Monday, May 2, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Writing and the Internet
Patricia C Wrede's observations regarding Internet pros and cons are words of wisdom worth reading, contemplating, and putting into practice. She touches on some advantageous aspects of the Internet as well as a few treacherous pitfalls.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
News from Chris A Jackson
On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 10:56 AM, Chris A Jackson wrote:
Hey all,
Well, the computer is recovered from the crash, and I'm up and running!
Jundag, Book 3 of The Cornerstones Trilogy, is up on Amazon, so you can finally fulfill your fix and get the final book in the series. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Jundag-Cornerstones-Trilogy-Chris-Jackson/dp/1439229597
Also, Scimitar's Heir, book 3 in the series of Scimitar Seas novels is in the final edit stages, way ahead of schedule. We will be back in the states for Gen Con in August, for the release of the "Hero Comes Home" anthology, edited by Gabriel Harbowy, my DMP editor, and Ed Greenwood, creator of The Forgotten Realms! We will, of course, also be doing Dragon Con again, where Scimitar's Heir will be released.
Also, Scimitar Sun is a finalist for the ForeWord Book of the Year award this year. WOOT! Wish me luck!
Big year! Here it comes!
Thank you all!
Chris
Hey all,
Well, the computer is recovered from the crash, and I'm up and running!
Jundag, Book 3 of The Cornerstones Trilogy, is up on Amazon, so you can finally fulfill your fix and get the final book in the series. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Jundag-Cornerstones-Trilogy-Chris-Jackson/dp/1439229597
Also, Scimitar's Heir, book 3 in the series of Scimitar Seas novels is in the final edit stages, way ahead of schedule. We will be back in the states for Gen Con in August, for the release of the "Hero Comes Home" anthology, edited by Gabriel Harbowy, my DMP editor, and Ed Greenwood, creator of The Forgotten Realms! We will, of course, also be doing Dragon Con again, where Scimitar's Heir will be released.
Also, Scimitar Sun is a finalist for the ForeWord Book of the Year award this year. WOOT! Wish me luck!
Big year! Here it comes!
Thank you all!
Chris
Friday, March 18, 2011
Blogs (and other such nonsense)
The world has transformed into a morass of blogs, tweets, and social networking.
I'm not certain that this phenomenon is a bad thing, but I do harbor some concern that it indicates a growing cultural inability to sustain coherent thought for more than a couple hundred words at a time... Is this the onset of LADD (Literary Attention Deficit Disorder)?
So, risking the possibility I may fall victim to LADD, I sit down to compose a blog post in the tried and true hunt-and-peck style. I pause to ponder, and come to the conclusion that whatever I write certainly will be lost among these billions upon billions of words that don't really exist, but appear as if by magic through the technology of the Internet. Perhaps I should be grateful of that, for I also realize I have little talent at stringing together these short streams of wit. Each time I've made an earnest effort at writing a few words of merit to post in a blog, the attempt seems to end as either a failure or a dismal failure.
Ah well, c'est la vie...
I'm not certain that this phenomenon is a bad thing, but I do harbor some concern that it indicates a growing cultural inability to sustain coherent thought for more than a couple hundred words at a time... Is this the onset of LADD (Literary Attention Deficit Disorder)?
So, risking the possibility I may fall victim to LADD, I sit down to compose a blog post in the tried and true hunt-and-peck style. I pause to ponder, and come to the conclusion that whatever I write certainly will be lost among these billions upon billions of words that don't really exist, but appear as if by magic through the technology of the Internet. Perhaps I should be grateful of that, for I also realize I have little talent at stringing together these short streams of wit. Each time I've made an earnest effort at writing a few words of merit to post in a blog, the attempt seems to end as either a failure or a dismal failure.
Ah well, c'est la vie...
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Phil Collins "Gorilla Drummer"
And if that isn't enough, then here's a little Harry Nilsson for you!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Comfort Zone
As writers, what role does having a comfort zone play in our productivity?
For that matter, which aspect of comfort affects our work the most?
Does comfort zone mean having a comfortable (or creatively stimulating) environment? Is it a place -- not simply a place, but the place? Does it mean getting into the writing mood by wearing that favorite "writing sweater" (is it of the old and threadbare variety or is it a newer, warm and snugly one)? Does comfort zone hinge on delving into yet another piece of writing safely within the confines of our usual genre?
But, perhaps more importantly, can comfort zone be accurately defined as the literary opposite of writer's block?
For that matter, which aspect of comfort affects our work the most?
Does comfort zone mean having a comfortable (or creatively stimulating) environment? Is it a place -- not simply a place, but the place? Does it mean getting into the writing mood by wearing that favorite "writing sweater" (is it of the old and threadbare variety or is it a newer, warm and snugly one)? Does comfort zone hinge on delving into yet another piece of writing safely within the confines of our usual genre?
But, perhaps more importantly, can comfort zone be accurately defined as the literary opposite of writer's block?
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
When the Hero Comes Home
Chris A Jackson has a short story scheduled for publication in a 2011 anthology release from DragonMoon Press!
Title: WHEN THE HERO COMES HOME
ISBN-13: 978-1-897492-25-3
Release Date: August, 2011
Publisher: Dragon Moon Press
Format: Trade Paperback, E-book
Distributor: Ingram
The anthology features new fiction by Jay Lake, Todd McCaffrey, Julie Kagawa, and an all-new Jig the Goblin story by Jim C. Hines.
Release at GenCon!
Consulting the map and compass
Worthy of a little discussion!
In a very recent comment here, Angela pondered: "...what's the goal of tHP? What ties us together and makes others want to join us? I have my opinion, but I'm curious how other people view the group."
To answer briefly, tHP was created to support the idea that, first and foremost, creativity is (and should be) FUN. However, the mechanics of the "creative fun theory" is rather more complicated, and becomes increasingly more complex with the arrival and acceptance of each new member into tHP.
As it continues to evolve, the face of tHP becomes something just a little different from each of its previous countenances. Stripping away all the various costumes and masks, what I feel remains is the bare, innate need of its members to create...
In a very recent comment here, Angela pondered: "...what's the goal of tHP? What ties us together and makes others want to join us? I have my opinion, but I'm curious how other people view the group."
To answer briefly, tHP was created to support the idea that, first and foremost, creativity is (and should be) FUN. However, the mechanics of the "creative fun theory" is rather more complicated, and becomes increasingly more complex with the arrival and acceptance of each new member into tHP.
As it continues to evolve, the face of tHP becomes something just a little different from each of its previous countenances. Stripping away all the various costumes and masks, what I feel remains is the bare, innate need of its members to create...
As tHP's founder, I, too, am intensely curious about the views of others, so please do try to answer Angela's question. Knowing the needs and wants of tHP's members is 90% of sculpting tHP into an environment that reflects those needs and wants.
-- Jim
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