Steven Savage's Blog, page 27

Why I Wrote It: Superheroes And Worldbuilding

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

I have a few oddball books in my “Way With Worlds” collection on worldbuilding, and the Superhero one is one of them. It’s the first book of the series to tackle worldbuilding in a given genre directly, and though it may not be the last like it, it’s one near and dear to me.

I love the superhero genre.

The superhero genre is a meta-genre that combines many other genres, tropes, ideas to...

Use Your Art

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

In the end, if we want to use our creativity to promote freedom and such ideas, to connect to truth, we may find ourselves asking if our given art is useful.

We may write erotica, and wonder what that will do politically. We create videogames and think connecting blocks in patterns can’t do anything. How will our art make a difference?

First, don’t discount any value that your art provid...

Thou, the Creator

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

I recently heard a question that led me to understand one of the most significant drivers of creativity.

That question was, “What would your seventeen-year-old self think of you now?“

My seventeen-year-old self would be reasonably happy as I had fulfilled many of my youthful dreams, at least partially. I had worked in video games, even if I found it wasn’t for me. I had and continue to b...

Politics and Art: Power Gently Resting In The Palm Of Your Hand

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steves Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

Lets get this out of the way: Politics definitely belongs in art.

People are inevitably political; we form alliances and tribes, we try to figure out how to reach our goals. We are political with our friends and family, co-workers and enemies, and everyone else. Politics is human, and humans make art, and all art is a statement on the person and the time it is made politics is always there.

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Why I Wrote It: Worldbuilding Checkup

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Worldbuilding Checkup is a strange book in the lineup of the Way With Worlds series. The books consist of two guidebooks and then an ever-expanding set of books on specific subjects. Why, suddenly, have a book thats all lets check on the basics? Well, that actually tells you something about my methods.

Originally I never intended to do more than six of these books.

The smaller Worldbooks as I...

No More Heroes, All The Heroes

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

After it became obvious Biden would indeed fairly win the 2020 election, I saw praise for the “heroes” of the election. This activist may be lauded one day, the next a bureaucrat doing their job, and later an elected official showing a shocking amount of integrity. The heroes changed from day to day, but in all cases the praise felt the same – “this lone person/persons was all that stood betw...

Steve’s Books 12/1/2020

I write a lot and have quite a few books.  So now and then I’m going to post a roundup of them for interested parties!

My sites:

www.StevenSavage.com – My personal website, with my blog and latest updates.www.InformoTron.com – My press site, with the links to my books and some extra goodies!www.SeventhSanctum.com – My random inspiration website, with generators for all sorts of stories, characters, and more!

Fiction

I’ve been returning to fiction with a techno-fantasy setting of seve...

Just a Thanksgiving Wish

So today is Thanksgiving. As most of my readers are American, you’re probably stuck inside, avoiding the Pandemic, trying to make due.

I just want to say I’m thankful for all of you out there that read my blog, my books, my newsletter. I’m thankful for your reviews and feedback and kind words. We probably ought to like do some actual thing on zoom or email exchange or something.

You’re probably tired and it’s OK. Just remember the good things on this day, provide good things for others...

Creativity And Revelations

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

Obviously I’ve thought a lot about truth and creativity. We live in an age of so much B.S. truth matters. Shared reality matters – and by that I mean shared reality with connections to actual stuff that’s real.

We need creativity to tell the truth, especially in an age of lies and deceptions. If you’re a creative person, this is an important ability you have.

First, creativity can let...

Work From Home: Vacation An Time Off

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

Oh gods, yes another column on Work From Home. I keep thinking I’m done, but I get a new insight and my Geek Job Guru side arises and here we are. I’m glad I can help you – and glad to my readers who tolerate my recent spate.

So recently I was planning some vacation, and my employer provides a handy dashboard for this. I quickly realized I had a lot more vacation time than I’d expected ...