Colin Wright's Blog, page 36

Trialogue

The following is a chapter from my new book, Trialogue, which is available free on Amazon until Thursday, January 30.

Rainer

“Never begin a story with dialogue.”

“Why?”

“It sets unrealistic expectations for the rest of the tale. It says to the reader, ‘Hey reader, so listen. This is going to be a character-driven effort, and the character who’s talking now is going to be paramount to the plot in some way.’” Rainer leaned back in his chair, tilting back onto two legs, the metal so cheap it moaned...

Master Student

My mastery of the English language has improved dramatically since I started traveling.

I’m primarily interacting with non-native speakers, so I spend most of my time speaking very simple English. As a result, I have to think carefully about which words I use, and how I use them.

Back at university, I found that teaching others helped me learn faster, and better. Concepts stuck with me because I had to explain them in different ways to different people, pondering perspectives I wouldn’t have co...

Ordovician

I’ve got a new book on shelves today, entitled Ordovician. It’s a time-travel adventure featuring a history nerd athlete from the future (named Ordovician) who takes on the roles of historical figures to compete in the only sport that still exists within his utopian society. It’s fun.

It’s also free on Amazon, today through Thursday, January 16. I’d love it if you’d pick up a copy and give it a read. And I’d love you forever if you’d leave me a review.

Below is the first chapter: I hope you enj...

Never Again

Of the many benefits found in working for myself, most vital is the knowledge that I never again have to put my name on something I don’t believe in.

If I decide to endorse the inadequate, apply my talents and time to trite trivialities, or shape the sub-par, it’s because I decided to do so. No one made me do it. My financial security was not held hostage; my hand unforced.

I have the opportunity to shape my own creative destiny, absolutely and unflinchingly. I have the ability to build the thi...

Finite but Flexible

Twenty-four hours in a day doesn’t seem to be enough sometimes, and yet that’s all any of us has to work with.

Divvied up between sleeping, eating, spending time with loved ones, and the requisite survival-level efforts (usually a job, these days, rather than hunting and gathering), there’s generally not a lot of time left over for you. For your cares and passions.

This is the excuse I hear more frequently than any other from folks who are frustrated over not being able to pursue the things th...

Mean Universe

The following is a story from my new short fiction collection, Mean Universe, which can be had for $.99, or free if you subscribe to Exiles.

Dr. Nikolas Caley was surrounded by robots and seconds from death.

As one of the founders of Simulacrum Sentry, Nikolas was no stranger to artificial intelligence and the pursuit of consciousness beyond organic life. It was a goal he and his historical peers had been working toward for centuries — using whatever technologies made the most sense in a given...

Lenses

We view the world through lenses.

Some are easy to identify — being brought up in a nationalistic country will impact how you view things related to your mother-nation, as well as those related to your country’s enemies — while others are trickier to lock down.

While the obvious lenses we wear function like glasses, out in front of our faces for the world to see, and requiring frequent adjustment from us, the more subtle ones are like contact lenses; essentially a part of our bodies, and too cl...

Intentional Luddite

I’m all about new technology — space travel, uploading consciousness, connecting to each other via increasingly sophisticated means — but I also recognize the value in technlogical traditionalism.

That is to say, I enjoy keeping up with the ultra-modern. The edgy. The ‘next big thing.’ But I also like to hand-write sometimes, rather than thumb-typing on a touchscreen. I sometimes enjoy the feel of an artisanal whatever, over the mass-produced-but-technologically-sophisticated alternative.

But w...

Negotiate Your Life

In the business world, it’s said that anything is negotiable.

This makes sense: why would you enter into a contract that didn’t fulfill the needs of all involved parties? If you just sign paperwork as it’s handed to you — without considering the terms, making changes as necessary, and handing it back to the other party so you can hone in on an equally beneficial situation — you’re going to find yourself with a sub-par job, trade deal, or anything else to which you sign your name.

Negotiation is...

Let’s Assume

Let’s assume other people are not assholes.

It can feel like a monumental effort to do so, I know, but let’s give it a shot.

The guy who cut you off in traffic? Not trying to imply he’s somehow better than you, or trying denigrate your masculinity.

The woman speaking loudly for what seems like hours on her phone at a nearby table? She doesn’t realize the impact it’s having on those around her, or wasn’t raised to view such behavior as inappropriate, or is having a discussion that seems so vitall...