And that’s what I love about this book. The small things–the personal–become epic triumphs.
Blog
Query Queueing (QQs)
Even if your prose would make McCarthy cry with jealousy, your book will not see the light of day without a well-crafted query.
“Rantasy” or; Hi, Fantasy, I’m Zach
Place yourself in a writer’s shoes, and you find yourself in an interesting situation. First of all, why’d you steal those shoes? Do they even fit you? Secondly, a person asks you “what’s your book about?” the primary modus used to explain books is by genre. And that’s where I answer “well, it’s a fantasy book,” and already people jump to conclusions about the book and the quality of the story.
Review of Patrick Rothfuss’ NAME OF THE WIND
The Name of the Wind is a frame story, and is the first in the Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy. It’s great as a bildungsroman, but also deals with the afterward of that oft-told tale: of a man who has become a legend in his own time. It’s a self-acknowledged story about stories, and I love it dearly.
Prepare to be Uninspired!
This is why it’s easy to dismiss writing as “creative fun” rather than “work”. If someone were to take a peek at me during the percolation stage, they’d have reason to think I was joking around about being an author. I mean, look! He’s just staring at the screen, drooling and drinking a never-ending tumbler of iced coffee…
Don’t Overthink It
We hold expectations of ourselves that we import from stuff like TV, conversations, role models and the like. And if we think about them too long or too hard, we end up on our butts, too.
Parentheses
Here’s how it worked: I’d play through and etude, and 90% of it was okay, but then I’d get to that 10% where the shit would hit the fan. I avoided utter embarrassment by employing the musical equivalent of cursing under your breath so that your mother can’t hear you (which never fools anyone).
Fear, in a handful of Pictures; the Inner Critic Striketh Again!
Some folks call their Inner Critic ‘writer’s block’ and, since this is such a well-known issue, accept the fact that their creative brain is diseased for at least the rest of the day and content themselves with email checking and Tumblr tumbling. The concept of ‘writer’s block’ has never made sense to me, simply because it’s not a valid excuse for other professions, so it shouldn’t be for mine, either.
The Author-ly Myth of ‘Inspiration’
So when you picture a writer as that guy who sits at Starbucks® sipping his Flat White®, waiting for divine inspiration to fill his blank word document, please know that I’m going to try to slap you through the internet. And I’m not gonna feel bad about it.
Review of Scott Lynch’s LIES
The debut story of Locke Lamora is gripping and crammed with an intense gamut of emotion. Though the secondary world is vividly realized, the characters are what make this novel shine. The dialogue is sharply witty and every motivation fits its corresponding personality like a snug winter jacket. Sections of intentional world-building stood out from the rest of the action, but even though this stole some momentum from the main plot, each instance of description was redeemed through later relevance. My only disappointment was in the main character, the titular…