I regard romantic comedies as a subgenre of sci-fi, in which the world operates according to different rules than my regular human world. For me, there is no difference between Ripley from “Alien” and any Katherine Heigl character. They are equally implausible. They’re all participating in a similar level of fakey razzle-dazzle, and I enjoy … Continue reading Mindy Kaling: “Flick Chicks”
Twelve quotes from authors to remember when starting your first book
When working on your first book, you’re faced with an extremely daunting task. Regardless of whatever training or practice you’ve had in the past, it’s still your first novel. At times it will be a highly enjoyable venture, but much of it will be excruciating. There are moments where you might want to throw in … Continue reading Twelve quotes from authors to remember when starting your first book
Canada Writes – 100 tips to make you a better writer
Over the last two years, Canada Writes has collected a whole bunch of wonderful writing tips from Canadian poets, novelists, practitioners of creative nonfiction, and writers of children’s books. So pick a word, find a tip, and try it out!… I absolutely love this interactive word cloud created by Canada Writes. The word cloud contains key … Continue reading Canada Writes – 100 tips to make you a better writer
How to turn a high concept idea into an actual story
Every story begins with an idea. What’s amazing about science fiction stories is, they often start with a cool idea. Like a spin on space travel or robots that nobody’s ever thought of before. But how do you turn an idea into a story, with memorable characters and powerful moments? That’s often the hard part. … Continue reading How to turn a high concept idea into an actual story
Mad Art Lab | Fantasy Armor and Lady Bits
Amazing examination of female armor in the fantasy genre by an armorer. Mad Art Lab | Fantasy Armor and Lady Bits
Gears of War Art Director: Everybody Likes Our Female Characters, But Nobody Likes Female Characters
themarysue: The quotes from Chris Perna, art director of the Gears of War series, that have been floating around today actually say something a little more complicated than can be reasonably slimmed down to a single headline. A slightly longer summary? Perna says some puzzling things about gender presentation in character design, acknowledges that he’s … Continue reading Gears of War Art Director: Everybody Likes Our Female Characters, But Nobody Likes Female Characters
The Financial Reality of a Genre Novelist – GalleyCat
The Financial Reality of a Genre Novelist - GalleyCat
Books: Learn to Be a Better Writer By Reading Fanfiction(via @io9)
These days, it’s pretty much accepted that fanfiction writers can become “real” authors. Fifty Shades of Grey started out as Twilight fanfic and is the year’s biggest publishing sensation.Books: Learn to Be a Better Writer By Reading Fanfiction(via @io9)
The Bittersweetest Thing: The Female Perspective in Game Development
dgaider: I happen to be fortunate. My team of writers on Dragon Age currently consists of nine people— most of which are female. It’s reached the point that, when we consider new hires and transfers, I tend to joke “ummm, we could use some more testosterone in here…” and give a big goofy grin. Mine … Continue reading The Bittersweetest Thing: The Female Perspective in Game Development