It’s been a long, tough week. I’ve been on-call at work, and the emphasis has been on “call.” But my stint ends this afternoon, and I’ll have the weekend to rest, relax, maybe spend some time in the garden.
Yesterday, though, an item crossed my desk that made my co-workers worry about me. I sat in my cube (I was waiting for one of my interminable telecon meetings to begin), and people could hear me spurting and spluttering, stifling what would have been totally workplace-inappropriate guffaws.
The reason? I had been introduced to the Turbo-Encabulator.
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Posted in Culture | Tagged encabulator, engineers, humor, memes, turbo encabulator | 2 Comments »
Fritz Lang’s 1931 film “M” has long been on my list of “Oh, yeah. I’ve been meaning to see that” movies. Last weekend, after screening of “The Maltese Falcon,” Peter Lorre’s presence reminded me, so I put it into my Blockbuster queue and popped it to the top.
Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” (recently restored to its full magnificence) is on my Top Ten list. His innovation, his iconic long-shots, his metaphoric storytelling, I love it all. But somehow, I’d managed to miss seeing “M” for decades.
If I had seen this film before–even just a year ago–my reaction to it would have been different. Seeing it now, after the abominable crime perpetrated in Newtown, CT has entered our public consciousness, my reaction is very different.
Possible spoilers after the jump.
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Posted in Culture, Movies | Tagged film classics, film review, Fritz Lang, M, M 1931, movie reviews, Movies, Newtown, Peter Lorre | 2 Comments »
It’s pissing down rain in Seattle. The lecherous wind tugs and young women’s skirts as they tick-tock their high-heeled way to work, and the few who bothered with umbrellas wish they’d left them at home. The sky is locked down in gunmetal grey and the sun is a dim memory, consumed by the overhead drear. It’s already been a long work-week for me, having put in three days’ worth before the end of Day Two, and I haven’t slept well for worrying about my family, still roiling from our matriarch’s recent death.
And yet, inside, I’m sunny. Continue Reading »
Posted in Books, Fallen Cloud Saga, Seattle, Writing | Tagged amazon, Beneath a Wounded Sky, books, creative writing, Fallen Cloud Saga, FC:V, novel writing, novels, publishing, rain, Seattle, self-publishing, weather, Writing | 2 Comments »
What do readers really want?
We’ve been discussing this topic over on some FB threads. The complaint (from writers) is about what readers do not seem to want, i.e., originality. Or at least, they don’t want too much originality.
This isn’t meant as a diss or a put-down. It’s something that’s endemic to many entertainment industries (and do not doubt that publishing is an entertainment industry). Publishers want a sure thing to put their money behind, and readers want a sure thing for their hard-earned cash. Totally understandable.
Readers want something similar to what they already know they like, but they don’t want a complete re-hash of an old story. They want their tropes, their memes, but they also want a new spin, or perhaps a new element. Some genres are extremely hide-bound (detective novels and rom-com movies, for example), while others are more open to “variations on a theme” (e.g., steampunk). Continue Reading »
Posted in Writing | Tagged books, creative writing, novel writing, novels, publishing, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips | 2 Comments »
A friend of mine, Barb Hendee, is half of that incredible tag-team author-pair that has brought you The Noble Dead Saga and many other novels and series.
Well, Barb has a blog, and she often posts articles of a writerly nature. While all of her articles are good, her most recent article made me choke on my coffee and laugh out loud.
For the uninitiated, it’s as easy to suppose that all published authors are fabulously wealthy as it is to assume we have total control over the publication of our books. Hardcover or softcover? Price point? Cover art?
None of these are within an author’s control, once you sign that contract. I’ve even had the title of some books changed without either my consultation or assent. Go ahead. Try to guess which ones.
Meanwhile, go check out Barb’s article on the topic.
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Posted in Writing | Tagged author control, Barb Hendee, creative writing, ebooks, editing, novel writing, publishing, self-publishing, the noble dead saga, Writing, writing tips | 4 Comments »
My wife and I take walks around Seattle’s Green Lake. It’s one of the best parks in the city, and it’s beautiful at any time of the year. It’s a nice 3+ mile circuit, during which we’d talk about many things, quite often about my writing. My wife (my First Reader) is a great sounding-board for plot ideas, plot problems, character development ideas, etc.
When I sold my first book, our walks had a new topic: which of these lakefront houses would we buy when the money started rolling in?
It’s true. I so firmly believed in the future success of my books and my career as a writer that I was eyeing million-dollar properties. So, what the hell happened? Why didn’t Oprah’s Secret kick in? Continue Reading »
Posted in Books, Writing | Tagged amazon, books, creative writing, ebooks, Kindle, novel writing, novels, publishing, self-publishing, Writing | 1 Comment »
Benjamin Zander is a zealot, and that’s a good thing. He’s zealous about music, specifically classical music.
If you’ve read this blog or my bio, you know I spent many years (decades, really) playing classical music. It was, I thought at the time, the only thing I’d ever do. I played several instruments over the course of my career (but what I always wanted to do was direct!) and though I eventually traded in my viola bow for a St Dupont fountain pen, classical music is still a primary element in my life.
Benjamin Zander knows the power of classical music, first-hand, and has been installing that power in young musicians for nearly 50 years, and in this TED Talk from 2008, he shows us how he does it. Continue Reading »
Posted in Culture | Tagged Benjamin Zander, Chopin, classical music, shining eyes, TED talks, the power of classical music | Leave a Comment »
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Kurt R.A. Giambastiani 