Steven Savage's Blog, page 40

The Infinite Goods

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

Recently, I saw Promare for the second time. If you haven’t heard of this film, think “superhero firefighters with robot suits versus pyrokinetic terrorists” and then that’s only the start. In short order with this premise, it then races towards crazytown at the speed of light while slamming an energy drink. It’s a roller-coaster ride and visual treat, but not an emotionally deep story – it’s not aiming for that.

But, is it good? It seems to have...

Suddenly I’ve Discovered Podcasts

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For a long time I really didn’t get into podcasts. Sure, I did a few, but that was about it. I’m not sure why – I guess I figured I had enough media to consume or that it’d be distracting, since many people I know listened to them while doing something else.

However, a friend turned me on to some interesting political and cultural podcasts. That made me realize I should also take a look at wri...

Writing As A Living Thing

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“The story falls apart,” the writer laments. I’ve heard that from many writers, and I’ve said it myself. Sometimes the tales we create turn into a pile of junk with alarming regularity, even if this happens in our heads. That’s because stories only work in motion – just like a living thing.

A story is a lot like a body, constantly in motion, and only in motion is it alive. Scenes connect, act...

Steve’s Update 10/6/2019

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This update is a bit chaotic – lots of people I know going through stuff, from surgeries to family challenges. So I’m not quite where I wanted to be.

But first, I am in a TON of giveaways. Check them out for some free books and samples:

Autumn Vibes – All Genres – https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/35vEPpd1dNMbUusZW6ymHidden Worlds – https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/UiJgTAXlqiRZQZZSeL7ELasers, Phasers and...

Writer’s Lean Coffee

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At one of my writer’s groups I tried something out you may want to try – a Lean Coffee. Here’s a quick rundown and what happens. You can read up on it above, but I’ll sum up my experiences here.

At its heart, Lean Coffees are self-organizing ways for teams of people to pool knowledge, get advice, and discuss important subjects. It comes from lean business practices, but you can re-purpose it...

Worldbuilding: The Ecstasy, The Agony, The Stupidity

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I love worldbuilding, and yet I meet people who hate doing, even resent it. That’s because we forget what worldbuilding is for – our audience and their experiences.

Let me note upfront my obvious biases about worldbuilding, from stories to games. I love doing it, and have for years. I love looking at other worlds people created. I believe there’s psychological value in it. I also have and am...

Just Write Something

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As I work on A School of Many Futures, the sequel to A Bridge To The Quiet Planet, I end up on a mental rollercoaster. I’ve found a way to deal with that.

I’m sure you’ve had ups and downs in your writing – for me, having done nonfiction for so long, writing fiction is trying. Sure I got one novel out after not doing much fiction for awhile, but it took a lot to get back into it. The second n...

Writing And Life Skills

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Awhile ago, I contributed to a cookbook for authors called Feeding The Muse. That made me think about the challenges authors faced, one of them being how to eat healthy and fast. It was one of the reasons I started posting my recipes here.

This has made me think about something we writers and indeed all creators face – the need for the life skills to allow us to be creative. You can’t write...

Steve’s Update 9/22/2019

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With August out of the way and more time to focus, I’ve had some good results on my projects! Let’s check in!

So what have I done since last time? Way With Worlds: The News Worldbuilding Book is out! Go get it! Go buy it for friends! Go tell friends!Chance’s Muse: The Seventh Sanctum came back from the editor! A School Of Many Futures: Is now being written. The good news is it is shaping up – the bad is it’s a...

Vegan Nachos/Burrito Bowl

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

Time for another recipe from Steve to help you eat healthy, fast, efficiently – so you can get back to your creative works! This is a Nacho or Burrito bowl recipe depending on what you want – one mix served in two forms!

Makes 2 servings.

First, the basic mix!

1 14.5 oz cans black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed.1 14.5 oz can tomatoes, drained (or about 2-3 good-sized diced tomatoes).Opti...