Dave Higgins's Blog, page 78

Eternity in a Plain of Sand

Samhain, All Hallows Eve, Halloween. Names change, but the image of the dead dancing endured. And we did. Not a macabre dance but dance nevertheless. Because the gates opened for those who’d fulfilled their final task, accepted loved ones would survive without them, realised they deserved release. But the key was always the living. We … Continue reading Eternity in a Plain of Sand

Hurting Your Characters by Michael J. Carlson

Carlson combines an accessible overview of the human body and the damage it suffers from various traumas with insight into how that might feel to a character. This creates a useful framework for adding plausible and emotive descriptions of injury that can be tailored to a character’s knowledge. This book provides an simplified description of … Continue reading Hurting Your Characters by Michael J. Carlson

Gestalt Not GetStuffed

There’s no denying that at least some social change has occurred because of a small number of activists highlighting injustice until support for change becomes the new normal, However, is that transition from vocal in minority to accepted among the majority slowed because so many activists discuss the change they seek within a zero-sum framework? … Continue reading Gestalt Not GetStuffed

Seeing All the Angles

For years, I’ve fallen asleep to the evolution of dimensions: a dot, then a line, then a square, then a cube, then a tesseract. Not necessarily the last thoughts before sleep but a constant marker of the liminal space between duvet and dream. And at some point, I realised not only are there several three-dimensional … Continue reading Seeing All the Angles

Season of Wind by Aimee Hyndman

Hyndman combines the complexity of epic fantasy with the character focus of young adult fantasy, providing a sense of depth and scope without sacrificing accessibility or the reader’s wrists. This is the second volume in The Clockwork Gods Chronicles. So, spoilers ahead. Having completed the deal she made with Itazura, the god of mischief, Janet … Continue reading Season of Wind by Aimee Hyndman

10 Reasons Why a Cup of Coffee is Better for You than Kafkaesque Torture

One of the most pervasive pieces of advice in articles on how to be “successful” is to put aside hobbies in favour of extra graft on your job or a side-hustle. However, I’ve noticed another similar suggestion cropping up that suggests “success” listicles might be more sinister than a simple misunderstanding that money is a … Continue reading 10 Reasons Why a Cup of Coffee is Better for You than Kafkaesque Torture

Circling the Square

Jace picked the office door lock. It’d seemed a simple idea: identify everyone attending meetings, then run stats to prove Masonry wasn’t the path to power. He’d felt vindicated when the numbers showed on average Masons were slightly more successful. Until he noticed the distribution was off. Which was the start of the rabbit hole. … Continue reading Circling the Square

‘Excel for Writers’ & ‘Excel for Self-Publishers’ by M.L. Humphrey

Humphrey provides clear and thorough instructions on using Excel to support a writing career without descending into tedious detail. With the first book aimed at authors looking to put their writing on a more structured footing and those seeking to be published by others, and the second aimed at authors seeking to publish their own … Continue reading ‘Excel for Writers’ & ‘Excel for Self-Publishers’ by M.L. Humphrey

Reviewing The 2017 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Bundle

I’ve been sent a free copy of Kevin J Anderson’s 2017 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Bundle with a request that I share my honest opinion of a few of the titles. Apart from the guide to Vellum (I already have a good eformating program and don’t have a Mac) they all seem worth a read. However, … Continue reading Reviewing The 2017 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Bundle

One Nation Under The Law

John cowered behind the remains of his cousin’s pick-up as the shooting range burnt. How’d it all gone to shit so fast? Everything’d seemed on the right track. He’d thought nothing would top seeing Reverend Newton, a real Christian, being sworn in as President. Until the angels came. Perfect beings descending to affirm the Constitution. … Continue reading One Nation Under The Law