I don't play some of the most popular games on Facebook, but I have a few I really enjoy. Two of them involve raising pet dragons; you can find them here and here. The premise behind both of them is simple: you raise a dragon from an egg, deciding when it should grow, how it should train, and send it to attack other dragons for gold and assist your friends. Tuesday night I was looking for someone to raid and came across a dragon two wealth classes above me. The dragon was bigger than mine, so I wasn't sure I would win, but I tried it anyway, figuring it wouldn't hurt. When I woke up Wednesday morning, I found my dragon had brought home over six million units of treasure, earning me an achievement and sending me up to the next wealth class. I tried something similar with my other dragon, sending her to raid a dragon 1.5 times her size. It was a long battle, but in the end I emerged triumphant, though my take-home prize wasn't quite so big.
I'm telling you these stories not to brag or to entice you into trying out the Pet Dragon games, but to make a point about writing: sometimes you have to take risks to succeed. That can mean anything from trying something new with your writing to submitting to your dream agents/editors first instead of someplace that seems safer. Sometimes you're going to fail, and you have to accept that as part of the game. But sometimes you can succeed beyond your expectations.
While I think you can find writing metaphors anywhere you care to look, sometimes it's best not to push them too far. My newly wealthy dragon is under attack by a much bigger dragon, and I'd hate to take that to mean writers have to compete with each other* instead of helping each other along.
*if we do have to fight, remember that though I be little, I be fierce.**
** That's a Shakespeare reference. Anyone recognize the play?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Science of Science Fiction: Microbes Are Us
Warning: If you have a squeamish stomach, you may want to skip over some of the details here.
I'm back again with more microbe news, this time from the New York Times. From the moment we're born, we're constantly being colonized by different types of bacteria. In fact, the microbes in our bodies outnumber the human cells by a factor of 10 to 1. Each part of the body is home to different types of bacteria; the mouth alone can have up to a thousand different species. But before you run for the nearest bottle of Scope, don't panic; not all of these bacteria are going to make you sick. In fact, some of them are necessary to produce enzymes to help you digest certain types of food or prevent more harmful bacteria from settling in. Without exposure to microbes early in life, the immune system doesn't develop normally, which can possibly lead to asthma and autoimmune disorders. (It's nice to know the six-month stretch of musical colds/ear infections our family endured when our son first entered daycare may actually be good in the long run.) Scientists are now starting to study the populations of microbes in our bodies; this collection is called the microbiomes. Each person has a unique microbiome, and the microbiome can change in response to illness. For example, when our son was on antibiotics for ear infections, we needed to give him yogurt to replenish the good bacteria in his digestive tract. One doctor has even performed what could be called a microbial transplant, giving a woman who had a severe bacterial infection some of her husband's bacteria. The woman had lost 60 pounds due to diarrhea that had lasted for months, but the diarrhea disappeared a day after the transplant.
So, what can a science fiction writer do with a microbiome? For starters, you can explain why some people are resistant to some diseases while others aren't. You can even use the microbiome as a way to create differences in identical twins; they may have the same human DNA, but not the same microbes. I'm personally intrigued by what would happen when humans go into space or visit other planets. If you're stuck in a spaceship for a long time, without exposure to other new microbes, will that have an effect on your own microbiome? What happens when you go to another planet? Is it possible to find extraterrestrial microbes compatible with the human body? While it seems unlikely the biochemistries would be similar, microbes have short generation times and perhaps could evolve to work with us. Perhaps we might even develop a symbiotic relationship with them. Like all tools, bacteria can be used for good or bad purposes; it all depends on what you want to do with them.
I'm back again with more microbe news, this time from the New York Times. From the moment we're born, we're constantly being colonized by different types of bacteria. In fact, the microbes in our bodies outnumber the human cells by a factor of 10 to 1. Each part of the body is home to different types of bacteria; the mouth alone can have up to a thousand different species. But before you run for the nearest bottle of Scope, don't panic; not all of these bacteria are going to make you sick. In fact, some of them are necessary to produce enzymes to help you digest certain types of food or prevent more harmful bacteria from settling in. Without exposure to microbes early in life, the immune system doesn't develop normally, which can possibly lead to asthma and autoimmune disorders. (It's nice to know the six-month stretch of musical colds/ear infections our family endured when our son first entered daycare may actually be good in the long run.) Scientists are now starting to study the populations of microbes in our bodies; this collection is called the microbiomes. Each person has a unique microbiome, and the microbiome can change in response to illness. For example, when our son was on antibiotics for ear infections, we needed to give him yogurt to replenish the good bacteria in his digestive tract. One doctor has even performed what could be called a microbial transplant, giving a woman who had a severe bacterial infection some of her husband's bacteria. The woman had lost 60 pounds due to diarrhea that had lasted for months, but the diarrhea disappeared a day after the transplant.
So, what can a science fiction writer do with a microbiome? For starters, you can explain why some people are resistant to some diseases while others aren't. You can even use the microbiome as a way to create differences in identical twins; they may have the same human DNA, but not the same microbes. I'm personally intrigued by what would happen when humans go into space or visit other planets. If you're stuck in a spaceship for a long time, without exposure to other new microbes, will that have an effect on your own microbiome? What happens when you go to another planet? Is it possible to find extraterrestrial microbes compatible with the human body? While it seems unlikely the biochemistries would be similar, microbes have short generation times and perhaps could evolve to work with us. Perhaps we might even develop a symbiotic relationship with them. Like all tools, bacteria can be used for good or bad purposes; it all depends on what you want to do with them.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
How To Write with a Toddler in the House
1. Tell your spouse that you want some writing time in the afternoon and would appreciate it if he/she could look after your toddler during that time.
2. To prepare your toddler for you not being by his side every single second, do some household chores upstairs first before settling into your office.
3. Try to ignore the questions of "Where's Mama?" coming from downstairs every five minutes.
3a. Do check in briefly before your toddler gets too upset.
3b. Do realize your toddler will be OK, even if he refuses to nap.
4. Since your time is limited, limit the amount of goofing off you do and actually write.
5. Wish your office had a door, especially when your toddler comes upstairs to find you.
6. If possible, finish what you're working on before devoting your attention back to your son.
7. When he goes to bed extra early because of the missed nap, take advantage of the time.
2. To prepare your toddler for you not being by his side every single second, do some household chores upstairs first before settling into your office.
3. Try to ignore the questions of "Where's Mama?" coming from downstairs every five minutes.
3a. Do check in briefly before your toddler gets too upset.
3b. Do realize your toddler will be OK, even if he refuses to nap.
4. Since your time is limited, limit the amount of goofing off you do and actually write.
5. Wish your office had a door, especially when your toddler comes upstairs to find you.
6. If possible, finish what you're working on before devoting your attention back to your son.
7. When he goes to bed extra early because of the missed nap, take advantage of the time.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Date Day: Adler Planetarium
On Wednesday, my husband and I took some time off work, dropped our son off at daycare, and visited the Adler Planetarium. Neither of us have been there in ages, so I thought that would be better than some of the other museums we've seen umpteen zillion times. We saw one of the shows (featuring what could be seen in the Chicago sky this time of year), lots of old telescopes and astrolabes, and items related to the Apollo missions. Afterwards, we went outside to take some photos:
(Sorry, I'm not sure how to fix the text wrap, so I can't put captions right by the photos.) The first photo is of the projector used for the show we saw. Believe it or not, it's not computerized. The next photo is of a sculpture outside the planetarium. That's Eugene, my husband, in the red shirt taking a picture.
Above is a statue of Copernicus. These flowers are next to a walkway outside the planetarium.
(Sorry, I'm not sure how to fix the text wrap, so I can't put captions right by the photos.) The first photo is of the projector used for the show we saw. Believe it or not, it's not computerized. The next photo is of a sculpture outside the planetarium. That's Eugene, my husband, in the red shirt taking a picture.
The Shedd Aquarium.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Quotations: Creativity
While I was cleaning out my office earlier this week, I found a clipping with quotes on creativity. I'm not sure where I found it, but I know I've had it for years. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from it:
Very few people do anything creative after the age of 35. The reason is that very few people do anything creative before the age of 35. -- Joel Hildebrand
Highly creative people are often off their rockers.--Stanley Hoffmann
Artists die twice. First creatively. Then physically. The second one is easier.--Sylvester Stallone
Very few people do anything creative after the age of 35. The reason is that very few people do anything creative before the age of 35. -- Joel Hildebrand
Highly creative people are often off their rockers.--Stanley Hoffmann
Artists die twice. First creatively. Then physically. The second one is easier.--Sylvester Stallone
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Back on the Blog Chain: There's a Place
Welcome back to the Blog Chain! B.J. picked the topic this round:
Is there a place you like to write that's extra special? Have you carved out a writing niche? Is there a certain time of day (or night) when the words fall into place, and your brain is focused on nothing but writing?
Mandy posted before me, and Eric will post tomorrow.
It's taken me a long time to set up my office in this house. I finally cleared out all the boxes this Tuesday, so now I can show you a few pictures. The first one shows the Beatles poster and photos above my desk; a writer has to have her inspiration, after all. The second is of my desk. I had a third one of my office, but it was too dark.
I do write in here sometimes when Alex is asleep or out of the house (sometimes I take a vacation day and send him to daycare so I can get stuff done). Most of my writing these days is on my lunch hour at work. I bring in my laptop and write at my own desk. I used to be able to write at night, but these days, by the time my son is in bed, I'm too mentally drained or need to catch up on finances or household chores. Sometimes I like to go to the bookstore to write at the cafe. I feel more motivated to write there since I'm taking time out of my routine and reserving it for writing.
While it is useful to have a designated place/time set aside for writing, I've found that as a working mother, I have to be flexible to make the best use of my free time. In the past, I used to print out the current page from my WIP and bring it with me so if I had a free minute, I could jot down a sentence or two. I need to get back in that habit again. But I think first I have to relearn how to focus. There are so many distractions out there that it's hard sometimes to concentrate on my own work. If you're focused enough, you can write anywhere, anywhen. After all, the muse is everywhere!
Is there a place you like to write that's extra special? Have you carved out a writing niche? Is there a certain time of day (or night) when the words fall into place, and your brain is focused on nothing but writing?
Mandy posted before me, and Eric will post tomorrow.
It's taken me a long time to set up my office in this house. I finally cleared out all the boxes this Tuesday, so now I can show you a few pictures. The first one shows the Beatles poster and photos above my desk; a writer has to have her inspiration, after all. The second is of my desk. I had a third one of my office, but it was too dark.
I do write in here sometimes when Alex is asleep or out of the house (sometimes I take a vacation day and send him to daycare so I can get stuff done). Most of my writing these days is on my lunch hour at work. I bring in my laptop and write at my own desk. I used to be able to write at night, but these days, by the time my son is in bed, I'm too mentally drained or need to catch up on finances or household chores. Sometimes I like to go to the bookstore to write at the cafe. I feel more motivated to write there since I'm taking time out of my routine and reserving it for writing.
While it is useful to have a designated place/time set aside for writing, I've found that as a working mother, I have to be flexible to make the best use of my free time. In the past, I used to print out the current page from my WIP and bring it with me so if I had a free minute, I could jot down a sentence or two. I need to get back in that habit again. But I think first I have to relearn how to focus. There are so many distractions out there that it's hard sometimes to concentrate on my own work. If you're focused enough, you can write anywhere, anywhen. After all, the muse is everywhere!
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
The Science of Science Fiction: Robot Companions
A Silver Metal Lover may be much closer than you think.
According to this article in the New York Times, robots that look like animals (in this instance, a baby seal), have been developed that respond to their names and to touch. They are being used in nursing homes to provide comfort; the article called it "pet therapy without the pet." Other applications include a robot mentor for dieters (dieters report on their meals and activity on a daily basis and get encouragement in return) and sensors that help addicts cope with their cravings. In all of these situations, the responsive interaction is key. One manager at a nursing home conducted her own experiments and found that residents responded better to the interactive robot seal than to a teddy bear with the same type of fur. It's part of our psychology to treat something that responds to its environment as alive, even when it isn't.
Robots are such a staple of science fiction it's hard to think of new ways to write about them. Who could do them better than Asimov, after all? As robots become more lifelike and better able to interact with people, will we see more stories featuring them as romantic interests? Perhaps we could have a new type of urban science fiction, with robots and androids replacing the vampires and werewolves of urban fantasy. Will we ever reach a point where we deal more with robots than people? What would society be like then? And if we learn to give sentient robots rights, will that help us tolerate the differences among human beings? I don't have answers, but I can always come up with more questions.
According to this article in the New York Times, robots that look like animals (in this instance, a baby seal), have been developed that respond to their names and to touch. They are being used in nursing homes to provide comfort; the article called it "pet therapy without the pet." Other applications include a robot mentor for dieters (dieters report on their meals and activity on a daily basis and get encouragement in return) and sensors that help addicts cope with their cravings. In all of these situations, the responsive interaction is key. One manager at a nursing home conducted her own experiments and found that residents responded better to the interactive robot seal than to a teddy bear with the same type of fur. It's part of our psychology to treat something that responds to its environment as alive, even when it isn't.
Robots are such a staple of science fiction it's hard to think of new ways to write about them. Who could do them better than Asimov, after all? As robots become more lifelike and better able to interact with people, will we see more stories featuring them as romantic interests? Perhaps we could have a new type of urban science fiction, with robots and androids replacing the vampires and werewolves of urban fantasy. Will we ever reach a point where we deal more with robots than people? What would society be like then? And if we learn to give sentient robots rights, will that help us tolerate the differences among human beings? I don't have answers, but I can always come up with more questions.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Monday, July 05, 2010
Expanding Universe Contest
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller are the author team behind the classic and ever-popular Liaden Universe®. This series of “adventurous romantic space opera” holds cross-over appeal for both romance and science fiction readers.
To celebrate the release of MOUSE AND DRAGON, Lee and Miller’s thirteenth Liaden novel, the authors are hosting a contest. It’s open to anyone and everyone who has yet to sample a Liaden Universe® novel. They're giving away 36 digital copies of THE DRAGON VARIATION omnibus, which includes CONFLICT OF HONORS, LOCAL CUSTOM, and SCOUT’S PROGRESS.
Not only that, but if you’re a blogger who wants to help spread the word about it, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $36.00 gift card from Barnes and Noble! And if you’re a blogger new to the Liaden novels of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, you can enter both tiers of the contest.
Here is an excerpt from the official announcement at Sharon Lee’s blog:
To celebrate the release of MOUSE AND DRAGON, Lee and Miller’s thirteenth Liaden novel, the authors are hosting a contest. It’s open to anyone and everyone who has yet to sample a Liaden Universe® novel. They're giving away 36 digital copies of THE DRAGON VARIATION omnibus, which includes CONFLICT OF HONORS, LOCAL CUSTOM, and SCOUT’S PROGRESS.
Not only that, but if you’re a blogger who wants to help spread the word about it, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $36.00 gift card from Barnes and Noble! And if you’re a blogger new to the Liaden novels of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, you can enter both tiers of the contest.
Here is an excerpt from the official announcement at Sharon Lee’s blog:
In celebration of the publication of Mouse and Dragon, the thirteenth novel set in their Liaden Universe®, authors Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are holding an Expanding Universe Contest! Yes! No less than thirty-six electronic copies of The Dragon Variation will be given away.To enter the contest, visit the Expanding Universe post at Sharon Lee’s blog and follow the instructions you see there (it’s easy). The contest ends at "midnight Eastern Daylight Time (4:00 a.m. GMT) Friday, July 16". Winners will be announced on Saturday, July 17, 2010.
The Dragon Variation is an omnibus edition of three Liaden Universe® novels — Conflict of Honors, one of the first modern SFRomances; Local Custom, second place winner of the Prism Award for best Futuristic of 2002; and Scout’s Progress, the first place winner of the Prism Award for best Futuristic of 2002, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice for Best SF Novel of its year, and the prequel to Mouse and Dragon.
That's three complete novels under one cover. No prior knowledge of the Liaden Universe® required. Electronic! In Baen Books’ DRM-free, multiplatform style. This omnibus can be read on your Kindle, your phone, your iPad, your desktop, or other ereader.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Sticky Post: You Make Me Want to Shout....
My writing friend Maria Zannini is looking for blogs to shout out. She'll be doing this until July 2. (That's why I've made this a sticky post.) All blogs are welcome as long as they're not spam or porn blogs. If you'd like her to give your blog a shout-out, e-mail her at mariazannini AT gmail DOT com. And to get you in the mood:
Friday, July 02, 2010
Twitter Pitch Contest--WINNER!
Thanks to all of you who commented on my Twitter pitches. It was good to get some feedback, and I think Maria's suggestion improved the pitch. Of course, now I have to wait until next week and see how the agent likes it. But in the meantime, here's the winner of the $10 gift card to B&N:
barbaraannwright!
Congratulations, Barbara! Barnes and Noble offers e-cards that can be used online or in the store. If you can tell me your e-mail address (either here or by e-mailing me at my address: sandra at sandraulbrich dot com), I'll have a card out to you ASAP!
barbaraannwright!
Congratulations, Barbara! Barnes and Noble offers e-cards that can be used online or in the store. If you can tell me your e-mail address (either here or by e-mailing me at my address: sandra at sandraulbrich dot com), I'll have a card out to you ASAP!
Annoucements
I finally joined the Absolute Write Water Cooler forum. You can find me there as SF4-EVER, though I still have to make my first post. I'm not sure yet if I'll start an introduction thread or just jump on in. It looks like a very useful site--as long as I don't use up my writing time on surfing!
My Twitter Query Contest ends today at 5:00 CDT. Which pitch should I use next week in a contest? Check out the link for your chance to win a $10 gift card to B&N.
If you look at the sticky post above this one, you'll see that today is also the last day you can ask Maria Zannini to give your blog a "shout-out." This is not only a chance to promote your blog; you can also win a very Texan prize package. Better hurry!
I'll be back later this evening to announce who won the gift card.
My Twitter Query Contest ends today at 5:00 CDT. Which pitch should I use next week in a contest? Check out the link for your chance to win a $10 gift card to B&N.
If you look at the sticky post above this one, you'll see that today is also the last day you can ask Maria Zannini to give your blog a "shout-out." This is not only a chance to promote your blog; you can also win a very Texan prize package. Better hurry!
I'll be back later this evening to announce who won the gift card.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Mid-Life Inspiration
If you've been "chasing paper, getting nowhere," for a long time, here are a few examples of writers and other talented people who didn't peak until mid-life or later.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Quote of the Day
I just saw this quote in Olivia Judson's column in the New York Times. She's explaining why she's taking a break from writing:
Writing in this space is the most gratifying job I’ve ever had, but also the toughest. It’s like owning a pet dragon: I feel lucky to have it, but it needs to be fed high-quality meat at regular intervals . . . and if something goes wrong, there’s a substantial risk of being blasted by fire.
Writing in this space is the most gratifying job I’ve ever had, but also the toughest. It’s like owning a pet dragon: I feel lucky to have it, but it needs to be fed high-quality meat at regular intervals . . . and if something goes wrong, there’s a substantial risk of being blasted by fire.
The Science of Science Fiction--Geoengineering
If you're interested in what the world might look like in a few decades and what we might be doing to it, check out this article from the New York Times. It discusses several books that in turn talk about what types of geoengineering might be done to deal with climate change. I haven't had a chance to read any of these books myself, but they sound interesting. If you're going to set a story in the future, it's worth knowing how the climate may change and what the implications could be. If humans do attempt a technological fix, what can we try, and what sorts of side effects are possible? The impression I get from this article is that we're not ready yet for geoengineering and that once we start (if we do), we have to maintain it. Again, the side effects may cause more harm than good. As the article suggests, perhaps the change we need isn't technological, but regulatory.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Twitter Pitch Contest
I'm skipping Ten-Word Tuesday to bring you a Tale of Two Contests.
The QueryTracker Blog is hosting a Twitter Pitch Contest. Agent Suzie Townsend is looking for Twitter-length pitches (140 characters or less) for completed manuscripts in five different adult genres (science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, romance, and thriller). Entries will not be capped, and they'll start accepting them at noon on Tuesday, July 6. For further details, check out this link.
I plan to enter this contest, but since there's some time before it begins, I'd like to get some feedback on my pitches first. That's where the second contest comes in. Below are five pitches I've written for Across Two Universes:
1. An actor cloned from a rock star impersonates him in 1980 to save the star’s life and in 2156 to expose his own mother’s murderer. (131 characters)
2. A 22nd century actor finds himself living Hamlet when he suspects his great-uncle murdered his mother. Who will get caught in the Mousetrap? (140 characters)
3. A 22nd century actor must choose between saving the 20th century Lennon-like musician he was cloned from or exposing his mother’s killer. (138 characters)
4.Meeting the rock star you were cloned from isn’t fun when you’re trying to solve one murder, stop another, and avoid other time travelers. (138 characters)
5. Paul was cloned from a 20th century rock star, but the actor will only impersonate him to trick his great-uncle into a murder confession. (137 characters)
Which one hooks you best and why? Do you have constructive advice on how to make them clearer or more intriguing? Leave a comment below (note: for Facebook friends, you can also comment there when this blog uploads) by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, July 2nd. As a thank-you for your help, each person who comments will be entered into a random drawing for a $10 gift card to Barnes and Noble. Let me know if you have any questions, and I'm looking forward to your feedback!
The QueryTracker Blog is hosting a Twitter Pitch Contest. Agent Suzie Townsend is looking for Twitter-length pitches (140 characters or less) for completed manuscripts in five different adult genres (science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, romance, and thriller). Entries will not be capped, and they'll start accepting them at noon on Tuesday, July 6. For further details, check out this link.
I plan to enter this contest, but since there's some time before it begins, I'd like to get some feedback on my pitches first. That's where the second contest comes in. Below are five pitches I've written for Across Two Universes:
1. An actor cloned from a rock star impersonates him in 1980 to save the star’s life and in 2156 to expose his own mother’s murderer. (131 characters)
2. A 22nd century actor finds himself living Hamlet when he suspects his great-uncle murdered his mother. Who will get caught in the Mousetrap? (140 characters)
3. A 22nd century actor must choose between saving the 20th century Lennon-like musician he was cloned from or exposing his mother’s killer. (138 characters)
4.Meeting the rock star you were cloned from isn’t fun when you’re trying to solve one murder, stop another, and avoid other time travelers. (138 characters)
5. Paul was cloned from a 20th century rock star, but the actor will only impersonate him to trick his great-uncle into a murder confession. (137 characters)
Which one hooks you best and why? Do you have constructive advice on how to make them clearer or more intriguing? Leave a comment below (note: for Facebook friends, you can also comment there when this blog uploads) by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, July 2nd. As a thank-you for your help, each person who comments will be entered into a random drawing for a $10 gift card to Barnes and Noble. Let me know if you have any questions, and I'm looking forward to your feedback!
Monday, June 28, 2010
You Call My Name
Today at the bookstore, I decided to buy the first book in a paranormal mystery series by an author I hadn't read before. All was well until I came to a paragraph in which the narrator talked about people coming from the mountains of Wisconsin. Since the mountains of Wisconsin are as well known as the flatlands of Tibet (as Eugene put it), I was a bit taken aback. I didn't hurl the book across the room, but it did count as a serious strike against the author in my mind.
Something else that struck me was the introduction of a secondary character named Sandra. Since my name isn't all that common these days (and it's used more often as "Sandy," which I've never liked as a nickname), that certainly caught my attention. But although this character was friendly toward the narrator/protagonist, the narrator didn't like her too much. (This story is set in San Francisco. The narrator, a witch, thought Sandra, who owns a shop catering to tourists looking for the 60's San Francisco experience, didn't take the supernatural seriously enough.) Perhaps I'm too sensitive to this, but every time I read about a character named Sandra, she's never portrayed as a positive character. I wonder if people just have bad connotations about the name. Perhaps the name "Sandra" doesn't sound as friendly as "Sandy" does, though I feel it fits me better.
I'm not sure there's a writing lesson to this. Unless you're making up names (and thereby losing the power of association), you will use a name a potential reader might have. People with common names might be used to seeing them in stories, so perhaps it wouldn't bother them to see someone with their name as an antagonist or even villain. For someone with a rare name, it might be a different story. There may be many types of Michaels, but only a couple Quincys.
Have you read about a character with your name? If so, did you like how this character came across, and did it make a difference to you as you read?
Something else that struck me was the introduction of a secondary character named Sandra. Since my name isn't all that common these days (and it's used more often as "Sandy," which I've never liked as a nickname), that certainly caught my attention. But although this character was friendly toward the narrator/protagonist, the narrator didn't like her too much. (This story is set in San Francisco. The narrator, a witch, thought Sandra, who owns a shop catering to tourists looking for the 60's San Francisco experience, didn't take the supernatural seriously enough.) Perhaps I'm too sensitive to this, but every time I read about a character named Sandra, she's never portrayed as a positive character. I wonder if people just have bad connotations about the name. Perhaps the name "Sandra" doesn't sound as friendly as "Sandy" does, though I feel it fits me better.
I'm not sure there's a writing lesson to this. Unless you're making up names (and thereby losing the power of association), you will use a name a potential reader might have. People with common names might be used to seeing them in stories, so perhaps it wouldn't bother them to see someone with their name as an antagonist or even villain. For someone with a rare name, it might be a different story. There may be many types of Michaels, but only a couple Quincys.
Have you read about a character with your name? If so, did you like how this character came across, and did it make a difference to you as you read?
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Science of Science Fiction: Microbe Nation
I was reading the July issue of Scientific American earlier when I came across this article on microscopic giants. Microbes make up at least half of the oceans' total biomass; it may even be as high as ninety percent. A single liter (about one-fifth of a gallon) of ocean water can contain over a billion microbes--I guess this is the real reason you're not supposed to drink seawater! But the point I found most inspiring from a science fiction perspective was the discovery of a mat of microbes off the coast of South America. The mat is estimated to be the size of Greece. What could you do with so many microbes? Could you create a mat solid enough to indeed form a new nation? How about a floating farm or a natural sponge to digest spilled oil? What if that mat was really a single enormous feature? What ideas can you come up with?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
A Writer's Vacation
I found out today I still have five full weeks of vacation time this year at work. (I carried over two weeks of vacation time from last year, and I've only taken one vacation day plus one floating holiday this year.) I think I better start using some of it! It's been a long time since my husband and I took a date day (we both take off work, drop Alex off at daycare, and go off on our own), so we'll have to do that. I'd also love to go somewhere--if we can figure out how to make that work with a three-year-old. Knowing me, I'll probably use some time just to clean the house. It would be nice to have some time to write and edit too.
What do you do on vacation? Do you still write? Or do you go somewhere and do things you can write about later?
What do you do on vacation? Do you still write? Or do you go somewhere and do things you can write about later?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sympathy for Your Characters
Plot to Punctuation (or Show Some Character!, which is the name of this blog on my reader) had a great post yesterday about how to create sympathetic characters. Some of the techniques listed there include creating a character who has a sense of humor and can laugh at him/herself, having them be kind to others, and having other characters admire them for their skills.
There's a section in Orson Scott Card's Writer Digest book Characters and Viewpoint in which he also discusses the traits that make us loathe and love particular characters. I was surprised that there wasn't much overlap between the two lists. Sure, having a good sense of humor might be part of having a good overall attitude, and Card discusses several aspects of the altruistic character. However, Card thinks physical attractiveness and cleverness can also make people love characters. What's interesting about those traits is that they're double-edged swords; for instance, some readers may resent characters who are too good-looking. (Card admits it's much harder to use physical attractiveness in books than in visual media, where you can see the actors/actresses.) As for cleverness, Card is careful to note that characters who come across as too intellectual or too pleased with their own intelligence can turn readers off.
I don't have an all-time favorite character; I'm so busy trying to keep up with my to-read pile that I don't have a chance to reread books. Sometimes when I'm following a series, I find I don't enjoy the later books as much as I did earlier ones. But I do like practical characters who can get things done, such as Alexia from the Soulless books and Mrs. Quent from The Magician and Mrs. Quent. Who are your favorite characters, and why do you like them?
P.S. If you don't already, I recommend following the Plot to Punctuation/Show Some Character! blog I linked to above. There's a lot of great posts there on characterization.
There's a section in Orson Scott Card's Writer Digest book Characters and Viewpoint in which he also discusses the traits that make us loathe and love particular characters. I was surprised that there wasn't much overlap between the two lists. Sure, having a good sense of humor might be part of having a good overall attitude, and Card discusses several aspects of the altruistic character. However, Card thinks physical attractiveness and cleverness can also make people love characters. What's interesting about those traits is that they're double-edged swords; for instance, some readers may resent characters who are too good-looking. (Card admits it's much harder to use physical attractiveness in books than in visual media, where you can see the actors/actresses.) As for cleverness, Card is careful to note that characters who come across as too intellectual or too pleased with their own intelligence can turn readers off.
I don't have an all-time favorite character; I'm so busy trying to keep up with my to-read pile that I don't have a chance to reread books. Sometimes when I'm following a series, I find I don't enjoy the later books as much as I did earlier ones. But I do like practical characters who can get things done, such as Alexia from the Soulless books and Mrs. Quent from The Magician and Mrs. Quent. Who are your favorite characters, and why do you like them?
P.S. If you don't already, I recommend following the Plot to Punctuation/Show Some Character! blog I linked to above. There's a lot of great posts there on characterization.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Illinois Railway Museum
We took Alex to the Illinois Railway Museum yesterday. He got to ride on a train, get even more Thomas cars, and see barns and barns full of trains. Of course, now he thinks they're all his and wants to drive one of them. I got to do some research for a train ride my characters take in Across Two Universes. Here are a few photos:
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Alex and the Paci Fairy
I thought I'd share a few child-related anecdotes and photos before returning to writing topics. I should warn you that this post is not for the faint of heart, though.
Alex starting using a pacifier very early--and kept on using it. He doesn't use it at daycare, and while it's mostly at bedtime, sometimes he uses it around the house. Although he can speak fairly well, and his dentist wasn't too concerned, we didn't want this dragging on forever. So when he lost some of his pacis, we didn't replace them. Soon he was down to one well-chewed paci. It had so many holes in it I doubt he could really use it; he just clung to it for security.
Yesterday, after naptime, Alex brought his paci with him while he used the toilet. Well, he flushed, then dropped his paci, and down it went. Even if I could've caught it, it certainly wasn't usable anymore! Alex was extremely upset, crying, yelling, and kept demanding his paci back "right now." I comforted him, but I told him it wasn't coming back. To distract him, I tried a technique I'd read about: I told him the paci fairy took it but would give him a toy in exchange. Fortunately, I had a bunch of toys one of my coworkers brought back from Japan, and we had fun opening them and playing with them for a while.
The paci fairy had one more gift for Alex, though. When he went to bed, he found one of the Thomas the Tank Engine trains waiting for him. (We bought a secondhand collection, which we intend to give him gradually.) He accepted it as a new comfort object and slept with it. I had prepared myself for a problematic bedtime, but he went down easily.
Looking back now, I wonder if we could have taken the paci from Alex sooner. But I think there are some advantages to the way it did work out. He knows it's gone, he can't blame us for taking it from him, and he got a chance to "get the mourning" out of his system, so to speak. Ah, our son is growing up.
Alex starting using a pacifier very early--and kept on using it. He doesn't use it at daycare, and while it's mostly at bedtime, sometimes he uses it around the house. Although he can speak fairly well, and his dentist wasn't too concerned, we didn't want this dragging on forever. So when he lost some of his pacis, we didn't replace them. Soon he was down to one well-chewed paci. It had so many holes in it I doubt he could really use it; he just clung to it for security.
Yesterday, after naptime, Alex brought his paci with him while he used the toilet. Well, he flushed, then dropped his paci, and down it went. Even if I could've caught it, it certainly wasn't usable anymore! Alex was extremely upset, crying, yelling, and kept demanding his paci back "right now." I comforted him, but I told him it wasn't coming back. To distract him, I tried a technique I'd read about: I told him the paci fairy took it but would give him a toy in exchange. Fortunately, I had a bunch of toys one of my coworkers brought back from Japan, and we had fun opening them and playing with them for a while.
The paci fairy had one more gift for Alex, though. When he went to bed, he found one of the Thomas the Tank Engine trains waiting for him. (We bought a secondhand collection, which we intend to give him gradually.) He accepted it as a new comfort object and slept with it. I had prepared myself for a problematic bedtime, but he went down easily.
Looking back now, I wonder if we could have taken the paci from Alex sooner. But I think there are some advantages to the way it did work out. He knows it's gone, he can't blame us for taking it from him, and he got a chance to "get the mourning" out of his system, so to speak. Ah, our son is growing up.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Bad Boys vs. Bad Guys
What makes a bad boy--the kind so often cast as the romantic lead--different from a bad guy--the kind we love to hate? Check out this post from the Supernatural Underground for insights (apparently, first impressions are key). There's also a book giveaway if you leave a comment, but you'll have to hurry, as the contest ends in a couple of hours!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Back on the Blog Chain: Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
I'm part of a blog chain with a group of other writers in various genres. (You can find links to the other members in the sidebar.) About twice a month, we discuss different writing topics. This time, Shaun, whose novel The Deathday Letter was just published this week, asked us this question:
From where do you get your inspiration for stories? Give me the oddest, coolest, things that have inspired you.
Kate preceded me in the chain, and Eric comes after me.
I actually discussed this topic on my website ages ago, but I don't think it's enough for the blog chain to just provide a link. Besides, ideas are everywhere. I get them from my daily experiences, from people I meet online, from science articles, and from other books. This is good, as I feel one idea isn't always enough to create a story; you need two ideas to create a story with a unique angle. As an example, my short story "A Reptile at the Reunion" was inspired by an invitation to my graduate school reunion and a magazine's challenge to write a story around the line, "Say, aren't you dead?" (In the first draft of the story, my main character was presumed dead by her classmates, but in the final version, she's just been on another planet for a long time.)
I've also received inspiration from the Beatles, my favorite musical group. Their four-fold synergy inspired me to create a quartet of female magicians who must work together to save their country from a storm that mixes up the seasons. I also used to write Beatles fan fiction, and after reading a story about the Beatles in the Cavern (a club in Liverpool where they played before they became famous), I wanted to use the same setting too. As a science fiction writer, I wanted to give the story a SF twist, so I sent a descendant of John's back in time to clone him. That story, "Move Over Ms. L.," earned me an Honorable Mention in an international novella competition, but it also inspired me to then write a story about the clone. After many rewrites and removal of most of the Beatle references, I wound up with my current WIP, Across Two Universes.
That leads me to my final point: once I come up with characters and a story, I find that they inspire me to write more stories about them. What I think will be a short story may be the start of a saga. And while that may not be the oddest inspiration I've received so far, I still think it's pretty cool.
From where do you get your inspiration for stories? Give me the oddest, coolest, things that have inspired you.
Kate preceded me in the chain, and Eric comes after me.
I actually discussed this topic on my website ages ago, but I don't think it's enough for the blog chain to just provide a link. Besides, ideas are everywhere. I get them from my daily experiences, from people I meet online, from science articles, and from other books. This is good, as I feel one idea isn't always enough to create a story; you need two ideas to create a story with a unique angle. As an example, my short story "A Reptile at the Reunion" was inspired by an invitation to my graduate school reunion and a magazine's challenge to write a story around the line, "Say, aren't you dead?" (In the first draft of the story, my main character was presumed dead by her classmates, but in the final version, she's just been on another planet for a long time.)
I've also received inspiration from the Beatles, my favorite musical group. Their four-fold synergy inspired me to create a quartet of female magicians who must work together to save their country from a storm that mixes up the seasons. I also used to write Beatles fan fiction, and after reading a story about the Beatles in the Cavern (a club in Liverpool where they played before they became famous), I wanted to use the same setting too. As a science fiction writer, I wanted to give the story a SF twist, so I sent a descendant of John's back in time to clone him. That story, "Move Over Ms. L.," earned me an Honorable Mention in an international novella competition, but it also inspired me to then write a story about the clone. After many rewrites and removal of most of the Beatle references, I wound up with my current WIP, Across Two Universes.
That leads me to my final point: once I come up with characters and a story, I find that they inspire me to write more stories about them. What I think will be a short story may be the start of a saga. And while that may not be the oddest inspiration I've received so far, I still think it's pretty cool.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Description in Fiction
First, I'd like to say "hello" to my new followers. (I'm just one shy of 50 now!) I assume you found me through the blogfest. I haven't had a chance to read everyone's yet, but I hope to look at some more character interviews tonight. It was fun interviewing Anne and Clarice, and I learned something about them. I'll have to try that with some of my other characters.
I've taken a break from the story I'm writing about Anne and Clarice to reread Across Two Universes, as I feel it's sat long enough for me to look at it with fresh eyes. There are things I want to tweak here and there, but I don't feel I have to rewrite the whole darn thing, so I suppose that's progress. We'll see what the next set of readers think. One thing I have noticed, however, is that it could use more description; in fact, it seems more vivid to me in the places there is description. I never feel comfortable including description, so I have to go back over a rough draft and weave it in. Hopefully I can do this here without increasing the word count too much.
How do you feel about description when you're reading a book? I don't like huge tracts of it, but it does help bring the world to life, especially if you appeal to several senses. It seems that some of the subgenres I read, like paranormals or urban fantasy, tend to be sparse on describing the setting and focus more on action. When there is description, it's most likely to be involving a character. Have you noticed any other trends in description?
I've taken a break from the story I'm writing about Anne and Clarice to reread Across Two Universes, as I feel it's sat long enough for me to look at it with fresh eyes. There are things I want to tweak here and there, but I don't feel I have to rewrite the whole darn thing, so I suppose that's progress. We'll see what the next set of readers think. One thing I have noticed, however, is that it could use more description; in fact, it seems more vivid to me in the places there is description. I never feel comfortable including description, so I have to go back over a rough draft and weave it in. Hopefully I can do this here without increasing the word count too much.
How do you feel about description when you're reading a book? I don't like huge tracts of it, but it does help bring the world to life, especially if you appeal to several senses. It seems that some of the subgenres I read, like paranormals or urban fantasy, tend to be sparse on describing the setting and focus more on action. When there is description, it's most likely to be involving a character. Have you noticed any other trends in description?
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Character Interview Blogfest: Anne and Clarice
People on Facebook voted for an interview with my shapeshifting sisters, so Paul and Scott will have to wait to give their interviews. As I mentioned before, this blogfest is being hosted by Echoes of a Wayward Mind. Check the sidebar over there to visit the other sites participating in this character interview. Please note that I've "known" Anne and Clarice for a much shorter time than Paul and Scott; I haven't even settled on the sisters' family name. Some things may change as I learn more about them.
Setting: Anne and Clarice sit at opposite ends of a long couch. Anne, in her mid-late thirties, is still dressed for her day job as a paralegal, in a tan cardigan over a white blouse and dark brown skirt. Her short, dark brown hair is smoothed away from her face, and her pearl earrings are barely visible. Her glass of white wine, still more than half full, sits on the coffee table. Clarice, who appears to be in her mid-twenties, slouches against the couch. She's dressed for a fun night on the town in a turquoise halter top, white capris, and gold wedges. Her highlighted hair is tousled, and bangles in various colors chime softly whenever she raises her wine glass.
Sandra: So, Anne, Clarice, tell us a little bit about yourselves. Both of you can change into birds at will, but they're different types of birds, right?
Anne (nods): As different as day and night.
Clarice: That's her idea of a joke.
Anne: Seriously, I'm an owl, and Clarice is a crow.
Sandra: Did you choose your shapes?
Anne: No, there's a ceremony you go through when you're of age where you handle different animal skins. The one that bonds to you is the animal you can become.
Clarice: They say the animal matches your personality--
Anne: Most of the time. (raises eyebrow at her sister) Clarice sure talks as much as a crow, but you'd think she'd show more common sense.
Clarice (sticks out pierced tongue) Crows are some of the smartest birds, even smarter than owls. They can count up to three.
Anne (smiles sweetly): That's not very impressive for a human, dear.
Sandra (flips quickly through notebook for a question to change the subject): So, what are your goals?
Clarice: Meet a cute boy -- or boys -- and (glances sideways at her sister) have some fun.
Sandra: What about your long-term goals?
Clarice: What about them?
Anne: That's the problem, you don't have any.
Clarice: Well, I don't want to the lead the Council [the governing body of shapeshifters]! They're worthless!
Anne (leans forward): See, if I was on the Council, maybe I could get them to do something for us. We need more safe places for our animal forms, and we need to find more potential shapeshifters before we die out. We can't bite other people like werewolves, after all.
Sandra: Are werewolves a problem for shapeshifters?
Anne: Yes.
Clarice (speaking at the same time): No.
(the sisters glare at each other)
Sandra: Is it just me, or are you two your own worst enemies?
Anne (sighs): Clarice just likes getting her own way. She's the baby of the family, and Mom and Dad spoiled her all the time.
Clarice: Well, you make up for it by mothering me all the time like I'm still six.
Anne: If it weren't for me prodding you, you wouldn't have finished college so you could pay for a whole new wardrobe every season. You do pay off your credit card on time, don't you, sis?
Clarice (flushes): None of your business!
Anne: And if you'd listened to me, you wouldn't have gotten tangled up with that werewolf pack. Shifters and werewolves don't mix.
Clarice (crosses arms): I still say a shifter werewolf should have the best of both worlds.
Anne: Except it didn't work, did it? Do you want to tell everyone what happened when you let the werewolf leader change you?
Sandra: Let's not provide any spoilers before the story's finished, OK? Anne, Clarice, any final thoughts?
(They stare at each other for a long moment, their expressions finally softening.)
Anne: You don't have to be birds of a feather--
Clarice: To flock together.
(They rise from the couch and strip off their clothes. Before you can see their naked bodies, they shift into their bird forms and fly away).
Setting: Anne and Clarice sit at opposite ends of a long couch. Anne, in her mid-late thirties, is still dressed for her day job as a paralegal, in a tan cardigan over a white blouse and dark brown skirt. Her short, dark brown hair is smoothed away from her face, and her pearl earrings are barely visible. Her glass of white wine, still more than half full, sits on the coffee table. Clarice, who appears to be in her mid-twenties, slouches against the couch. She's dressed for a fun night on the town in a turquoise halter top, white capris, and gold wedges. Her highlighted hair is tousled, and bangles in various colors chime softly whenever she raises her wine glass.
Sandra: So, Anne, Clarice, tell us a little bit about yourselves. Both of you can change into birds at will, but they're different types of birds, right?
Anne (nods): As different as day and night.
Clarice: That's her idea of a joke.
Anne: Seriously, I'm an owl, and Clarice is a crow.
Sandra: Did you choose your shapes?
Anne: No, there's a ceremony you go through when you're of age where you handle different animal skins. The one that bonds to you is the animal you can become.
Clarice: They say the animal matches your personality--
Anne: Most of the time. (raises eyebrow at her sister) Clarice sure talks as much as a crow, but you'd think she'd show more common sense.
Clarice (sticks out pierced tongue) Crows are some of the smartest birds, even smarter than owls. They can count up to three.
Anne (smiles sweetly): That's not very impressive for a human, dear.
Sandra (flips quickly through notebook for a question to change the subject): So, what are your goals?
Clarice: Meet a cute boy -- or boys -- and (glances sideways at her sister) have some fun.
Sandra: What about your long-term goals?
Clarice: What about them?
Anne: That's the problem, you don't have any.
Clarice: Well, I don't want to the lead the Council [the governing body of shapeshifters]! They're worthless!
Anne (leans forward): See, if I was on the Council, maybe I could get them to do something for us. We need more safe places for our animal forms, and we need to find more potential shapeshifters before we die out. We can't bite other people like werewolves, after all.
Sandra: Are werewolves a problem for shapeshifters?
Anne: Yes.
Clarice (speaking at the same time): No.
(the sisters glare at each other)
Sandra: Is it just me, or are you two your own worst enemies?
Anne (sighs): Clarice just likes getting her own way. She's the baby of the family, and Mom and Dad spoiled her all the time.
Clarice: Well, you make up for it by mothering me all the time like I'm still six.
Anne: If it weren't for me prodding you, you wouldn't have finished college so you could pay for a whole new wardrobe every season. You do pay off your credit card on time, don't you, sis?
Clarice (flushes): None of your business!
Anne: And if you'd listened to me, you wouldn't have gotten tangled up with that werewolf pack. Shifters and werewolves don't mix.
Clarice (crosses arms): I still say a shifter werewolf should have the best of both worlds.
Anne: Except it didn't work, did it? Do you want to tell everyone what happened when you let the werewolf leader change you?
Sandra: Let's not provide any spoilers before the story's finished, OK? Anne, Clarice, any final thoughts?
(They stare at each other for a long moment, their expressions finally softening.)
Anne: You don't have to be birds of a feather--
Clarice: To flock together.
(They rise from the couch and strip off their clothes. Before you can see their naked bodies, they shift into their bird forms and fly away).
Monday, June 14, 2010
Character Interview Blogfest
I just found out (and signed up for) this character interview blogfest being hosted by Echoes of a Wayward Mind. It's tomorrow, so if you're interested, hurry over to the link and sign up. So there will be no Ten-Word Tuesday this week.
Since I'll write up the character interview tonight, I thought it would be interesting to see if my readers are interested in a particular character. I know I mention Paul Harrison, the protagonist of Across Two Universes, quite often here; do you want me to interview him? How about one of the secondary characters from that novel, such as Scott, Paul's best friend? Or would you like me to do a dual interview with Anne and Clarice, my shapeshifting heroines from my NaNoWriMo novel? Please vote in the comment section before 5:00 p.m. CDT. Thanks!
Since I'll write up the character interview tonight, I thought it would be interesting to see if my readers are interested in a particular character. I know I mention Paul Harrison, the protagonist of Across Two Universes, quite often here; do you want me to interview him? How about one of the secondary characters from that novel, such as Scott, Paul's best friend? Or would you like me to do a dual interview with Anne and Clarice, my shapeshifting heroines from my NaNoWriMo novel? Please vote in the comment section before 5:00 p.m. CDT. Thanks!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Lawnmower Woman
This morning, as Eugene was mowing the lawn, Alex wanted to follow him outside. That meant I had to go along to supervise him. We bought him a tricycle yesterday, so naturally he wanted to play with it and go to the park. (He's still getting used to pedaling instead of pushing himself along.) Unfortunately, Alex has recently developed a strong fear of bugs, so he got panicked and insisted on going back to the house. Then only Daddy would do to comfort him, but Eugene hadn't finished. So I did the only thing a mother could do: I offered to finish mowing the lawn so Eugene could take care of Alex.
I've only mowed a lawn once before, when I was a teenager. The yard was steeply sloped, and my foot slipped, nearly going under the lawnmower. I wasn't hurt, but I wasn't in a hurry to try mowing the lawn again. Eugene had to show me how to operate the lawnmower before bringing Alex inside. It was a bit tricky to steer at first, especially around objects like the trees and the swingset. I also left a swath by the side of the house undone after turning off the lawnmower, and although I tried, I couldn't pull the cord hard enough to restart the mower. Eugene came out later to finish up and do the edges, but he appreciated the assistance.
I suppose if I were to apply this incident to writing, I would say sometimes it's worth trying something you're not comfortable with and to be careful not to let your project get away from you. Since it's late, the only witty thing I can come up with is that the grass is always greener on the other side of keyboard.
I've only mowed a lawn once before, when I was a teenager. The yard was steeply sloped, and my foot slipped, nearly going under the lawnmower. I wasn't hurt, but I wasn't in a hurry to try mowing the lawn again. Eugene had to show me how to operate the lawnmower before bringing Alex inside. It was a bit tricky to steer at first, especially around objects like the trees and the swingset. I also left a swath by the side of the house undone after turning off the lawnmower, and although I tried, I couldn't pull the cord hard enough to restart the mower. Eugene came out later to finish up and do the edges, but he appreciated the assistance.
I suppose if I were to apply this incident to writing, I would say sometimes it's worth trying something you're not comfortable with and to be careful not to let your project get away from you. Since it's late, the only witty thing I can come up with is that the grass is always greener on the other side of keyboard.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Discussion: Stories/Characters We Never See
Yes, I know it's Friday, the start of a summer weekend, and I should post something light and fluffy. But Alex has had a hard time transitioning full-time into the preschool room at daycare. He's been very clingy at dropoff, and he's been waking up at 2 and 3 a.m. Unlike Alex and Eugene, I have a hard time falling back asleep once I've been woken up, so I'm managing on less than four hours of sleep on top of my normal sleep deprivation. All this is my roundabout way of justifying why I want you to discuss this topic with me; I can't manage it on my own. ;)
Anyway, we all know there are certain tropes that are a convention in fiction: the good guys always win, the hero always gets the girl, Dorothy will always prefer Kansas over Oz. (Of course, there are exceptions to these rules, but I'm generalizing.) Do you prefer stories that match these conventions or ones that defy them? For me, I'm more inspired by the stories that don't get told, such as ones where the main character, after visiting a new world, decides to stay instead of returning home. (I guess Avatar would count as this type of story, wouldn't it?) What stories can you think of that don't abide by the normal tropes of fiction? What types of characters are underrepresented in fiction who deserve to have stories told about them?
As for light and fluffy, perhaps I should make frozen citrus bars.
Have a good weekend, everyone!
Anyway, we all know there are certain tropes that are a convention in fiction: the good guys always win, the hero always gets the girl, Dorothy will always prefer Kansas over Oz. (Of course, there are exceptions to these rules, but I'm generalizing.) Do you prefer stories that match these conventions or ones that defy them? For me, I'm more inspired by the stories that don't get told, such as ones where the main character, after visiting a new world, decides to stay instead of returning home. (I guess Avatar would count as this type of story, wouldn't it?) What stories can you think of that don't abide by the normal tropes of fiction? What types of characters are underrepresented in fiction who deserve to have stories told about them?
As for light and fluffy, perhaps I should make frozen citrus bars.
Have a good weekend, everyone!
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Is the Pen Really Mightier Than This Sword?
I mentioned in my WisCon report that I'd won a sword from a book dealer. I didn't have any pictures at that time, but I do now. Here are a couple of them:
I think it would be cool sometime to rent a costume and take more pictures of me with the sword. Perhaps once Eugene gets his portrait equipment set up in the basement we can do that.
I think it would be cool sometime to rent a costume and take more pictures of me with the sword. Perhaps once Eugene gets his portrait equipment set up in the basement we can do that.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Monday, June 07, 2010
Alex's Third Birthday Party
I wanted to post this last night, but Blogger was down.
For Alex's last two birthdays, the parties were for our family and friends. This year, we decided he was ready for a kid's party. We'd been to one last year that was held at a kid's gym, so I found one in our area and booked a party. They took care of most of the arrangements: sending out invitations; ordering the pizza; and supplying the cups, plates, and other necessary items. The only things I had to do were assemble the guest list and goodie bags, order the cake, and bring in snacks and extra food for the adults. Some of the guests weren't able to make it, but we had eight other children besides Alex. Most of them were from his daycare/playgroup; some of them were kids of our friends.
Alex can be a bit clingy in new situations, so I was worried he might take some time to warm up at his party. Even though he didn't nap very well, he did better than I thought he would. (It might have helped that I told him about his party in advance and that he saw the cake and goodie bags.) He was a bit hesitant when we first arrived, but once we brought him into the gym, he took off, running, laughing, and having a good time. Most of the other kids did the same.
The kids got to play in the gym for an hour. It was set up for gymnastics with kid-size equipment: balance beams, uneven bars, and plenty of mats. Alex particularly enjoyed crawling through a donut-shaped mat:
Later on, the coaches plugged the donut and placed it between two wedges. The kids got to ride on top of the donut and, with the help of the coach, tumble over and land on their backs. Alex and a couple of the kids liked it so much they did it several times.
In addition, the coaches blew bubbles, brought out balls, and played with a parachute. Alex found a foam sword and chased his "girlfriend" around with it. Toward the end of the hour, they brought out an AirTrack, an inflatable bouncy thing that the kids (and some of the mothers, including me) could jump on. Alex's girlfriend got her revenge by wrestling Alex and pinning him down!
After the play hour was over, the kids sat down at a square table for pizza, juice boxes, and cake. This was the first year we lit candles for Alex's cake (I didn't feel it was safe before). He tried blowing them out, but I wound up helping him. He was more interested in the plastic cars decorating the cake than the cake itself; he took a couple bites of frosting, then played with the cars. We gave out goodie bags and balloons (supplied by the gym), then took Alex and all of his presents home. I think the kids all had a great time; perhaps we'll hold his party here next year too.
For Alex's last two birthdays, the parties were for our family and friends. This year, we decided he was ready for a kid's party. We'd been to one last year that was held at a kid's gym, so I found one in our area and booked a party. They took care of most of the arrangements: sending out invitations; ordering the pizza; and supplying the cups, plates, and other necessary items. The only things I had to do were assemble the guest list and goodie bags, order the cake, and bring in snacks and extra food for the adults. Some of the guests weren't able to make it, but we had eight other children besides Alex. Most of them were from his daycare/playgroup; some of them were kids of our friends.
Alex can be a bit clingy in new situations, so I was worried he might take some time to warm up at his party. Even though he didn't nap very well, he did better than I thought he would. (It might have helped that I told him about his party in advance and that he saw the cake and goodie bags.) He was a bit hesitant when we first arrived, but once we brought him into the gym, he took off, running, laughing, and having a good time. Most of the other kids did the same.
The kids got to play in the gym for an hour. It was set up for gymnastics with kid-size equipment: balance beams, uneven bars, and plenty of mats. Alex particularly enjoyed crawling through a donut-shaped mat:
Later on, the coaches plugged the donut and placed it between two wedges. The kids got to ride on top of the donut and, with the help of the coach, tumble over and land on their backs. Alex and a couple of the kids liked it so much they did it several times.
In addition, the coaches blew bubbles, brought out balls, and played with a parachute. Alex found a foam sword and chased his "girlfriend" around with it. Toward the end of the hour, they brought out an AirTrack, an inflatable bouncy thing that the kids (and some of the mothers, including me) could jump on. Alex's girlfriend got her revenge by wrestling Alex and pinning him down!
After the play hour was over, the kids sat down at a square table for pizza, juice boxes, and cake. This was the first year we lit candles for Alex's cake (I didn't feel it was safe before). He tried blowing them out, but I wound up helping him. He was more interested in the plastic cars decorating the cake than the cake itself; he took a couple bites of frosting, then played with the cars. We gave out goodie bags and balloons (supplied by the gym), then took Alex and all of his presents home. I think the kids all had a great time; perhaps we'll hold his party here next year too.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
If a Picture's Worth a Thousand Words...
Then my husband regularly outwrites me. ;) He's an amateur photographer, and he started a blog yesterday devoted to his photography. You can find it here. He hasn't posted anything yet, but he plans to upload a photo at least once a week. Join me in harassing reminding him to keep up with his blog!
Friday, June 04, 2010
Website or Blog?
I was going to upload my panel notes from WisCon 34 to my website last night, but it's been so long since I've done anything to my website that I've forgotten how to embed internal page links. I'll have to try it again tonight. But that made me wonder this morning as I was driving to work what's more effective for authors: websites or blogs. To me, websites are places I go to for static information, such as if I want to check the author's list of works or learn more about him/her. Blogs are easier to update and are more interactive. I personally visit more blogs on a daily basis than I do author websites, which I only check out if I have a specific question. And while I'm not planning to ditch my website, I do like that Blogger now allows me to put up separate pages on my blog, which I use for my bio and list of sales. (At some point, I intend to move my links from the sidebar onto their own page.) I'm even thinking of reviving my LiveJournal blog, since it seems that a fair amount of people in the SF community use that instead of Blogger. Maybe if I can sync up my blogs I can actually maintain two at once. So I'd like to hear your opinions: are you more interested in an author's website or blog? Does it make a difference to you if the author is published or not? (I go to more published authors' websites but read more unpublished writers' blogs.) Do you maintain a website, blog, or both?
Contest Annoucement
To make sure you're committed to writing (that's dedicated to it, not insane--although sometimes there's a fine line between the two *grin*), Christine Fonseca is running a "Go Big or Go Home!" contest on her blog. You can win both a $20 gift card from B&N and a ten-page critique from her. All you have to do is publicly commit to writing on her blog. You can find the full details here. Better hurry, the contest ends Sunday, June 6th!
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
The Science of Science Fiction--Thinking Big
Big animals, that is. If you want to create a world with huge land animals, you couldn't ask for better models than the dinosaurs. This Q&A from the New York Times lists some of the anatomical features that helped the dinosaurs succeed. (The article is based on another article from Biological Reviews.) They're listed below.
1. A very long neck to reach food
2. A small head that didn't put a lot of weight on the very long neck
(Side note: if you've been to the Field Museum in Chicago to see Sue the T. rex, you may have noticed that her head is displayed separately from the rest of her skeleton. Without the muscles and connective tissue, the skeleton can't support the weight of her skull.)
3. A digestive system that didn't require food to be chewed extensively (this apparently allowed the head to be small)
4. A highly dispersed respiratory system that made it easier to breathe and helped keep the dinosaurs cool.
So there you have it. I can't help but wonder if the environment also played a part. There is some evidence that there were increased levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which would have allowed plants to grow faster. You would need a lot of plants to feed dinosaur-sized herbivores! But could you have huge, intelligent creatures with small heads? Perhaps if they had a decentralized nervous system, though to me, it seems unlikely that a "spread-out" brain could give rise to intelligence. But in science fiction, perhaps it can.
1. A very long neck to reach food
2. A small head that didn't put a lot of weight on the very long neck
(Side note: if you've been to the Field Museum in Chicago to see Sue the T. rex, you may have noticed that her head is displayed separately from the rest of her skeleton. Without the muscles and connective tissue, the skeleton can't support the weight of her skull.)
3. A digestive system that didn't require food to be chewed extensively (this apparently allowed the head to be small)
4. A highly dispersed respiratory system that made it easier to breathe and helped keep the dinosaurs cool.
So there you have it. I can't help but wonder if the environment also played a part. There is some evidence that there were increased levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which would have allowed plants to grow faster. You would need a lot of plants to feed dinosaur-sized herbivores! But could you have huge, intelligent creatures with small heads? Perhaps if they had a decentralized nervous system, though to me, it seems unlikely that a "spread-out" brain could give rise to intelligence. But in science fiction, perhaps it can.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
WisCon 34 Recap
Well, another WisCon has come and gone. As you can tell, I was so busy I didn't get any blogging done at the con. I'll try to recap the high points quickly.
We left Friday afternoon after picking Alex up directly from daycare. The drive wasn't too bad, though we stopped a couple of times for potty breaks. Alex refused to go in the bathroom at the reststop, so we took him to my parents' house, which was on the way. I'm pleased to report Alex is now using regular toilets as long as he has something to stand on. (If you're not a parent, trust me, this is a big deal. He's not completely toilet trained yet, but he's definitely ready for preschool.) We arrived at our hotel in the early evening. After dinner, I picked up my badge from the registration desk. Unfortunately, they had no record of Alex being registered for daycare, but they let him in anyway. That was a big relief.
We didn't bother bringing a separate bed or crib for Alex, as we knew from past experience he wouldn't use it in a strange place. We had a very rough night trying to get him to sleep in the same bed as us; I bounced from one bed to the other. I still got up to swim, though.
Saturday morning, we visited the Farmer's Market on Capitol Square. I saw only one stand with lilacs and no lily of the valley for sale; I wonder if that's because it was so warm or because Memorial Day weekend was so late. But I did snatch up some locally grown strawberries. Then I brought Alex to daycare. He was timid and very clingy at first, making me late for the morning panel. But he ate well at lunch and did better in the afternoon. I attended three panels on varying topics: infectious diseases, raising feminist boys, and witches. Eugene went around on his own to take pictures. He also stopped in one of my favorite Madison stores, the Soap Opera, and treated me to some scented shower gel. In the evening, we visited some college friends. They hosted a get-together dinner so we could see more friends too. That was very nice. I did go to some of the parties briefly when we got back, but I was too tired to stay long.
Sunday was Alex's third birthday. We'd brought along some presents, so he finally got to open them. After a quick breakfast in our room, I attended a panel on urban fantasy in Madison. (We did bring Alex to daycare, but he wouldn't let Eugene leave. But he didn't fuss when I brought him back for his nap.) I attended two more panels that afternoon, skipping the middle one to have gelato with Eugene, attend a tea, and chat with a friend. After panels, we took Alex to Ella's Deli for dinner. It boasts a carousel outside and lots of animated puppets/toys inside. Alex didn't know where to look! We treated him to a banana split, but he wasn't too interested in it. He did get to ride the carousel before we left.
Today as the con wound down, we took Alex to Vilas Zoo. He was more interested in the zoo train I bought than the animals. Then we drove down to visit my parents, where he got more presents and a cake. I also got to see my niece and her baby. We finally came home in the early evening.
I didn't network as much as I wanted to this time between being so tired and Alex's struggles with bedtime. Hopefully when he's a little older it'll be easier. (We're already registered for next year's WisCon.) I didn't buy too much this year, only two books and a blouse from Wintersilks. However, one of the books I bought entered me into a drawing for a sword. I had a good feeling about my chances, and sure enough, I won it! It's a black sword with a wickedly shaped blade. (The edge is dull, however; I couldn't risk bringing a real sword into the same house as a toddler!) I will post a picture of me wielding the sword at some point; I just have to decide what to wear. I don't have the body for a metal bikini, so don't even suggest it!
We left Friday afternoon after picking Alex up directly from daycare. The drive wasn't too bad, though we stopped a couple of times for potty breaks. Alex refused to go in the bathroom at the reststop, so we took him to my parents' house, which was on the way. I'm pleased to report Alex is now using regular toilets as long as he has something to stand on. (If you're not a parent, trust me, this is a big deal. He's not completely toilet trained yet, but he's definitely ready for preschool.) We arrived at our hotel in the early evening. After dinner, I picked up my badge from the registration desk. Unfortunately, they had no record of Alex being registered for daycare, but they let him in anyway. That was a big relief.
We didn't bother bringing a separate bed or crib for Alex, as we knew from past experience he wouldn't use it in a strange place. We had a very rough night trying to get him to sleep in the same bed as us; I bounced from one bed to the other. I still got up to swim, though.
Saturday morning, we visited the Farmer's Market on Capitol Square. I saw only one stand with lilacs and no lily of the valley for sale; I wonder if that's because it was so warm or because Memorial Day weekend was so late. But I did snatch up some locally grown strawberries. Then I brought Alex to daycare. He was timid and very clingy at first, making me late for the morning panel. But he ate well at lunch and did better in the afternoon. I attended three panels on varying topics: infectious diseases, raising feminist boys, and witches. Eugene went around on his own to take pictures. He also stopped in one of my favorite Madison stores, the Soap Opera, and treated me to some scented shower gel. In the evening, we visited some college friends. They hosted a get-together dinner so we could see more friends too. That was very nice. I did go to some of the parties briefly when we got back, but I was too tired to stay long.
Sunday was Alex's third birthday. We'd brought along some presents, so he finally got to open them. After a quick breakfast in our room, I attended a panel on urban fantasy in Madison. (We did bring Alex to daycare, but he wouldn't let Eugene leave. But he didn't fuss when I brought him back for his nap.) I attended two more panels that afternoon, skipping the middle one to have gelato with Eugene, attend a tea, and chat with a friend. After panels, we took Alex to Ella's Deli for dinner. It boasts a carousel outside and lots of animated puppets/toys inside. Alex didn't know where to look! We treated him to a banana split, but he wasn't too interested in it. He did get to ride the carousel before we left.
Today as the con wound down, we took Alex to Vilas Zoo. He was more interested in the zoo train I bought than the animals. Then we drove down to visit my parents, where he got more presents and a cake. I also got to see my niece and her baby. We finally came home in the early evening.
I didn't network as much as I wanted to this time between being so tired and Alex's struggles with bedtime. Hopefully when he's a little older it'll be easier. (We're already registered for next year's WisCon.) I didn't buy too much this year, only two books and a blouse from Wintersilks. However, one of the books I bought entered me into a drawing for a sword. I had a good feeling about my chances, and sure enough, I won it! It's a black sword with a wickedly shaped blade. (The edge is dull, however; I couldn't risk bringing a real sword into the same house as a toddler!) I will post a picture of me wielding the sword at some point; I just have to decide what to wear. I don't have the body for a metal bikini, so don't even suggest it!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...
and I'm not talking about Christmas, but WisCon! WisCon is the world's leading feminist science fiction convention (yes, men are still welcome). It's a really great convention for writers, as it attracts plenty of authors, editors, and agents. As if that wasn't good enough, it's held in my beloved Madison in my favorite season. (Though that doesn't guarantee good weather.) I've lost track of how many years I've been going, but I did start last century. I must admit travel has become more complicated now with a toddler, but luckily WisCon does offer good childcare for a nominal fee. Besides attending the con, we'll be meeting up with college friends and celebrating Alex's third birthday.
So, my readers, do you go to writing conventions? If so, which ones? I know they're not too hard to find for SF and romance, but what about other genres, like YA? Do you have conventions dedicated to your genre?
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, and if you can, come back here for updates!
So, my readers, do you go to writing conventions? If so, which ones? I know they're not too hard to find for SF and romance, but what about other genres, like YA? Do you have conventions dedicated to your genre?
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, and if you can, come back here for updates!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Back on the Blog Chain: Don't Dream It's Over
The Blog Chain came around so fast to me this time I nearly missed it. ;) I'm second in line this time, the first to address Amanda's question:
What do you do to keep yourself motivated when you feel like you're not making any progress in your writing career?
For a theme song for this post, let's use Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over."
I've been writing fiction since graduate school, though I wasn't really committed to it until about 1996. I've completed five novels (though only one of them I queried extensively) started and abandoned a couple more, and worked on various short stories (including some about the Beatles), some finished, some not. I've invested countless hours in reading, writing, editing/revising, and critiquing. To make time to write, I've cut out most TV and seldom go to movies, so I'm way out of touch with popular culture. After all this, I still haven't sold a novel, my main goal. So what keeps me going?
By this point in my life, writing is as much a part of me as one of my limbs. To give it up would be to lose a precious part of myself, something that keeps me going when the rest of my life is frustrating. While I want to connect to other people through my writing, it's still important for me to do it for me. One thing that I do get encouragement from is the feeling that I'm still learning and trying new techniques. I mentioned before that I only queried one of the five novels I finished. The first novel I ever wrote is no longer accessible, two of the other novels were sequels (so they couldn't stand alone), and the final one is my current project, which is getting very close to becoming query-worthy. I've learned a lot from the many writing blogs out there, and I think it shows in this draft. While working on sequels and Beatles fan fiction has delayed my writing career, I learned a lot from them. Besides, the Beatles stories evolved into my current project, so they were a roundabout way of getting there.
I think writing really has to be considered a journey, not just a means to an end. As Robert M. Pirsig said in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, "When you try to climb a mountain to prove how big you are, you almost never make it. And even if you do, it's a hollow victory." Writing can't be just about stoking your ego, because your ego will definitely get bruised along the way. If you want to be a writer, you have to do it because you enjoy the process, and you have to be willing to keep going even when you want to stop. It's a lot easier to walk away from writing than it is an unfulfilling job or a marriage gone sour; perhaps that's why we writers spend so much time encouraging each other.
With that, I'll send you over to Eric for his take on this question.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated when you feel like you're not making any progress in your writing career?
For a theme song for this post, let's use Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over."
I've been writing fiction since graduate school, though I wasn't really committed to it until about 1996. I've completed five novels (though only one of them I queried extensively) started and abandoned a couple more, and worked on various short stories (including some about the Beatles), some finished, some not. I've invested countless hours in reading, writing, editing/revising, and critiquing. To make time to write, I've cut out most TV and seldom go to movies, so I'm way out of touch with popular culture. After all this, I still haven't sold a novel, my main goal. So what keeps me going?
By this point in my life, writing is as much a part of me as one of my limbs. To give it up would be to lose a precious part of myself, something that keeps me going when the rest of my life is frustrating. While I want to connect to other people through my writing, it's still important for me to do it for me. One thing that I do get encouragement from is the feeling that I'm still learning and trying new techniques. I mentioned before that I only queried one of the five novels I finished. The first novel I ever wrote is no longer accessible, two of the other novels were sequels (so they couldn't stand alone), and the final one is my current project, which is getting very close to becoming query-worthy. I've learned a lot from the many writing blogs out there, and I think it shows in this draft. While working on sequels and Beatles fan fiction has delayed my writing career, I learned a lot from them. Besides, the Beatles stories evolved into my current project, so they were a roundabout way of getting there.
I think writing really has to be considered a journey, not just a means to an end. As Robert M. Pirsig said in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, "When you try to climb a mountain to prove how big you are, you almost never make it. And even if you do, it's a hollow victory." Writing can't be just about stoking your ego, because your ego will definitely get bruised along the way. If you want to be a writer, you have to do it because you enjoy the process, and you have to be willing to keep going even when you want to stop. It's a lot easier to walk away from writing than it is an unfulfilling job or a marriage gone sour; perhaps that's why we writers spend so much time encouraging each other.
With that, I'll send you over to Eric for his take on this question.
Ten Word Tuesday: You Know You Work in a Lab When...
you wrap your son's gifts in boxes from chemical suppliers.
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Science of Science Fiction: 12 Events That Will Change Everything
The June 2010 issue of Scientific American has a must-read article for science fiction writers. It's called, as you may have guessed, "12 Events That Will Change Everything." You can find an interactive presentation, complete with the text of the individual stories, here.
The events listed include many staples of science fiction: cloning of humans (considered likely to happen by 2050), the rise of self-aware machines (also likely), and fusion energy (considered unlikely, unfortunately). Some of them, such as the discovery of extra dimensions, may have more effects on science itself than the everyday world. (The odds of this event occurring are given as 50:50). On the other hand, a big earthquake in California (almost certain) or a deadly pandemic (50:50), would have much more impact on people's lives. One event, the creation of artificial life, actually was announced last week. In theory, being able to design the genes of an organism base by base would allow scientists to create new food and energy sources, as well as create organisms that could break down toxins, form useful materials, and even grow naturally into pieces of furniture. In practice, how the genes are regulated and how the proteins they code are produced and expressed also play critical roles in how the organism works.
With twelve separate topics, there's too much material for me to analyze in one blog post. Plus, it's late, and I'm too tired to come up with much. But if you read the articles, please come back here and tell me which topic or topics interest you. If I get a significant response, we can look into some of the topics in more detail later.
The events listed include many staples of science fiction: cloning of humans (considered likely to happen by 2050), the rise of self-aware machines (also likely), and fusion energy (considered unlikely, unfortunately). Some of them, such as the discovery of extra dimensions, may have more effects on science itself than the everyday world. (The odds of this event occurring are given as 50:50). On the other hand, a big earthquake in California (almost certain) or a deadly pandemic (50:50), would have much more impact on people's lives. One event, the creation of artificial life, actually was announced last week. In theory, being able to design the genes of an organism base by base would allow scientists to create new food and energy sources, as well as create organisms that could break down toxins, form useful materials, and even grow naturally into pieces of furniture. In practice, how the genes are regulated and how the proteins they code are produced and expressed also play critical roles in how the organism works.
With twelve separate topics, there's too much material for me to analyze in one blog post. Plus, it's late, and I'm too tired to come up with much. But if you read the articles, please come back here and tell me which topic or topics interest you. If I get a significant response, we can look into some of the topics in more detail later.
Friday, May 21, 2010
It's the Reader, Not the Writer, That Counts
I wasn't planning on a second post today, but Maria Zannini posted something on her blog that I think is worth passing on. It's part of her Killer Campaign series about book promotion. (I urge you to search for those posts on her blog, as they provide valuable advice on what works and what doesn't.) Maria's post is a reminder that promotions shouldn't be all about the author; they should be focused on the reader. If you can establish a bond with the reader--perhaps through something unrelated to writing--it'll make her more interested in reading your book than if you keep shoving it in her face.
Anyway, enough from me. The link is here. If you agree with Maria, please tell her--and tell her I sent you.
Anyway, enough from me. The link is here. If you agree with Maria, please tell her--and tell her I sent you.
Ask Sandra--Writing Habits
Barbara had several questions for me about my writing habits:
What time of day do you prefer to write during?
Before I had Alex, I used to write in the evening, but now it's mostly on my lunch hour. As a working mother, I'm either too busy catching up on household chores or computer stuff to write. Sometimes I'm just too tired.
And what do you like your environment to be like when you write (music? TV? children destroying the sofa? Do you lock yourself in the basement?)
Since it's on my lunch hour, I write right at my desk at work. I bring in my own laptop so I'm not using my company's computer. It's not my ideal setup, but it works, and that's the important thing. Sometimes my husband watches our son while I "run away" to the bookstore to write. Even though I can still get distracted by the Internet there, being out of the house during "extra" writing time helps me be more productive. I'm sure tea and a treat help too. ;)
And also, when editing, do you like to do revisions on the computer or hard copy?
Usually I print out a hard copy for a beginning-to-end read, just to get a fresh perspective on it. I sometimes write notes on the hard copy, but after the read-through, I return to the computer for revision.
Those are all the questions I have this time around. Thanks, Barbara! Have a good weekend, everyone!
What time of day do you prefer to write during?
Before I had Alex, I used to write in the evening, but now it's mostly on my lunch hour. As a working mother, I'm either too busy catching up on household chores or computer stuff to write. Sometimes I'm just too tired.
And what do you like your environment to be like when you write (music? TV? children destroying the sofa? Do you lock yourself in the basement?)
Since it's on my lunch hour, I write right at my desk at work. I bring in my own laptop so I'm not using my company's computer. It's not my ideal setup, but it works, and that's the important thing. Sometimes my husband watches our son while I "run away" to the bookstore to write. Even though I can still get distracted by the Internet there, being out of the house during "extra" writing time helps me be more productive. I'm sure tea and a treat help too. ;)
And also, when editing, do you like to do revisions on the computer or hard copy?
Usually I print out a hard copy for a beginning-to-end read, just to get a fresh perspective on it. I sometimes write notes on the hard copy, but after the read-through, I return to the computer for revision.
Those are all the questions I have this time around. Thanks, Barbara! Have a good weekend, everyone!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Back on the Blog Chain: Standing on the Shoulders of Other Authors
Wow, it's been a month since my last Blog Chain post. I started the last one, so I'm near the end this time. Christine started us off with the question:
“Which author or authors have most influenced your writing and how?”
Amanda posted before me, and Eric will share his thoughts tomorrow.
I think a couple of people mentioned earlier in this chain how they're influenced by every book and author they've ever read. I feel this way too. I started reading when I was three, so that's a lot of authors! I'll only mention a few of them here.
When I first started reading science fiction and fantasy, I read a lot of the really popular authors, such as Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffery, and Mercedes Lackey. Of the three, I would say Lackey made the longest-lasting impression, especially when it comes to interior monologue. My early novels had a lot of interior monologue, though I'm using less of it now. These days, one of my favorite authors is Patricia McKillip. I really admire her poetic style and her unique angle on story-telling, but to be honest, I don't feel my style is similar enough to hers to claim her as an influence.
These days, I read a fair amount of urban fantasy, and that's influenced the next project I have on my list, an urban fantasy about a pair of shapeshifting sisters. (Charles de Lint's work still defines the genre for me. Some of his novels have a pair of shapeshifting sisters too, though I intend to take my characters in a different direction.) While I read quite a few authors in this genre, I think the most influential one for me has been Carrie Vaughn. I like how her werewolf heroine and her mate still have to deal with mundane problems along with supernatural ones. They're ordinary people thrust into a supernatural world, and it makes them feel more real and easier to empathize with.
I'm sure there are plenty more authors who have influenced me, but that's all I can think of for now. Just as Newton said he saw farther by standing on the shoulders of giants (those who came before him), I stand on the shoulders of other authors. If what I write isn't the classic SF of the Golden Age, it's because the authors I mentioned above, along with many others, helped redefine the genre.
Tune in tomorrow when I answer questions from readers, as I promised in Monday's entry. There's still time to ask me something if you'd like, so please leave a comment in that blog post. Thanks!
“Which author or authors have most influenced your writing and how?”
Amanda posted before me, and Eric will share his thoughts tomorrow.
I think a couple of people mentioned earlier in this chain how they're influenced by every book and author they've ever read. I feel this way too. I started reading when I was three, so that's a lot of authors! I'll only mention a few of them here.
When I first started reading science fiction and fantasy, I read a lot of the really popular authors, such as Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffery, and Mercedes Lackey. Of the three, I would say Lackey made the longest-lasting impression, especially when it comes to interior monologue. My early novels had a lot of interior monologue, though I'm using less of it now. These days, one of my favorite authors is Patricia McKillip. I really admire her poetic style and her unique angle on story-telling, but to be honest, I don't feel my style is similar enough to hers to claim her as an influence.
These days, I read a fair amount of urban fantasy, and that's influenced the next project I have on my list, an urban fantasy about a pair of shapeshifting sisters. (Charles de Lint's work still defines the genre for me. Some of his novels have a pair of shapeshifting sisters too, though I intend to take my characters in a different direction.) While I read quite a few authors in this genre, I think the most influential one for me has been Carrie Vaughn. I like how her werewolf heroine and her mate still have to deal with mundane problems along with supernatural ones. They're ordinary people thrust into a supernatural world, and it makes them feel more real and easier to empathize with.
I'm sure there are plenty more authors who have influenced me, but that's all I can think of for now. Just as Newton said he saw farther by standing on the shoulders of giants (those who came before him), I stand on the shoulders of other authors. If what I write isn't the classic SF of the Golden Age, it's because the authors I mentioned above, along with many others, helped redefine the genre.
Tune in tomorrow when I answer questions from readers, as I promised in Monday's entry. There's still time to ask me something if you'd like, so please leave a comment in that blog post. Thanks!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Science of Science Fiction--Starting Life on Other Worlds
There were three articles in the New York Times online edition on Monday that are of interest if you're writing about life on other worlds. The first is an interview with Jeffrey Bada, a marine chemist who studies how life began. He worked with Stanley Miller, one of the scientists who performed the classic Miller-Urey experiment. This experiment was meant to test if the chemical compounds of life could be made on our planet when it was very young. (Miller and Urey had to make several assumptions about conditions on Earth at that time.) Bada was able to analyze the extracts from the Miller-Urey experiment with modern equipment and found even more organic compounds then Miller and Urey had back in 1953, thirty versus five. (Personally, I wonder how good those extracts were several decades later. Could Bada be sure they hadn't become contaminated in the interim? But if the results are accurate, they're pretty cool.) What's even more interesting is that the range of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) they found are similar to those found in a meteorite. Bada thinks if the Miller-Urey experiment were repeated today, scientists could potentially find thousands of compounds in the primordial soup.
Another article in the NY Times discusses new evidence that Titan, Saturn's moon, has a liquid sea. Unfortunately, the liquid is most likely a mixture of ethane and methane (with some nitrogen), not water. Water can dissolve a wide range of materials and is less dense in its solid form than its liquid form; these are just a couple of the reasons why water has been so critical to the development of life on Earth. If Titan's sea can support life, the chemistry of these lifeforms would be different from terrestrial ones. I would need to do more research before speculating about life on Titan.
While I was writing this post, a third interesting article appeared in the NY Times. This one has to do with a new fossil find in Morocco. Slightly over half a billion years ago, in the Cambrian period, complex multicellular life forms began appearing in the fossil record. One of the best sources for these fossils is in the Burgess Shale. Scientists thought for a long time that most of these life forms became extinct in a major event, since so few descendants could be found. But the fossils found in Morocco can be linked to the ones in the Burgess Shale. This suggests two things: one, the gap in the fossil record is due to lack of preservation, not extinction; and two, more of the Cambrian-era species survived or evolved for a longer time than previously thought. As a science-fiction writer, I think it would be cool to take one of these species and base a whole ecology around it and its descendants.
To summarize, evidence continues to mount that life on other worlds really is possible. While Bada thinks the chemistry of life is universal, Earth-like conditions may not be. Even if we do find another planet similar to ours, there's no guarantee that evolution took the same path there that it did on our world. Just by looking at our own past, we find tantalizing glimpses of what might have been. But in our imaginations, what might have been can become something more.
Another article in the NY Times discusses new evidence that Titan, Saturn's moon, has a liquid sea. Unfortunately, the liquid is most likely a mixture of ethane and methane (with some nitrogen), not water. Water can dissolve a wide range of materials and is less dense in its solid form than its liquid form; these are just a couple of the reasons why water has been so critical to the development of life on Earth. If Titan's sea can support life, the chemistry of these lifeforms would be different from terrestrial ones. I would need to do more research before speculating about life on Titan.
While I was writing this post, a third interesting article appeared in the NY Times. This one has to do with a new fossil find in Morocco. Slightly over half a billion years ago, in the Cambrian period, complex multicellular life forms began appearing in the fossil record. One of the best sources for these fossils is in the Burgess Shale. Scientists thought for a long time that most of these life forms became extinct in a major event, since so few descendants could be found. But the fossils found in Morocco can be linked to the ones in the Burgess Shale. This suggests two things: one, the gap in the fossil record is due to lack of preservation, not extinction; and two, more of the Cambrian-era species survived or evolved for a longer time than previously thought. As a science-fiction writer, I think it would be cool to take one of these species and base a whole ecology around it and its descendants.
To summarize, evidence continues to mount that life on other worlds really is possible. While Bada thinks the chemistry of life is universal, Earth-like conditions may not be. Even if we do find another planet similar to ours, there's no guarantee that evolution took the same path there that it did on our world. Just by looking at our own past, we find tantalizing glimpses of what might have been. But in our imaginations, what might have been can become something more.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Quote of the Day
For all of you nervous about crit groups:
"Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger."
Franklin P. Jones
P.S. Don't overlook my previous post, in which I offer to answer your questions!
"Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger."
Franklin P. Jones
P.S. Don't overlook my previous post, in which I offer to answer your questions!
Ask Sandra!
I figure it's time for something a little different. This week, I invite you to post questions in the comments for me. They can be about me, writing, science fiction -- whatever you'd like to know about. Be warned; I may choose not to give a straight answer if the question is too personal or if I don't know the answer. (heh heh heh....) I'll post answers either Wednesday or Friday.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Contest Annoucement
I'm trying to make up for my lack of blogging this week by posting over the weekend. Specifically, I want to share this "Dear Lucky Agent" contest with you. It's run by the Guide to Literary Agents blog, which I've linked to in the sidebar. If you write science fiction or fantasy, submit the first 150-200 words of your novel along with a one-sentence description for a chance to win a critique of the first ten pages of your manuscript and a one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com. The full rules and details can be found here. The contest runs through May 26, so you have some time to polish your entry. Good luck!
Uncle Karl
I've been debating about whether I should blog about this or not. I finally decided it was too important not to.
I found out about two weeks ago my Uncle Karl had bladder cancer. Apparently he had had some symptoms since last year, but they were initially diagnosed as something else. By the time they figured out it was cancer, it had already spread. Other medical conditions he had made treatment options very limited. Ultimately he requested no life support be given, just pain medication. He passed away last Friday, a week after being admitted to the hospital. Eugene and I were able to see him last Monday. I'm not sure if he knew we were there, but at least I got to say goodbye. We will be going to the funeral today--a lovely way (NOT!) to end a grueling week at work.
So make sure to visit your relatives regularly and tell them you love them. And make sure you get yourself checked out at the doctor regularly too. My aunt has asked donations be made to this cancer prevention organization. Sometimes the best way to remember someone is to do something good in his or her name.
I found out about two weeks ago my Uncle Karl had bladder cancer. Apparently he had had some symptoms since last year, but they were initially diagnosed as something else. By the time they figured out it was cancer, it had already spread. Other medical conditions he had made treatment options very limited. Ultimately he requested no life support be given, just pain medication. He passed away last Friday, a week after being admitted to the hospital. Eugene and I were able to see him last Monday. I'm not sure if he knew we were there, but at least I got to say goodbye. We will be going to the funeral today--a lovely way (NOT!) to end a grueling week at work.
So make sure to visit your relatives regularly and tell them you love them. And make sure you get yourself checked out at the doctor regularly too. My aunt has asked donations be made to this cancer prevention organization. Sometimes the best way to remember someone is to do something good in his or her name.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Science of Science Fiction: Fighting Fat with Fat
Who doesn't want to lose a few extra pounds--or maybe more? Turns out there's a type of fat tissue called brown fat which burns calories to generate heat. Babies use it to stay warm, but adults still have a small amount in their necks. Scientists have found a way to trigger the enzyme that makes brown fat burn calories in normal white fat by tweaking the metabolism of rats to simulate cold temperatures. This has to be done carefully, as the enzyme is present in other tissues throughout the body. If you trigger its activity in the wrong place, it could cause side effects. See here for the full article.
Obviously, if we could make this work in people, we could increase our metabolisms and make it easier to lose weight and keep it off. But what would we do with the extra energy? Would it just raise our body temperatures? That could have other consequences, especially as we face a warming environment. It would be cool (pun not intended) if this energy could be channeled into other things. Perhaps it could be used to power electronic implants, for instance. Our brains consume a lot of energy as it is; could this energy be used by the brain? If so, would it enhance our current abilities or make new ones possible? If you want to delve into science fantasy, this energy could be used to fuel some sort of supernatural power, such as something psionic. But perhaps that's pushing the limits of plausibility. I would be happy just to have enough energy to get me through the day!
Obviously, if we could make this work in people, we could increase our metabolisms and make it easier to lose weight and keep it off. But what would we do with the extra energy? Would it just raise our body temperatures? That could have other consequences, especially as we face a warming environment. It would be cool (pun not intended) if this energy could be channeled into other things. Perhaps it could be used to power electronic implants, for instance. Our brains consume a lot of energy as it is; could this energy be used by the brain? If so, would it enhance our current abilities or make new ones possible? If you want to delve into science fantasy, this energy could be used to fuel some sort of supernatural power, such as something psionic. But perhaps that's pushing the limits of plausibility. I would be happy just to have enough energy to get me through the day!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Writing and Life Experience: Follow Up
Last week was very busy, so I didn't get to follow up on this post as quickly as I planned. (Today is going to be even worse, as I have to stay so late at work a co-worker will have to bring Alex here. I'm not even sure I'll get home before his bedtime; my husband will have to pick him up.) That actually worked out for the best, since another writer commented on this post when it uploaded to my Facebook feed. Both Elizabeth and Ann said that life experience helps make your fiction seem real. Barbara reminded us how imagination and listening to others can help us write about others who don't share our life experiences. Patty Jansen, a fellow OWW writer, pointed out that you don't need just life experiences, but also perspective on them so you can "distill them into a character." (Patty, I hope you don't mind me quoting you here.)
If I had to summarize what I think about life experiences affecting your writing, I'd say everyday life provides you with the details to make your fiction seem real, while extraordinary events are the ones that challenge you and make you grow, just as they do for your own characters.
I'd love to say more, but it's back to the lab mines for me.
If I had to summarize what I think about life experiences affecting your writing, I'd say everyday life provides you with the details to make your fiction seem real, while extraordinary events are the ones that challenge you and make you grow, just as they do for your own characters.
I'd love to say more, but it's back to the lab mines for me.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Discussion: Writers and Life Experience
While I was bathing my son last night, I thought about the saying that authors need a certain amount of life experience to have something worth writing about. Do you agree or disagree? I think some insight into human nature is necessary to create realistic, compelling characters. What kinds of life experiences make for good fiction? The ones that came to mind for me were travel to different countries and relationships, particularly friendships and romances. (You don't see too many novels about co-workers, at least co-workers in an office setting. Relationship between co-workers who spend a lot of time together, like a partnership between police officers, might deepen into friendship.) Of course, the major life events, like marriage, parenthood, and death, also provide lots of fiction fodder. They certainly beat mowing the lawn! Can you add anything else? I'm going to be extremely busy today at work, so I probably won't be able to comment much during the day. Perhaps I'll do a follow-up post in the evening.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Contest Annoucement
Looking for some help editing your first chapter or your synopsis? Have no fear, the pros are here! You could win a chapter or query letter/synopsis critique from The Alliterative Allomorph. Check the link for more details. The contest ends May 31st--just in time for me to get back to Across Two Universes!
Monday, May 03, 2010
Lilacs 2010
In addition to having lunch with two writer friends yesterday, Eugene, Alex, and I made our annual trip to Lilacia Park to see the lilacs in bloom. I'm a lilac junkie; they're one of my favorite flowers. Would I enjoy them so much if they had a longer blooming time? As you can tell from the photos below, the park also has lots of tulips, with Alex really liked. But he preferred watching the trains pass by even more!
Sunday, May 02, 2010
A Meeting of Blog Chainers
Heather Dyer introduced me to the Blog Chain, and Mary Lindsey used to be part of the Blog Chain as well. Today all three of us (plus Eugene and Alex) finally got to meet in person. Mary was in the area for a writers retreat; Heather and I live close by but haven't had the chance to get together yet. We introduced Mary to Chicago-style stuffed pizza. We all had a great time; hopefully we'll be able to do it again sometime! Who knows, maybe I'll even learn how to smile in a photo by then!
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Who's Live Anyway? (Ryan Stiles!)
If you've been following my blog long enough, you know Eugene and I are big fans of improv comedy, especially the show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" But after a while, watching repeat episodes umpteen zillion times can get a little old. We've seen Colin Mochrie and Wayne Brady live, but my favorite cast member is Ryan Stiles. So when we found out he was performing at a theater in Skokie, we had to get tickets. We chose the early show so as not to interfere with Alex's bedtime. Eugene's parents watched him while we were at the show, so this was our second Date Night in a week. (We went out for fondue for my birthday; my dad took care of Alex then.)
Ryan wasn't performing by himself; Greg Proops, Chip Esten, and Jeff Davis. As Greg said at the beginning of the show, they brought everyone but "the fat guy, the bald guy, and the black guy." They did several of the games from the show. I can't remember too many of the lines beside "Todd is the past tense of Ted," but Eugene and I laughed more than we have in a long time. (For me, it was to the point where it had physical effects.) They used one of my suggestions--paprika for a spice. (That's probably the closest brush I'll ever have with any of the cast members.) The show was about 90 minutes, three times the normal episode length, but it didn't feel like it. If you have the chance to see this show, I wholeheartedly recommend it, even though every performance will be unique.
Ryan wasn't performing by himself; Greg Proops, Chip Esten, and Jeff Davis. As Greg said at the beginning of the show, they brought everyone but "the fat guy, the bald guy, and the black guy." They did several of the games from the show. I can't remember too many of the lines beside "Todd is the past tense of Ted," but Eugene and I laughed more than we have in a long time. (For me, it was to the point where it had physical effects.) They used one of my suggestions--paprika for a spice. (That's probably the closest brush I'll ever have with any of the cast members.) The show was about 90 minutes, three times the normal episode length, but it didn't feel like it. If you have the chance to see this show, I wholeheartedly recommend it, even though every performance will be unique.
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