid-inspired Call of the Sea series and the Vampire-Werewolf medical drama Supernatural Causes).
The Writer’s Block will be a series of panels arranged in chronological order for those keeping notes, with the first panels on Friday being aimed towards coming up with ideas and starting your manuscript, and the final panels on Sunday being about getting your work published! We’re going to take you through it all!
In total, The Writer’s Block will be nearly twenty-three hours of writing-and-publishing related help, of the sort that would normally be valued at hundreds of dollars, all for the low-cost of an Avalon Expo 3 ticket.
Avalon Expo 3 Costs:
Friday: $20
Saturday: $25
Sunday: $25
Child Weekend: $5
Regular Weekend in Advance: $40
Regular Weekend at the Door: $45
Infinity Weekend: $175 (only available in advance)
Stay tuned here to Engen Books and on the Avalon Expo Facebook page as every few days we peel back one of the blacked-out slots on the banner above and reveal one of the epic courses that will be taking place, with some that will surprise you… including a Top Secret event that everyone’s going to want to attend
July 20, 2017
Engen Books at NGX 2017 this weekend!
[image error]The Engen Books 10th Anniversary Tour continues this weekend, July 21 – 23, 2017, at the Newfoundland Gaming Expo, hosted by Sandbox Gaming at Memorial University! This is continuing our busiest year of operation ever, in which no month has gone by without a show, event, or major announcement: and there’s more to be made yet! We’ve just added more dates to our 2017 tour and we can’t wait to share them with you!
This will be the fourth Newfoundland Gaming Expo! Expect bigger, better, and more games than anyone can play in just one weekend! There will be rooms for both casual and tournament play; for Video Games, Board Games, and Trading Card Games. Plus, Workshops, Vendors, and much more for all ages! The expo will take places in various rooms at the campus! 10% of ticket sales will go towards our 2017 charity fund with the rest paying for expenses and future events! All work is done by volunteers!
Gamers and readers have a lot of crossover, more than traditional publishers tend to estimate, and we at Engen Books relish any opportunity to meet and interact with our fans and potential new readers! This will be our second event at MUN this summer after sponsoring the Small-Island Culture Conference in mid-June.
On hand for the entire weekend will be Ellen Curtis, author of the Infinity series and editor of the mega-popular From the Rock anthology series, as well as contributor for the Newfoundland Quarterly website. Saturday only Amanda Labonté (Call of the Sea, Supernatural Causes) will be present to sign books and meet with people, and will have free downloads of her new novella Supernatural Causes available — just ask her! Sunday only Matthew LeDrew, author of the Black Womb and Xander Drew series will be available to meet and answer any writing questions available. We’ll also be meeting with indie game designers and content creators to discuss different ways to expand our wide selection of properties.
NGX is especially wonderful for fans of the From the Rock series, as its members and volunteers have proven to be some of the most prolific and respected short story authors in the province, such as Melanie Collins (Woven by the Thief & A Letter to the Seekers) and Matthew Daniels (pictured above) (Healer’s Hoards & Living and Learning).
Engen Books will be at NGX from 9am-6pm Saturday, and 9am-630pm Sunday. Please stop by to chat and pick up any of our selected titles: help make sure 2017 continues to be a banner year so that we can bring even more titles and even more new authors in this province to you!! ❤
July 19, 2017
Attention ALL people wanting writing advice! | Avalon Expo 3 | The Writer’s Block
In just a little over a month, August 25-27, an epic science-fiction, fantasy, and genre fanbase event will be happening at the Mile One Stadium and Convention Center in St. John’s: Avalon Expo 3! It’s going to be an all-out extravaganza of all things geek, featuring Ali House (author of The Six Elemental), The Six Doctor Colin Baker, Guardians of the Galaxy star Sean Gunn, Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars voice actors Linda Ballantyne and Katie Griffen, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Rene Auberjonois!
That, combined with lots of awesome artists, authors, and vendors like Baddy Vinyl and Midnight Tailors, makes this an event no one can miss out on… but there’s an extra something-special for people hoping to get into writing and publishing… Avalon Expo is proud to be hosting a week-long series of workshops, lectures and panels aimed to take you through the process of writing your novel or short story, getting it ready for publication, and marketing it, with a new series of panels called: THE WRITER’S BLOCK!
The Writer’s Block will be a series of panels arranged in chronological order for those keeping notes, with the first panels on Friday being aimed towards coming up with ideas and starting your manuscript, and the final panels on Sunday being about getting your work published! We’re going to take you through it all!
In total, The Writer’s Block will be nearly twenty-three hours of writing-and-publishing related help, of the sort that would normally be valued at hundreds of dollars, all for the low-cost of an Avalon Expo 3 ticket.
Avalon Expo 3 Costs:
Friday: $20
Saturday: $25
Sunday: $25
Child Weekend: $5
Regular Weekend in Advance: $40
Regular Weekend at the Door: $45
Infinity Weekend: $175 (only available in advance)
Stay tuned here to Engen Books and on the Avalon Expo Facebook page as every few days we peel back one of the blacked-out slots on the banner above and reveal one of the epic courses that will be taking place, with some that will surprise you… including a Top Secret event that everyone’s going to want to attend
July 18, 2017
Dude, Where’s My Character Sheet…? (AKA I am the worst at titles)
I have a very long To-Do List when it comes to writing projects. It’s so long that I’ve had to separate it into sub categories:
Ideas to develop further
Stories to start writing
Plays to start writing
Stories/Plays I’ve started writing and need to finish
Finished works I need to edit
What even is this idea/story/play and where is it going?
And, finally:
Reference binders to create
Why bother creating a reference binder? some of you might ask.
Partly it’s because my brain can only hold so much information, and most of that space is taken up with knowledge on how to defeat every creature in Supernatural (I have my priorities).
And partly it’s because I recently created a really cool Erikson Family tree that had to be entirely re-done once I realized that I’d referred to Magnus (I) as someone’s great-grandfather and not their great-great-grandfather. (*le sigh*)
Now that I’m writing more stories set in Segment Delta, I’m desperately trying not to contradict myself (because I’m totally the kind of person who gets bothered by continuity errors). See, in the beginning I didn’t think too hard about the descriptions I threw in, because the book was supposed to be a one-off. Character needs an eye colour? Pick one at random. Need a location for a building? Let’s put it in the South end. Do pets exist in this world? Um… I’ll think about that later*…
But when I began writing a short story about characters that appear in The Six Elemental, the amount of times I had to refer back to the book (re: eye colour, hair colour, element) was ridiculous. If only there had been a handy character sheet to refer to…
So, in order to save myself further trouble, I’m going to take a few days and create The Ultimate Segment Delta Reference Guide! Maybe it’s a bit overkill, but I’m a nerd. (Did I mention that I was once bribed with office supplies?)
It’ll have character sheets, island maps, building locations, timelines, and anything else I find myself needing. Then, when I need to find out what eye colour I gave a certain character, or where the nearest pizza place is, I’ll have it on file!
But, like, a computer file. Not an actual paper file.
(No binders were harmed in the making of this post.)
____
*They have some pets on The Centre, but not in any of the Segments. Yet.
July 11, 2017
Canada 150 Lit Tour starts today!
Well, today’s the start of it all: the Canada 150 tour that will be sweeping the province starting today and ending just before Avalon Expo. It’s going to be a busy month!
First stop is at the Kindale Public Library on July 12th at 5pm for the launch of the Canada 150 Literary Tour NL! Join local authors Carolyn R. Parsons, Janice Godin, Paul Carberry (Zombies on the Rock, Fantasy from the Rock), Darlene Barry, Stewart Payne and John Sheppard for an evening of readings and Q & A. Please note this event is free of charge! From more information, visit the facebook event.
