Sci-Fi Time Capsule: The Twilight Zone “Escape Clause”
This week in Sci-Fi Time Capsule, we go way back. The Twilight Zone started in 1959, and "Escape Clause" is an all-time classic from the first season. (WARNING: Spoilers begin below) Brief Summary A miserable, abusive hypochondriac named Walter Bedeker is terrified of...
The 5 Keys to Seamless Worldbuilding
When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all. -God Entity (Futurama) One of the biggest mistakes in worldbuilding is letting people see the edges. The goal of worldbuilding is to create a believable world, and leaving obvious clues that...
Divide and conquer: Collaborative author platform building strategies for self-published authors
This week I'm introducing a guest feature from my publisher / wife. Since she handles the majority of the business, it's an opportunity for you to get an in-depth perspective on some of operational and entrepreneurial aspects of being a self-published author....
Great Scott! It’s the Future
Back in 1989, Back to the Future Part II came out in theaters. Unlike its retro predecessor, this movie looked ahead to the future, which arrived this past January 1st. (Yes, we now live in the future, in case smart phones and 3D printing weren't heavy enough hints)....
Sci-Fi Time Capsule: Back to the Future Edition
This week in a special edition of Sci-Fi Time Capsule, a look back at the Back to the Future trilogy. This is not a seminal time-travel movie. Jules Verne and Mark Twain both paved the way for such fare long before, and The Terminator had a dark take on time travel...
New Year’s Resolutions for 2015
The theme of this year's resolutions is "Taking My Own Advice." So, looking back on what I blogged about in 2014, what should I focus on for 2015? Keep up with writing reviews for the books I read As a self-published author, reviews show prospective readers that my...
My Holiday Book Acquisitions
Well, Christmas 2014 has come and gone, and my relatives have once again piled me with books to get next year's reading started. As I continue my quest to dip my toes in the water of every notable series I can lay my hands on, 4 of the 5 books are either first in a...
How to Handle Surprises
Most people like surprises. For this discussion, we're going to ignore the ones who don't. We're also going to skip discussing unpleasant surprises, like finding the last page of a book missing, or a sudden abandonment of the main plot. So how do you handle a...
The Twelve Days of Fantasy
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3 Tips on How to Write a Setting
Without a setting, your story takes place on a blank stage, with characters and actions without a backdrop. But how to go about presenting your setting is a balancing act. What's the right mix? Appropriate to the Story Your description of scene needs to convey an...