I recently watched disc 1 of Justice League animated series’ first season. I’ve been a fan of Bruce Timm’s other DC universe productions, but found myself sorely disappointed in this particular endeavor for one reason alone: lazy writing. How do I know the writers were lazy? Because they committed a cardinal sin of comic book [...]
Power levels fluctuating
Filed under Tips & Tools on July 28, 2009
Tagged: fantasy fiction, superheroes
My review policy
Filed under Market Report, Soapbox on July 14, 2009
Tagged: book reviews, book trailers, fantasy fiction, Young Dragons
I’m a voracious reader. If you watch my “Currently Reading” widget, or friend me on Goodreads, you’ll note that I cycle through a book about once a week or so. I’d probably finish quicker, but I limit myself to reading during my weekday commutes (I take a 15-20 minute ride on the light rail). Given [...]
Building a fantasy fiction character
Filed under Tips & Tools on June 23, 2009
Tagged: character motivation, character traits, character-building, fantasy fiction, origin story
It’s not unheard of for fantasy fiction writers to spend a lot of time and effort on world-building. Character-building, on the other hand, often takes a back seat, resulting in one-dimensional archetypes instead of a cast with personality and motivations. Imagine the depth and complexity fantasy fiction characters might have if writers spent as much [...]
Feeling like a writer
Filed under Writing Journal on June 16, 2009
Tagged: fantasy fiction, writing
I write for a living. I spend eight hours a day, Monday through Friday, sitting at a desk writing. I write business requirements, use cases, test cases, and technical documentation. It is a rare occasion that I finish my day feeling like a writer, however. No sense of euphoria or completeness, as though I’d found [...]
Get your ham-sized fist here
Filed under Market Report on June 9, 2009
Tagged: awards, fantasy fiction
Awards serve two primary purposes: to stroke the ego of the award-winner and attempt to raise awareness. There are three major awards for fantasy fiction: the World Fantasy award, the Hugo, and the Nebula. Both the Hugo and the Nebula do not differentiate between science fiction and fantasy in their categories. Nominations and voting are [...]
