June 2013

A Couple Articles On Publishing

I said yesterday that I’ve learned a lot about publishing since last posting. One of the ways I’ve done that is by seeking a balance in the information I ingest. I read a lot from self-published authors and supporters (Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Katherine Rusch, The Book Designer, The Passive Voice)as well as traditional publishing supporters (Janet Reid, Tobias Bucknell, Nathan Bransford, and various other agent’s blogs). I want to share a couple of articles, because I think they present some good opinions on both side. First off, Tobias Bucknell’s article on Survivorship Bias. It’s about the success you’re seeing in self publishing being the only voice, or the loudest voice, because of the sort of “cause” surrounding it. Anyone who disparrages it is seen as a defeatist or anti revolutionary. It’s a really good article and worth reading even if you’re not looking at publishing. That type of bias…

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The Red Wedding

I don’t watch the Game of Thrones, mainly because I can’t afford HBO. Also, I read the books and there is just only so much of that torture you can put yourself through. Don’t misunderstand, I love them, but I once read that George R. R. Martin wanted his readers to be afraid to turn the page. He is really, really good at that. Too good. The reason I bring this up? The show just caught up to the Red Wedding. Yep. The Red Wedding. I’ve been saying this since the show first came out, and especially since it’s popularity took off. You people, the ones who don’t read the books, who think they know where it’s going, who think they know what they’re in for, you know nothing! Listen. Listen hard. That sound you hear? That bone breaking, soul wrenching sound?  Want to know what that sound is? That’s the…

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Bioshock Infinite: A late Review

First and foremost to say about Bioshock Infinite, it is a fantastic video game and one of the single greatest arguments I have ever seen for the artistic quality of the medium. It is vibrant, with strong characters, and a great plot. So let’s talk about some of this. By now, everyone probably gets the gist of things. Bioshock has always been a world driven production. Whereas the first two took place in the underwater city of Rapture, this one takes place in the floating city of Columbia. Whereas Rapture was driven by personal development, hard work, science, the arts, business, Columbia is driven purely by fanatical religion and nationalism. Now, some people might have a problem with some of the portrayals in the game. White people, Christians, religion in general, and civic pride are depicted as horrible, the root of all evil. Keep in mind though that the Bioshock…

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Story Arcs Has Moved Here!

I have a post up on the old Story Arcs announcing this, but I had a lot more to say and thought it really needed to be here. About a year or so ago I created my first blog (actually my second or third, but the first I really kept up with) for the purpose of looking at several topics. First and foremost, writing. I am a writer and aspiring author. I have one book completed and the second well on its way. I wrote about several things in the publishing industry (as I learned them) as well as the various things I love about Fantasy and Science Fiction. I also write about games, movies, shows, anything that peaks my interest. This new site will follow that same format for the most part. The blog is still dedicated to all those nerd habits, but I also intend it to be…

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