K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 81
August 8, 2014
Friday Link Pack 08/08/2014
It’s Friday! That mean it’s time to share a few interesting links I have found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know!
Writing:
On Writing Fantasy
So what is fantasy for? What good is it? I am in the thick of writing a fantasy myself. So this post from Dave Farland on the importance of fantasy and fable really resonated with me.
Do Not Despise These Small Beginnings
Loved this piece from composer Royal Teague on creation and the creative struggle. Very much worth a read.
The Two Most Powerful Behaviors Of Successful Writers
San Francisco writing coach Lauren Sapala discusses two behaviors—focus and boundaries—used by writers to get things done. Invaluable advice, both are tough to master but critical for success.
The Persistent Stigma Of Self-Publishing
Janice Hardy explores the stigma surrounding self-published works.
London’s Book Benches Highlight The Capital’s Great Literary Works
I thought these benches built in the shape of books were too charming not to share. My favorite has to be the Ian Fleming one. What’s yours?
Thug Note’s Covers At The Mountains of Madness
On Sunday I shared this excellent synopsis and analysis from Sparky Sweets, PhD. If you haven’t been exposed to Thug Notes, I’d encourage you to give it a watch. It’s not only educational it’s also quite entertaining.
Art:
Elliot Alfredius’ Three Blades
There something incredibly charming about this illustration series (featured above.) Each piece shows a different set of three sword-swinging warriors, from battle hardened barbarians to highfalutin aristocrats even wandering vagabonds. If you loves these as much as I do the good news is Alfredius has collected these pieces as a book! Sadly, there is bad news: it’s out of stock until September. I eagerly await the next edition.
How Do I Become A Full Time Illustrator
I debated putting this in the Writing category or here. Illustrator Ray Frenden shares his advice on how to succeed at art. I think this same advice could apply to writers or any creative. Good stuff. Also, go buy his pizza shirt.
Beautiful Architectural Alphabet Engravings Should Be Built For Real
Typography and architecture have a lot in common. So it’s no surprise that Italian artist Antonio Basoli created these beautiful drawings combining the two.
Random:
Octopus broods eggs for over four years—longer than any known animal
Pretty crazy story from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute about one devoted cephalopodic mother.
Photographic Inventories of British Soldiers’ Kits From 1066 to 2014
I really like it when someone takes the time to do this. Seeing the evolution of something throughout the years is always a fascination. It’s amazing to see the amount of stuff a soldier carries into battle these days.
Pepper and Salt — Hunter S. Thompson: Huevos Rancheros
So, Pepper and Salt might be my new favorite blog. As the author Nicole says, it’s: “Part historical discussion, part food and recipe blog, part literary fangirl-ing, Paper and Salt attempts to recreate and reinterpret the dishes that iconic authors discuss in their letters, diaries, essays, and fiction.” This article, tackles Hunter S. Thompson’s love of Huevos Rancheros. I know what I am making for breakfast tomorrow.
Lovecraft Story of the Week:
The Phantom ‘Rickshaw by Rudyard Kipling
Okay, so it’s not a Lovecraft story. However, I highly encourage you to check out this tale, when you’re done, make sure you head over to the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast at HPPodcraft.com and check this months free episode (which I sponsored.) Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer are great hosts and really enjoyable to listen to as they analyze and analyze and discuss of some of weird fictions greatest stories. Very much worth a subscription.
Farewell Gif of the Week:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: Antonio Basoli, British Soldiers, creative struggle, Elliot Alfredius, fantasy, H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast, Huevos Rancheros, London, Ray Frenden, Rudyard Kipling, Self-publishing, The Phantom 'Rickshaw, Writing
August 2, 2014
Thug Notes covers “At the Mountains of Madness”
“At the Mountains of Madness” (Detail) by Ivan LaliashviliOne of my favorite YouTube channels has to be Wisecrack. I tune in weekly for Sparky Sweets, PhD. the host of Thug Notes who give us the lowdown on classic literature. He’s funny, poignant, and educational. This latest episode has climbed the list and become one of my favorites as Sweets lays down the happenings in the H.P. Lovecraft classic: At the Mountains of Madness. Give it a watch below and educate yo self.
Filed under: Videos Tagged: At the Mountains of Madness, H.P. Lovecraft, PhD., Sparky Sweets, Thug Notes, Wisecrack
August 1, 2014
Friday Link Pack 08/01/2014
Hooray Friday! It’s time to share a few interesting links I have found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know!
Writing:
Pulse On Pacing: How Smooth Transitions Keep Your Story Moving
Handy tips from the folks over at Writers Helping Writers on keeping readers moving through your prose.
Publishing Industry Reels After 9M Fewer Books Are Given As Gifts In 2013
An interesting look at the number of physical books bought and the number of books given as gifts. I think this is a trend we’ll only see increase as time progresses.
Accidentally Going Digital
Peter Damien observes his slow evolution from book reader to ebook reader. Having once be adamantly opposed to reading digital books, I can relate. Just wait until it becomes your go-to platform.
Is Selling Direct Worth It?
A few weeks ago I shared an article about HarperCollins pivoting to sell ebooks directly. Publishers Weekly asks a real good question: does it worth?
Be Ruthless…
In case you missed it, last weekend I highlighted this fantastic quote from Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling.
Art:
Game of Thrones Transit Maps
I love these fantasy subway maps from my friend and fellow designer Michael Tyznik. His attention to detail is superb. If there’s one this Westeros could use it’s decent public transportation, might actually keep everyone from fighting. Buy posters of these maps over on InPrnt.
I Love Summer
A great series of high-speed photos by photographer Krista Long showing folks emerging from water slides. They make me want to visit a water park this weekend.
70’s Sci-Fi Art
I love the 70s, I love art, and I love science fiction. So I was excited when I discovered this blog highlighting the strange and surreal sci-fi art from the 1970s.
Random:
The Southern Pole Of Mars Is More Beautiful Than We Ever Imagined
io9 ain’t lyin’. Is it odd that this makes me want icecream?
A Victorian Coast Defense Fort Is Transformed Into A Luxury Hotel
Welcome to Spitbank Fort, once built for coastal defense, not a place to kickback and relax. Future supervillains take note, this is an incredible lair.
The Akodessewa Fetish Market
Atlas Obscura takes us deep into the heart of West Africa where the practice of vodoun—known to us as voodoo—is still thriving. Here you’ll find a market that caters to the practitioners. Here you can find anything from leopard heads to human skulls, and more. [NOTE: There's nothing super gross here, but if you're easily disturbed best to avoid this link.]
What If All The Ice On Earth Melted?
What would happen to some of earth’s most iconic landmarks if all the ice on the planet melted tomorrow?
Lovecraft Story of the Week:
The Green Meadow
Written by H. P. Lovecraft and Winifred V. Jackson this short story tells the tale of a mysterious meteorite that crash lands in the ocean off the coast of Maine, and the strange discoveries therein.
Farewell Gif of the Week:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: Books, ebooks, Game of Thrones, H.P. Lovecraft, J.K. Rowling, Mars, Pacific Rim 2, reading, Sci-Fi Art, Spitbank Fort, transit map, Writing
July 31, 2014
My Top 5 Posts
Dr. Robert Goddard at Clark University – via FlickrI have been busy. Real busy. So while keep plugging away I figured in the interim it’d be fun to visit my top 5 blog of all time. So here we go, starting with number five:
5. Building A Better Book Cover
I have spent the better part of 15 years working as a designer. So at the beginning of 2014 I shared some of my knowledge on what it takes to make a great book cover. I got a lot of positive feedback on this one so it’s no surprise it made the top 5 list.
4. Scrivener
Scrivener is my go-to writing software for a number of reasons. Instead of rehashing on others wrote in this post I linked to some of my favorite articles about the best word processing software on the market.
3. Barnes & Noble Closing 200+ Stores
I found it amusing that this was on the list. I’m not a book industry site, nor am I a breaking news blog, yet for whatever reason this post got a lot of traction with you readers.
2. “The Stars Were Right” Cover Revealed!
This one wasn’t a surprise. I love doing cover reveals, and clearly my readers do as well. (You can see Old Broken Road‘s cover reveal here.)
So that covers the top four. The number one blog post was far and away my biggest hit scoring nearly five times the amount of traffic than The Stars Were Right‘s cover reveal and more visits than all the previous posts combined…
Back in December of last year while I was starting work on Red Litten World I picked up and began to play with Scapple. I wrote a quick review which was then re-posted by the good folks over at Literature & Latte, thanks to them traffic exploded! Since going live the post has garnered views from thousands of visitors and I still get occasional hits to this day.
So there you have it, from cover design to Scrapple, the top five posts in the last two years.A big thank you to all you readers. I really appreciate the support, your comments, and everyone’s encouragement. It makes doing this fun. Here’s to two more years, more posts, and many, many more books!
Filed under: Random Tagged: Barnes & Noble, blogging, cover design, Scrapple, Scrivener, The Stars Were Right, Top 5, Writing
July 26, 2014
Be Ruthless
Be ruthless about protecting writing days, i.e., do not cave in to endless requests to have “essential” and “long overdue” meetings on those days. The funny thing is that, although writing has been my actual job for several years now, I still seem to have to fight for time in which to do it. Some people do not seem to grasp that I still have to sit down in peace and write the books, apparently believing that they pop up like mushrooms without my connivance. I must therefore guard the time allotted to writing as a Hungarian Horntail guards its firstborn egg.
Filed under: Writing Tagged: amwriting, Inspiration, J.K. Rowling, Time
July 25, 2014
Friday Link Pack 07/25/14
Friday is here! It’s time to share a few interesting links I have found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know!
Writing:
Barbarians At The Gate! Indies Vs. Big Publishing
Fantastic article from novelist Amy Eyrie on the Amazon/Hachette fight. (This will be my only indie/big publishing article this week, I promise!)
Author Interview: K. M. Alexander
At the beginning of this week I was interviewed by the illustrious Jim Pyre. We talk about writing, The Stars Were Right, the future of publishing, plot ideas, cat hats, and a lot more!
A Game As Literary Tutorial
The New York Times examines how many speculative fiction authors have been influenced by Dungeons & Dragons. Since tabletop roleplaying games are all about narrative this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. I do wish they had mentioned more women authors, I know there are plenty of women in genre who were also gamers growing up.
I Can’t Even
I loved this article from Clive Thompson (@pomeranian99) examining Lovecraft’s intent of describing the indescribable. Thanks to Steve for the tip.
The Writing Tools Of 20 Famous Authors
What tools did some of your favorite authors use to pen their own work? Find out in this fun article from the folks at Flavorwire.
Exclusivity Is Bad: Why My Books Won’t Be On Kindle Unlimited
On Tuesday I wrote a quick article on why my books won’t be available on Kindle Unlimited anytime soon. TL;DR—I don’t like exclusivity, it hurts readers. I’d rather my books be available on as many platforms as possible.
Random:
Beneath The Streets Of Romania’s Capital, A Living Hell
A stunning and heart-wrenching look at the homeless men, women, and children who live in the tunnels and sewers beneath the streets of Bucharest and struggle with poverty, drug addiction, HIV, and tuberculosis.
Mapbox Showcase
It’s no secret I’m a mapophile, I love maps. So when I found this showcase showing the various styles of map created by the mapping platform Mapbox I ended up spending many many hours poking around and exploring. My favorite project: a tossup between 1940s New York and The National Parks.
One Of The Solar System’s Largest Volcanoes Is Right Here On Earth
Tamu Massif sits about a thousand miles off the coast of Japan and it rivals even the mighty Olympus Mons.
Lovecraft Story of the Week:
Ex Oblivione
The dreams of a dying man.
Farewell Gif of the Week:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: Amazon vs. Hachette, Bucharest, Dungeons & Dragons, Interview, Kindle Unlimited, Lovecraft, Mapbox, Tamu Massif, The Stars Were Right, Tools, Writing
July 22, 2014
Exclusivity Is Bad: Why My Books Won’t Be On Kindle Unlimited
You won’t find The Stars Were Right as a part of Kindle Unlimited, at least not for now. Currently, for indie authors to be able to offer their books through Kindle Unlimited the book needs to be enrolled in KDP Select which requires exclusivity with Amazon (you can see Amazon’s FAQ on KDP Select here). I recently wrote at length on the benefit of remaining platform agnostic; it’s something I fully believe in and I will continue to do what I can to make sure all my readers have full access to my books on the platform of their choice. So, until the requirement of exclusivity is lifted, no Kindle Unlimited for me.
I could write more on the topic, but instead of repeating what others have written I’d rather direct you to these fantastic articles by a few talented authors who sum up my feelings pretty well:
Hugh Howey: It’s 2011 All Over Again
Chuck Wendig: To Kindle Unlimited, and Beyond
Michael Sullivan: Kindle Unlimited’s Two-Tier System Makes Some Authors Second-Class Citizens
Filed under: Publishing Tagged: Amazon, indie publishing, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, The Stars Were Right
July 18, 2014
Friday Link Pack 07/18/14
Happy Friday! It’s time to share a few interesting links I have found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know!
Writing:
Interruptions Are Even Worse Than We Thought
We’ve suspected it for a while, but researchers are discovering proof that interruption is bad… and it’s especially bad for writers.
July 2014 Author Earnings Report
The always fascinating report from the crew over at AER. Worth a read. Loads of info: DRM vs. non-DRM titles, the myth of the bodice ripper, and more.
Are There Still Pros To Traditional Publishing?
Writing coach and author Brooke Warner discusses 5 pros for sticking with traditional publishing, everything from the partnership, to the end product’s quality, to distribution benefits.
Are There 5 Reasons To Stick With Major Publishers? No, There Are 0 Reasons
Ghost writer and author Michael Levin takes on the reasons laid out by Brooke Warner in the aforementioned article and makes his claim as to why there are actually zero reasons to stick with major publishers.
The Good Stuff Stays
In case you missed it make sure to check out this 2012 Q&A session with Stephen King. Some really good insight into his process, his ideas, screenwriting, Lovecraft, and a lot more.
Art:
#KAIJULY
You love the summer. You love monsters. Kaijuly is a month for monsters! All this month comic book artist Josh Montreuil and friends have been posting daily illustrations for a project they’re calling Kaijuly. Make sure you check out the tag on Tumblr and Twitter.
Kiddie Arts
Dutch muralist Telmo Pieper takes adorable drawings that he drew as a 4-year-old and recreates them. The results are equal parts fascinating, adorable, and terrifying.
Is Fan Art Illegal?
The short answer: yes, and comic book artists should be wary. However, we have seen time and again that brands that crack down on fan art actually hurt themselves in the long run. (When it comes to my own work, please fan art away. Make that Waldo Bell fan art. Sell it! I think it’d be awesome. I am totally 100% okay with it. I will never ask anyone to stop. Also, let me know when you do! I even highlight it on Pinterest!)
Random:
Buy A Lighthouse
Looking for a cheap getaway to avoid interruption and work on your book? Why not a Lighthouse!? (It might need a bit of work.)
The Cargo Ship Whose Hull Is A Giant Sail
A Norwegian engineer redesigns the cargo ship to utilize it’s hull as an aid to propulsion. The future is awesome.
The Lost City Of Heracleion
6.5 kilometres off Alexandria’s coastline lies the submerged Egyptian city of Heracleion. The Ancient Egyptian version of Venice perhaps?
Lovecraft Story of the Week:
The Colour Out Of Space
A meteorite crash lands in a rural Massachusetts farm. Shortly thereafter strange occurrences begin: vegetables grows to enormous sizes but are tasteless, animals are deformed into terrible shapes, and ever so slowly the residents go insane one by one.
Farewell Gif of the Week:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: Author Earnings Report, Fan Art, Heracleion, indie publishing, Josh Montreuil, Kaijuly, Stephen King, Telmo Pieper, Traditional Publishing
July 15, 2014
SpoCon 2014
We’re only a month away so it’s time to announce that I’ll be traversing the Cascade Mountains and traveling to the eastside of the state to attend SpoCon 2014 in Spokane, Washington! Woohoo! The show runs August 15th-17th and I’ll be there the whole time slingin’ books. If you’re attending, stop by my booth and say hello. I’m bringing plenty of copies of The Stars Were Right as well as a bunch of free swag.
Details are still being sorted out and I am sure I’ll have more information as we draw closer to the actual date. If you live in the area and are interested in attending you can find out more about SpoCon at spocon.org. Hope to see you at the con!
Filed under: News Tagged: Conventions, fantasy, Sci-fi, SpoCon 2014, Spokane, Washington
