Ah, yes. My latest column for DIY MFA has come out.
The science in your science fiction: conventional space travel.
In a future post, I’m thinking of chatting about theoretical models of space travel.
Come on over for a visit and check out the great writers’ resources!
Until tomorrow, be well.
Join me over at DIY MFA where my latest article, Speculating Your Future is now posted.
It’s not my usual Speculations post.
Aside from my regular column, I pitched an idea for a #5onFri post about writing cruise.
Yeah. Cause I went on one of those 😉
Please, join me over at DIY MFA for #5onFri: Five reasons to book a writing cruise.
Good afternoon writerly folk!
I’m hot off the NaNoWriMo crazy train and back to kick the blog into high gear again.
Tomorrow, I’ll be providing you with a detailed breakdown of October and November’s writing progress with my next chapter update (flailing Kermit arms–aaaaaahhhhhhh!).
In the meantime, join me over at DIY MFA for my latest column: five nursery rhyme origins to spark your next story!
Until tomorrow, be well my friends.
Hi all you writerly people!
Over the summer, I fell behind in sharing my DIY MFA columns. I know, I said I was going to post to let you know when they were out … but life happened and sharing the posts was the last thing on my mind.
Now I’ve come home and life is more or less in order again, I thought I’d catch everyone up.
First, my latest Speculations column, the science in your science fiction: artificial intelligence. This was just published yesterday (October 17).
D’aw, isn’t this lil guy cute?
Earlier in the summer, though, I did a two part post on the hero’s journey. Part one: strengthen your writing by studying the hero’s journey. This was posted July 25, two days before I left for my European adventure.
Part two: a deep dive into the hero’s journey. This one was due within days of my return and was posted September 7.
I hope you enjoy.
And while you’re there, check out the other awesome columnists and all of Gabriela’s great resources. If you like what you see, join the DIY MFA community 🙂
See you tomorrow!
I hope this batch of thoughty pops your mental corn (i.e. sets off a chain reaction that results in awesome creativity)!
Why the Middle Ages are called the dark ages. Medievalists.net
Dr. Dark Age begins a series on the “Dark Enlightenment” on Public Medievalist with this post: a brief history of a terrible idea. Fascinating reading. The gist is this: “’Dark Enlightenment’ (DE) is a theory dreamed up by self-styled Internet philosophers who claim to trace modern-day problems to the end of the Middle Ages. According to DE proponents, the Enlightenment’s humanism, democracy, and quest for equality are responsible for the decay of Western civilization.”
Simon Segal reports on the case of the curious crystal weapons (sorry to max out the alliteration there). Curious Mind Magazine
Lady Gaga on GoalCast: remember who you are.
Leroy Little Bear: Canada is a pretend nation. REDxTalks
Sylvia Van Kirk relates the tale of Thanadelthur, the Chipewyan known as “Slave Woman.” Canada’s History Mel’s note: Thanadelthur’s life and deeds were recorded primarily by the white men whom she helped. Keep this in mind as you read.
Robert Kolker introduces us to Thomas Hargrove, a life-long “data guy” who’s working on an algorithm that identifies trends in unsolved murders. Bloomberg Businessweek
Cade Metz says the danger of artificial intelligence isn’t Skynet, but the end of the middle class. Wired
Bad astronomer Phil Plait has moved to SyFyWire and shares this amazing image of Jupiter from below. Later in the week, Phil turns his gaze earthward to examine the mysterious blue jets that blast up from certain storm clouds. Then, he offered some tips on how to best see Friday’s penumbral lunar eclipse. Sadly, it was a snowy night here in the Sudz, and I couldn’t see a thing 😦
Anna Vlasits introduces us to the secret, skin-powered alphabet of squid. Wired
Short, but sweet, I hope you agree 🙂
See you on the weekend with more WorldCon reportage.
Be well, be kind, and stay strong!
Time to get your thoughty on!
This is the only post I’m sharing on the Trump thing from last week: every woman in America knows Donald Trump and Billy Bush. Erin Gloria Ryan for The Daily Beast. Seriously, after hearing him say that rapacious shit—I have no words.
Michelle Obama had plenty, however. I’ll let her speak for the outrage we should all be feeling right now:
John Ralston Saul on the CBC’s Unreserved: indigenous peoples don’t need your sympathy. They need you to take action.
And though he’s dying of brain cancer, this man is acting: watch Gord Downie’s Secret Path on CBC, October 23, 2016. It should be streamed on their web site, too, in case you’re not in Canada.
Colin Schultz remembers the day Canada burned the White House. The Smithsonian Magazine
The Roma in Peterborough. John Tyler Lyon for Canada’s History.
Medievalists.net lists ten great Anglo-Saxon girls’ names.
Marianne Ailes shares new Charlemagne research for the Medievlists.net.
This is what 18th century Paris sounded like. Erin Blakemore for The Smithsonian Magazine.
Lindsay Baker looks at the 20’s, the era that changed the way we dress. BBC
Meet the woman correspondent who scooped the world. Dominique Rowe for Time.
You know how much I love abandoned places and urban exploring. Sarah Laskow of Atlas Obscura takes us on a tour of the New York public library’s last, secret apartments.
Is there a limit to how long humans can live? Richard Faragher for Quartz.
Omid Safi states that being busy is a disease. On Being
Annette Heist looks at living with anosmia. NPR
Rose Eveleth reports that people put too much emphasis on Myers-Briggs Type Inventory results. The Smithsonian Magazine
Conversations with dolphins. CBC‘s The Nature of Things.
MIT creates a world of eternal May to help save bees. Mark Wilson for Fast Company.
The colonization of Mars could put astronauts at risk of chronic dementia. Victoria Woollaston for Wired.
Neil de Grasse Tyson and Bryan Cox debate the physics of lightsabers on StarTalk. National Geographic Channel
The good people of Minute Physics explain time’s arrow. Phil Plait for Slate.
Will you become a citizen of Asgardia, the first nation state in space? Nicola Davis for The Guardian.
And if you want to find out more, here’s the Asgardia web site.
Marcel Schwantes lists twenty ways to reduce your stress. Inc.
Grace Eire offers twelve signs that you may be an old soul. Little Things
Take a first listen to Tanya Tagaq’s Retribution, courtesy of Katie Presley of NPR.
And that’s how we pop your mental corn 🙂
See you Saturday for more WorldCon reportage.
Another harvest of informal writerly learnings for you 🙂
Moar Wordstock Sudbury 2016 news from Kim Fahner, Sudbury’s Poet Laureate. CBC
Emily Franceschini interviews Danielle Daniel for Our Crater.
This week’s #NaNoWriMo round up:
Eleana Sbokou guest posts on Kate’s blog: seven things you need to know about writing and editing.
Roz Morris provides a blueprint for keeping the reader gripped. Nail Your Novel
Juliette Wade guest posts on Janice Hardy’s Fiction University: backgrounding your world through point of view.
Veronica Sicoe continues her series on storyworld design with this instalment on communication technologies.
Gabriela Pereira interviews Amor Towles for DIYMFA radio: worldbuilding from the inside out.
The book monster, or, when writing gets hard. Kate Moretti on Writer Unboxed.
Allie Larkin writes about finding confidence. Writing Unboxed
David Corbett shares what he learned at the beach this summer. And I have another book for the TBR pile 🙂 Writer Unboxed
Lisa Cron explains where drama really comes from. Writer Unboxed
Orly Konig Lopez gives three reasons quitting is an option, and the one reason you won’t. Bonus: guinea pig pictures! Writers in the Storm
Steven Pressfield reminisces about writing “as if.”
Ok. I just can’t resist Harper Lee Hodges. The four steps cats use to explain how to do something. The Write Practice
Julie Phillips: the fantastic Ursula K. Le Guin. The New Yorker
Jamie Raintree shares her story: from agent to publisher, part 1.
Why is it so difficult to get an agent? Liza Dawson Associates
Kristen Lamb explains why we need a synopsis before we write the book.
Catherine Ryan Howard explores her hate/love relationship with writers’ workshops.
Susan Spann helps us understand advances in publishing deals. Writers in the Storm
Adrienne Raphel: a history of punctuation for the internet age. The New Yorker
Four writers share their stories about the search for happiness. The Telegraph
Claire Kirch reports on We Need Diverse Books new curated reading app. Publishers Weekly
The publishing industry risks becoming irrelevant. Tom Welson of Penguin Random House UK. The Guardian
Here’s a lovely bit of storytelling for you. Dia de los muertos from Film School Shorts.
And another video on the role of geometry in visual storytelling. Now you see it
The indigenous science fiction film, Northlander, will be screened across Canada. CBC
Kameron Hurley digs into the first couple of episodes of Westworld.
Alex Cranz reviews the season premiere of Supergirl. i09
James Whitbrook says that DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is trying to be Doctor Who with superheroes, and that’s just fine by him. i09
Clara and Eleven were a couple. What we’ve all known, finally confirmed. Caitlin Busch for Inverse.
Katharine Trendacosta reviews the first Iron Fist footage from NYCC. i09
And The Nerdist shares the Iron Fist trailer.
Katharine Trendacosta shares what she learned about The Dark Tower trailer (leaked). i09
The Outlander, season two, gag reel 😀
I hope that you find some news you can use to help improve your craft.
All the best.
See you Thursday!
Time to get your mental corn a-poppin’!
Anna Lovind wants you to find the vision that wants to be born through you.
Kristen Lamb takes aim at the fashion industry.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: we should all be feminists. TEDX Euston.
Illustrator Rasneth (Razzy) shows bros why everyone needs feminism. Bust
Daphne Patai: how diversity came to mean “downgrading the west.” Minding the Campus
Throat singer Tanya Tagaq combats indigenous stereotypes. Liz Przybylski for KCET.
Exorbitant food prices on the James Bay coast mean that children are going hungry. Olivia Stefanovich for CBC.
The Irena Sendler story.
Sweden is officially moving to a six-hour work day.
The wreckage of Sir John Franklin’s HMS Terror may have been found. Garrett Hinchey for CBC.
Phil Plait features Xkcd’s latest comic on global warming. Slate
Anna Nowogrodzki shares a first glimpse of a black hole being born from a star’s remains. New Scientist
Ria Misra reports on new evidence that points to a different theory for the moon’s formation. Gizmodo
The Martian landscape looks like Utah. Phil Plait for Slate.
Wasn’t sure where to put this . . . creepy. David Brown reports on the discovery of a skeleton that points to cannibalism in the Jamestown colony. The Washington Post
Photographer, Lorenzo Montezemolo, takes enchanting long exposure shots of fog over California. My Modern Met
Elyse Wanshel lists ten ways dogs show they love you. The Little Things
Hugs and stuff, ‘cause you’re all grand, you are!
See you Saturday for some movie madness and some series discoveries (midseason follies).
Always Looking Up 