John C. Wright's Blog, page 204

Buffy vs Edward, a Watchers RPG, and the power of the Editor

I post this partly because it is so amusing.

I had something like this happen in my roleplaying game once, where the Slayer and the HIghlanders were asked or coerced by the Watchers Council (in my game, the Watchers of BUFFY and the Watchers of HIGHLANDER were one and the same, secretly run by angels called Grigari) to investigate the strange goings-on in Smallville, Kansas. The Watchers naturally thought a hellmouth was forming in Smallville. What else would explain the ...

Progress Report

Much as I regret not having a new novel-length work come out this year, I am pleased that some of the my shorter pieces are being bought and brought to the light of day. The sale is not final yet, but a well-regarded anthology just bought 'Murder in Metachronopolis' -- my one attempt to write a time-travel murder mystery. Coolness. Numphar! Do the dance of joy!

On the Misery of Modern Women

Not that I have much trust in scientific research--we all know that 7.5 out of 12 statistics are entirely false, including this one--but a recent study made the headlines in the NY Post: Compared to 35 years ago, today’s modern woman is, in fact, more miserable than ever.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/item_7QLuFJWppmGRfUyeA5tKaM/0#ixzz0YhLHPOAe
Why are women miserable now, as opposed to before the Sexual Revolution? That question seems to answer itself in the asking.

I once r...

On Writer's Block

A reader asks: “As an amateur who's trying to simply get in the habit of writing something coherent on a somewhat regular basis, I'd love to hear your take on the problem of "Writer's Block." I'd also appreciate any general tips or disciplines you might be willing to share.”

Certainly. Let me, before I answer, announce my disqualifications to answer: There are two major disqualifications to answering not merely this question, but any question on the topic of writing.

First, writing is mysteri...

The Fountainhead of Bedford Falls (Joe Carter)

An article from FIRST THINGS which I found fascinating. I reprint the whole thing here without comment. http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2009/12/03/the-fountainhead-of-bedford-falls/

The Fountainhead of Bedford Falls
Thursday, December 3, 2009, 9:00 AM
Joe Carter

Frank Capra and Ayn Rand aren’t often mentioned together. Yet the cheery director of Capra-corn and the dour novelist who created Objectivism have much in common. Both were immigrants who made their names in Hollywood. Both...

On Writer's Block

The latest Wright's writing corner is up at Arhyelon

http://arhyalon.livejournal.com/93406.html

Read and enjoy.

Progress Report --- A Deleted Scene

Well, I normally do not talk about my work progress in my journal, but I am pleased that after a long dry spell (not writer's block -- I have personal reasons for believing such a thing does not exist, which I will reveal if anyone asks -- but the press and tumult of travel, day job, and other affairs) I have written up version number 800. Sacrifice a chicken to Urania, the muse of SFF!

Now, this is not 800 complete drafts. I make a copy each time I sit down to a writing session, and save each...

Stigma in a Libertarian Commonwealth

A short post by Mr. Goldberg at National Review Online. I notice the word 'stigmata' seems to have a different meaning for Catholics. In any case, this followed some of my own thinking along these lines. Even in a totally libertarian commonwealth (such as I imagined in THE GOLDEN AGE) I propose there would have to be a formal or informal agency of imposing stigma on activities that were legal but unacceptable in polite society (such as I imagined with the College of Horators in that book).

Her...

This is the worst scientific scandal of our generation

I am in this place reprinting, without comment or ellipsis, an article by Christopher Booker of the London Telegraph. For some reason Google search engines no longer found it after it had been near the top of any searches related to 'Climategate'. I offer it in this spot both for its own sake, and just in case it gets lost again, and you want to reread it.

Climate change: this is the worst scientific scandal of our generation

By

Christopher Booker
28 Nov 2009

A week after my colleague James Deli...

Money Goes Toward the Writer; Never From the Writer

I am not sure if non-writers will feel the same sensation of bile rising in the throat as writers when reading the following, but it should disgust and disgruntle any professional writer to hear of a large and well-established imprint like Harlequin stooping to the level of plucking money from the naive and unwary.

Harlequin is offering its services as a vanity press and vanity editor. In other words, you pay them to edit & print your manuscript, they do not pay you. And it is a healthy fee to...