Colby R. Rice's Blog, page 12
October 25, 2017
CEFJ #45 Facing the Funk, Faking the Funk, and Creating a Language for Sci-fi & Fantasy (10/25/17)
It’s me again! Dude, I am in a total fog and have been for almost two weeks now. It’s a MESS, and I need to get that fire lit up under my ass PRONTO. I dish about that today, and what “being in a funk” looks like. I also delve in (sorta suddenly) on what it’s been like to create a language, called “Messhnai”, for my sci-fi & fantasy worlds. I am also considering some serious revamps for my writing and creation schedule, at least while I’m enrolled in graduate school. Tune in for all the tea!
VLOG VERSION
COMING SOON!
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— Authors! Promote your SFF/H & SFF/H Romance NOVEL SERIES to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2ubEJLk
OPEN GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIRE (FOR AUTHORS):
— Authors! Join our “25 Days of Box Sets” Christmas Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2qcG5DS
FOR READERS: GRAB FREE BOOKS, DISCOVER NEW SERIES, AND WIN AWESOME PRIZES!
NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR READERS: Join New Adult Noir(e) for unlimited access to THE darkest, grittiest sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance reads, amazing giveaways, free books, amazing series, free bundles, and more!
Grab your FREE NA Noir(e) starter library at:
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MORE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIR(E):
The OCTOBER FREE BOOKS and SERIES DISCOVERY promos are now LIVE at New Adult Noir(e)!
grab the hottest dark n’ gritty SFF/H and SFF/H novels and series in the land!
1. FREE Dark & Gritty SFF/H Books for October: http://www.newadultnoir.com/na-genre-pushes/
2. Discover NEW, Dark & Gritty SFF/H Series for October: http://www.newadultnoir.com/series-discovery-promos/
3. The Book Depository (grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre): http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies/
4. FREE YA Boxset: https://books.pronoun.com/otherworlds-the-ya-scifi-fantasy-boxset/
October 18, 2017
CEFJ #44 Holding Companies & Subsidiaries for Creatives (10/18/17)
Hi all! Yes, I’m finally back after a 2-week, unintended hiatus. Yes, grad school has been dragging me from coast to coast. Still! I haven’t lost sight of the dream, and I am finally in the actual process of re-structuring my entire Rebel Ragdoll f’empire. 
October 2, 2017
CEFJ #43 Q3 Creative Round Up & Goals for Q4 (10/2/17)
Guys!! It is the END of the third quarter of the year, and it’s time for the round up, boos! I talk about everything I’ve achieved from July 1 – Sept 30, and what I plan to achieve in the last quarter of the year. I cover marketing, writing & publishing goals, the growth of my company, and more!
VLOG VERSION
CALLING ALL SCIENCE, SPACE, AND SCI–FI LOVERS:
JOIN THE *FREE* SPACE, SCIENCE, AND SCI-FI SUMMIT!
SPECIAL HEADLINER GUESTS INCLUDE:
ANDY WEIR
Writer of “The Martian”
MARC ZICREE
Screenwriter for “Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, and more!
AND MANY MORE!!
YOU ALSO GET FREE DOOR PRIZES, BOOKS, AND OTHER COOL SWAG!!
GET YOUR FREE TICKET TODAY!
JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT LAUNCH TEAM
Get free advanced copy of the novel, free gift cards, and other prizes! https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/149478?v=6
FOR AUTHORS: JOIN NEW ADULT NOIRE!
We hook readers into THE darkest, grittiest, heart-pounding-est sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance to ever exist. All hearts of darkness welcome!
Join New Adult Noir(e) today to expand your rabid readership and join our joint promotions:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeElicXmpH3YO7gDZbj9DoflIkHajMEGRRU1g7BeuwqUqCFYg/viewform
SIGN UP TO JOIN OUR MEGA-GIVEAWAYS AS A SPONSORING AUTHOR:
http://www.newadultnoir.com/for-authors/join-our-mega-giveaways/
PROMOTE YOUR *FREE* BOOKS & NOVEL SERIES AT NA NOIR(E) FOR FREE:
— Authors! Promote your FREE SFF/H & SFF/H Romance books to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2uKsfHo
— Authors! Promote your SFF/H & SFF/H Romance NOVEL SERIES to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2ubEJLk
OPEN GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIRE (FOR AUTHORS):
— Authors! Join our “25 Days of Box Sets” Christmas Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2qcG5DS
FOR READERS: GRAB FREE BOOKS, DISCOVER NEW SERIES, AND WIN AWESOME PRIZES!
NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR READERS: Join New Adult Noir(e) for unlimited access to THE darkest, grittiest sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance reads, amazing giveaways, free books, amazing series, free bundles, and more!
Grab your FREE NA Noir(e) starter library at:
http://www.subscribepage.com/freedarklibrary
MORE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIR(E):
The September FREE BOOKS and SERIES DISCOVERY promos are now LIVE at New Adult Noir(e)!
grab the hottest dark n’ gritty SFF/H and SFF/H novels and series in the land!
1. FREE Dark & Gritty SFF/H Books for September: http://www.newadultnoir.com/na-genre-pushes/
2. Discover NEW, Dark & Gritty SFF/H Series for September: http://www.newadultnoir.com/series-discovery-promos/
3. Grab over 2000 pages of FREE kick-ass fantasy with the MAYHEM boxset: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/ZWkQO
4. The Book Depository (grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre): http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies/
5. FREE YA Boxset: https://books.pronoun.com/otherworlds-the-ya-scifi-fantasy-boxset/
September 27, 2017
CEFJ #42 The Importance of Dramaturgy & The Birth of the Playwright (9/27/17)
Some more updates and reflections on the past week’s “achievements”, as they were. Nothing too major here, EXCEPT that I think I’m finally feeling the dramaturg-playwright-director emerging for the medium of theatre!
VLOG VERSION
CALLING ALL SCIENCE, SPACE, AND SCI–FI LOVERS:
JOIN THE *FREE* SPACE, SCIENCE, AND SCI-FI SUMMIT!
SPECIAL HEADLINER GUESTS INCLUDE:
ANDY WEIR
Writer of “The Martian”
MARC ZICREE
Screenwriter for “Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, and more!
AND MANY MORE!!
YOU ALSO GET FREE DOOR PRIZES, BOOKS, AND OTHER COOL SWAG!!
GET YOUR FREE TICKET TODAY!
JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT LAUNCH TEAM
Get free advanced copy of the novel, free gift cards, and other prizes! https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/149478?v=6
FOR AUTHORS: JOIN NEW ADULT NOIRE!
We hook readers into THE darkest, grittiest, heart-pounding-est sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance to ever exist. All hearts of darkness welcome!
Join New Adult Noir(e) today to expand your rabid readership and join our joint promotions:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeElicXmpH3YO7gDZbj9DoflIkHajMEGRRU1g7BeuwqUqCFYg/viewform
SIGN UP TO JOIN OUR MEGA-GIVEAWAYS AS A SPONSORING AUTHOR:
http://www.newadultnoir.com/for-authors/join-our-mega-giveaways/
PROMOTE YOUR *FREE* BOOKS & NOVEL SERIES AT NA NOIR(E) FOR FREE:
— Authors! Promote your FREE SFF/H & SFF/H Romance books to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2uKsfHo
— Authors! Promote your SFF/H & SFF/H Romance NOVEL SERIES to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2ubEJLk
OPEN GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIRE (FOR AUTHORS):
— Authors! Join our “25 Days of Box Sets” Christmas Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2qcG5DS
FOR READERS: GRAB FREE BOOKS, DISCOVER NEW SERIES, AND WIN AWESOME PRIZES!
NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR READERS: Join New Adult Noir(e) for unlimited access to THE darkest, grittiest sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance reads, amazing giveaways, free books, amazing series, free bundles, and more!
Grab your FREE NA Noir(e) starter library at:
http://www.subscribepage.com/freedarklibrary
MORE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIR(E):
The September FREE BOOKS and SERIES DISCOVERY promos are now LIVE at New Adult Noir(e)!
grab the hottest dark n’ gritty SFF/H and SFF/H novels and series in the land!
1. FREE Dark & Gritty SFF/H Books for September: http://www.newadultnoir.com/na-genre-pushes/
2. Discover NEW, Dark & Gritty SFF/H Series for September: http://www.newadultnoir.com/series-discovery-promos/
3. Grab over 2000 pages of FREE kick-ass fantasy with the MAYHEM boxset: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/ZWkQO
4. The Book Depository (grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre): http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies/
5. FREE YA Boxset: https://books.pronoun.com/otherworlds-the-ya-scifi-fantasy-boxset/
September 23, 2017
CEFJ #41 Celebrating My Creative Birthday! (9/23/17)
Today, we’re celebrating the 5-year birthday of my inner creative! On this special interruption podcast, I talk about the official start of my creative journey around this time in 2012, and I start to clock my achievements (and my failures). I’ve accomplished a lot, and I look forward to accomplishing even MORE in the next 1-5 years!
September 21, 2017
Writer’s Block: Finding Your Style
When you hear book buffs and nerds talking about the authors they love, you will often hear them refer to a style. This is the way that an author string together their sentences, the way that they describe things, and the way that their writing makes you feel when you read it. Cultivating something like this takes a long time, though, and achieving it for yourself can be hard. So, to help you out, this post will be going through some different ways you can start to build a style which is unique to you.
To start this journey, you have to understand how other people write before you can start to work on yourself. Thankfully, to do this, you simply have to indulge in one of your favorite pastimes; reading. Most people spend a lot of their time reading books from the same series or authors in their spare time. But, to make this stage of your build process successful, it’s important to soak up a range of different styles. Eventually, it should be very easy for you to differentiate between authors simply by the way that a page is written.
Once you have a good idea of the different ways authors like to write, you can start to think about writing something yourself. Hopefully, you will have exposed yourself to a variety of genres in your reading and will have a good idea of the styles commonly found in them. From here, you can write stories or pieces surrounding an array of subjects and genres, all the while looking for the ones which you enjoy the most. This will give you a good benchmark of your skills when it comes to writing different stories. Along with this, it will also help you to become a more flexible writer.
Throughout the process of looking for a good style, you will build a good collection of your work, giving you a reference to go from. With this reference, you can recruit the help of others to give you some feedback. To make sure this is unbiased and fair, you should look for this support online, as it’s unlikely that you will encounter someone you know there. Using websites like Reddit, you can submit your work for others to read. People will be happy to tell you which pieces they enjoy the most, and some will even be able to give you useful feedback.
It takes a long time to master writing, and developing a strong style is only a small part of it. Along with this, you also have to learn how to write correctly, with good grammar and readability. To help with this, you can work on improving your English speaking skills, as this will also improve the way that you write. Over time, your skill will improve on their own. But, using tools on the net can make the process a lot faster, so it’s worth considering the options you have. You don’t even have to pay for most of them.
Hopefully, this post will give you a good idea of what can be done when you’re trying to work on a unique style for your writing to be based around. A lot of people like the idea of being able to stand out with a skill like this. But, to achieve this sort of goal, you have to willing to put in the work.
September 20, 2017
CEFJ #40 Riot, Revelation, and Commanding Your Worth (9/19/17)
Some cool updates this week. Nothing super major, but a few really awesome minor wins!! That, and grad school continues to step on my neck. BUT I’m finding some great ways to release steam, take care of self, and stay balanced.
VLOG VERSION
CALLING ALL SCIENCE, SPACE, AND SCI–FI LOVERS:
JOIN THE *FREE* SPACE, SCIENCE, AND SCI-FI SUMMIT!
SPECIAL HEADLINER GUESTS INCLUDE:
ANDY WEIR
Writer of “The Martian”
MARC ZICREE
Screenwriter for “Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, and more!
AND MANY MORE!!
YOU ALSO GET FREE DOOR PRIZES, BOOKS, AND OTHER COOL SWAG!!
GET YOUR FREE TICKET TODAY!
JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT LAUNCH TEAM
Get free advanced copy of the novel, free gift cards, and other prizes! https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/149478?v=6
LEARN HOW TO WRITE & PLOT CINEMATICALLY:
FOR AUTHORS: JOIN NEW ADULT NOIRE!
We hook readers into THE darkest, grittiest, heart-pounding-est sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance to ever exist. All hearts of darkness welcome!
Join New Adult Noir(e) today to expand your rabid readership and join our joint promotions:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeElicXmpH3YO7gDZbj9DoflIkHajMEGRRU1g7BeuwqUqCFYg/viewform
SIGN UP TO JOIN OUR MEGA-GIVEAWAYS AS A SPONSORING AUTHOR:
http://www.newadultnoir.com/for-authors/join-our-mega-giveaways/
PROMOTE YOUR *FREE* BOOKS & NOVEL SERIES AT NA NOIR(E) FOR FREE:
— Authors! Promote your FREE SFF/H & SFF/H Romance books to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2uKsfHo
— Authors! Promote your SFF/H & SFF/H Romance NOVEL SERIES to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2ubEJLk
OPEN GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIRE (FOR AUTHORS):
— Authors! Join our “25 Days of Box Sets” Christmas Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2qcG5DS
FOR READERS: GRAB FREE BOOKS, DISCOVER NEW SERIES, AND WIN AWESOME PRIZES!
NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR READERS: Join New Adult Noir(e) for unlimited access to THE darkest, grittiest sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance reads, amazing giveaways, free books, amazing series, free bundles, and more!
Grab your FREE NA Noir(e) starter library at:
http://www.subscribepage.com/freedarklibrary
MORE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIR(E):
The September FREE BOOKS and SERIES DISCOVERY promos are now LIVE at New Adult Noir(e)!
grab the hottest dark n’ gritty SFF/H and SFF/H novels and series in the land!
1. FREE Dark & Gritty SFF/H Books for September: http://www.newadultnoir.com/na-genre-pushes/
2. Discover NEW, Dark & Gritty SFF/H Series for September: http://www.newadultnoir.com/series-discovery-promos/
3. Grab over 2000 pages of FREE kick-ass fantasy with the MAYHEM boxset: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/ZWkQO
4. The Book Depository (grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre): http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies/
5. FREE YA Boxset: https://books.pronoun.com/otherworlds-the-ya-scifi-fantasy-boxset/
September 14, 2017
CEFJ #39 Grad School is Dark and Full of Terrors (9/14/17)
Soo, giving myself some grace last week REALLY helped, but apparently, I need to whip out the EXTRA grace this week as the tides of fuckery rise against my person again, lol. Laugh = light, y’all. Still, while this week dragged me a bit and I took a few L’s, I still came out with some awesome skills and knowledge that will stay with me forever.
VLOG VERSION
I APPEARED ON THE “FANTASY FIENDS” PODCAST!
Check out our discussion on afro-futurism:
My creative uni resources (mentioned in the podcast)!
LEARN THE ART OF ACTION EDITING: The guys at Film Editing Pro reall put their foot in this one, y’all! I’m LOVING this fully-fledged course for action editing, and I’m learning so much! Check it out here: http://www.filmeditingpro.com/the-art-of-action-editing/
APPLY TO MY MFA PROGRAM: Still, if you want to apply to my program (a 3-year, FULLY-FUNDED MFA program in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Generative Dramaturgy) for the Fall of 2019, check us out here: https://grad.arizona.edu/programs/programinfo/THARMFAGEDR
JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT LAUNCH TEAM
Get free advanced copy of the novel, free gift cards, and other prizes! https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/149478?v=6
LEARN HOW TO WRITE & PLOT CINEMATICALLY:
FOR AUTHORS: JOIN NEW ADULT NOIRE!
We hook readers into THE darkest, grittiest, heart-pounding-est sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance to ever exist. All hearts of darkness welcome!
Join New Adult Noir(e) today to expand your rabid readership and join our joint promotions:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeElicXmpH3YO7gDZbj9DoflIkHajMEGRRU1g7BeuwqUqCFYg/viewform
SIGN UP TO JOIN OUR MEGA-GIVEAWAYS AS A SPONSORING AUTHOR:
http://www.newadultnoir.com/for-authors/join-our-mega-giveaways/
PROMOTE YOUR *FREE* BOOKS & NOVEL SERIES AT NA NOIR(E) FOR FREE:
— Authors! Promote your FREE SFF/H & SFF/H Romance books to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2uKsfHo
— Authors! Promote your SFF/H & SFF/H Romance NOVEL SERIES to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2ubEJLk
OPEN GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIRE (FOR AUTHORS):
— Authors! Join our “25 Days of Box Sets” Christmas Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2qcG5DS
FOR READERS: GRAB FREE BOOKS, DISCOVER NEW SERIES, AND WIN AWESOME PRIZES!
NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR READERS: Join New Adult Noir(e) for unlimited access to THE darkest, grittiest sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance reads, amazing giveaways, free books, amazing series, free bundles, and more!
Grab your FREE NA Noir(e) starter library at:
http://www.subscribepage.com/freedarklibrary
MORE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIR(E):
The September FREE BOOKS and SERIES DISCOVERY promos are now LIVE at New Adult Noir(e)!
grab the hottest dark n’ gritty SFF/H and SFF/H novels and series in the land!
1. FREE Dark & Gritty SFF/H Books for September: http://www.newadultnoir.com/na-genre-pushes/
2. Discover NEW, Dark & Gritty SFF/H Series for September: http://www.newadultnoir.com/series-discovery-promos/
3. The Book Depository (grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre): http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies/
4. FREE YA Boxset: https://books.pronoun.com/otherworlds-the-ya-scifi-fantasy-boxset/
September 4, 2017
CEFJ #38 Giving Myself Some Grace (9/4/17)
After the week and a half I’ve had? It’s time to give myself a little grace, boo. I’m still on my hustle, grind, and flow, but today I’m also taking a minute to breathe and do a self-inventory. I’ve had some massive successes so far this year, started a four-figure creative business, am doing my thing and getting ninja-trained in grad school (and am finally loving it), AND I am on the verge of publishing two more novels before year’s end!
Join me as I gear up to finish the remaining 33% of this year STRONG, while also NOT going crazy! 
August 30, 2017
CEFJ #37 Grad School, Mayhem, and Murphy’s Fucking Law (8/30/17)
So, I’ve just survived the first week of grad school and have the scars to prove it, lol. My semester holds a lot of promise and pleasant surprises, actually, but things WON’T go smoothly if Murphy’s Law has anything to say about it…
Still, if you want to apply to my program (a 3-year, FULLY-FUNDED MFA program in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Generative Dramaturgy) for the Fall of 2019, check us out here: https://grad.arizona.edu/programs/pro...
VLOG VERSION
JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT LAUNCH TEAM
Get free advanced copy of the novel, free gift cards, and other prizes! https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/149478?v=6
LEARN HOW TO WRITE & PLOT CINEMATICALLY:
FOR AUTHORS: JOIN NEW ADULT NOIRE!
We hook readers into THE darkest, grittiest, heart-pounding-est sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance to ever exist. All hearts of darkness welcome!
Join New Adult Noir(e) today to expand your rabid readership and join our joint promotions:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeElicXmpH3YO7gDZbj9DoflIkHajMEGRRU1g7BeuwqUqCFYg/viewform
SIGN UP TO JOIN OUR MEGA-GIVEAWAYS AS A SPONSORING AUTHOR:
http://www.newadultnoir.com/for-authors/join-our-mega-giveaways/
PROMOTE YOUR *FREE* BOOKS & NOVEL SERIES AT NA NOIR(E) FOR FREE:
— Authors! Promote your FREE SFF/H & SFF/H Romance books to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2uKsfHo
— Authors! Promote your SFF/H & SFF/H Romance NOVEL SERIES to my 13,000 Readers for FREE: http://bit.ly/2ubEJLk
OPEN GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIRE (FOR AUTHORS):
— Authors! Join our “25 Days of Box Sets” Christmas Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2qcG5DS
FOR READERS: GRAB FREE BOOKS, DISCOVER NEW SERIES, AND WIN AWESOME PRIZES!
NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR READERS: Join New Adult Noir(e) for unlimited access to THE darkest, grittiest sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance reads, amazing giveaways, free books, amazing series, free bundles, and more!
Grab your FREE NA Noir(e) starter library at:
https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/211447?v=6
Join the FREE Back-to-School Blast! YA and NA Giveaway, and grab FREE reads! All entrants get prizes:
MORE (NON-NA NOIRE) AWESOME GIVEAWAYS:
1. Grab 30+ FREE Dystopian / Post-Apocalyptic Novels: http://www.craigmcdonough.com/theend.html
2. “Last Days of Summer” Mega Facebook Giveaway: http://darielraye.com/featured-giveaways/
3. The Book Depository (grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre): http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies/
4. FREE YA Boxset: https://books.pronoun.com/otherworlds-the-ya-scifi-fantasy-boxset/
