Jaye Em Edgecliff's Blog, page 12

Best (and most awesomely put) writing advice I’ve ever seen

From one of this year’s NaNoWriMo Pep Talks

Pep Talk from Chuck Wendig

Imagine being allowed to do something you’re not supposed to do.

Imagine you’re given the keys to a mud-bogging Bronco, or a dune buggy, or a Lamborghini. And then, you’re pointed toward a field. A soccer field outside a high school, or maybe just a wide open grassland. Nobody there. No kids playing. No animals frolicking. In fact, right now, nobody is here to see you at all.

You have total freedom to rev the engine, slam the...

Things I Don’t Have to Think About Today

Originally posted on Whatever:

Today I don’t have to think about those who hear “terrorist” when I speak my faith.

Today I don’t have to think about men who don’t believe no means no.

Today I don’t have to think about how the world is made for people who move differently than I do.

Today I don’t have to think about whether I’m married, depending on what state I’m in.

Today I don’t have to think about how I’m going to hail a cab past midnight.

Today I don’t have to think about whether store securit...

Reality versus intent OR Why #GamerGate IS evil

I’ve probably never mentioned it before, but I am a gamer. I love games. Board games of various shapes and sizes, card games, pen & paper RPG, computer games, video games (old school for Arcade/Console), all of that.

Now, for those in the know, there’s this thing going on that has dubbed itself #GamerGate thanks to a twit by the ever lovable (said with dripping sarcasm, though I do adore him as Jayne, I just hate that he didn’t have to act for the part) Adam Baldwin dubbing it so.

And right abo...

Being Poor

Originally posted on Whatever:

Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs.

Being poor is getting angry at your kids for asking for all the crap they see on TV.

Being poor is having to keep buying $800 cars because they’re what you can afford, and then having the cars break down on you, because there’s not an $800 car in America that’s worth a damn.

Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.

Being poor is knowing your kid goes to friends’ houses but never has friends over to yours....

How to Boycott Me, I Mean, REALLY Boycott Me

Jaye:

Scalzi = Brilliant. I really ought to get around to reading one of his books some day.

Originally posted on Whatever:

Ah, I see some GamerGaters are whining to Tor that I am being mean to them. Well, good luck with that tactic, kids.

— John Scalzi (@scalzi) October 23, 2014

So a few days ago, it was suggested to a faction of the hot, pathetic misogynist mess known as GamerGate that launching a boycott of Tor Books was a possible “action op” for them. This was quickly shot down, no doubt in p...

About me Q & A #1

I have no idea how often or how regular I’m going to do this, but I’m bored to the point of whimsical right now and felt like doing this to amuse myself.

I’m going to interview myself about whatever happens to come to mind.

Future versions of this might feature favourite questions from comments, emails, Facebook, or Twitter.

Are you a vegetarian/vegan?

No. Though I was until I got married to someone who I can’t seem to convince that humans aren’t carnivores – I didn’t grow up not eating meat so i...

[Reblog] Reasonably Unscrewed-Up Character ≠ Mary Sue

Jaye:

Once again, Scalzi says something beautifully that’s been bugging me.

No one’s said this about any of my characters, no, but that’s because of a lack of SF. Fantasy/SciFi is outrageous with this stuff. It’s almost perverse … correction, it IS perverse.

Seriously, I’m waiting for the day Bilbo Baggins is routinely accused of being a Mary Sue.

Related articles

Martin Freeman talks Bilbo Baggins at Hobbit premiere (itv.com)
John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War is Coming to SyFy! (tor.com)
The Pop Quiz at...

Thoughts on piracy

The Pirate Bay logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At what point is it okay to share the works of someone who is trying, or hoping to make a living at an artistic endeavour? Is it once they’ve achieved a living by it? When they’re rich by it?

With the internet, it’s certainly hard to fight it. Fight too hard and, like Metallica, you just make it worse. Don’t fight it hard enough and you’ll never get it to stop … assuming it’s even possible. So there’s a certain futility to it all.

I know people who’l...

Ask and ye shall be answered!

I’vealways had my contact form and pageand I always will. You are more than welcome to say anything you wish to me in private. Do be warned that if you go too far in saying anything creepy or disturbing I am also welcome to contact the FBI or Interpol, just saying.

And I’ve got my FAQwhere you’re welcome to ask me things, and I’ll gladly answer them – and I’ll gladly delete anything that is naught but trolling.

There’s a third option. Given the nature of my FAQ I’m not sure why I enabled it, po...

[REBLOG]: Jake’s Last Mission, conflict, a defense of Kristark’s Coronation as a story, probably other stuff too because I’m writing this right before bed so my inner editor is already asleep

This was linked to via pingback on this other reblog I madeand it was, I thought, a good if rambly and typo riddled take on the subject; in her defense, the author does indicate she was writing the the small hours of the morning – ah, the logics of 2AM.

My own work “lacks conflict” and according to one or two reviews “lacks plot” because 1) these two things, by many’s definition, are one and the same and 2) because some people really have a poor understanding of what those words mean

1) Plot is...