“Though no pleasant task to bring this sad after part to the notice of the reader, it is nevertheless a tale that may be interesting for him to ponder; and instructive, as affording matter for the employment of reflection, and instituting a heartier sympathy with those upon whose life the clouds and pangs of severe reverses and misfortunes have rested.” (page 10) Continue reading
“Just as the sun was gladdening the clear west, and throwing its golden farewells upon the innumerable peaks that stretched into a forest of mountains gradually rising until they seemed to lean against the sun clad shoulders of the Rocky Range, imparadising the whole plain and mountain country in its radiant embrace, [etc., etc.]” (page 2) Continue reading
This is the sixth and final part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
The Female Body as Text: Symptoms and Subversions of Systematized Dystopic Oppression in Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta
Mari Murdock presented an academic look at how women fight oppression in a dystopian society. Continue reading
This is the fifth part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
Writing Steampunk
I didn’t take a lot of notes for this panel. John M. Olsen said steampunk is often focused on aesthetic rather than technology. For example, steampunk machines use brass because it looks cool even though aluminum is lighter. He recommended including all five senses when writing. Include the smell of burning coal, the sound of gears and whistles, etc. Continue reading
This is the forth part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
Keynote Guest of Honor: Jo Walton
Jo Walton said the secret of writing is to just do it. Continue reading
This is the third part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
Kinship Systems from Around the World
Daniel Jeffery said threat of injury is a deterrent to predators. They don’t want to attack unless they’re sure of success. In poetry, you can only break the rules if you know you’re breaking the rules.
Megan Hutchins explained that in matrilineal systems, your sister’s son is your heir while your own sons are somewhere else, which can make for an interesting dynamic in fiction. Leonardo da Vinci was a bastard child and didn’t fit into a kinship system, which led to him becoming an apprentice. Often the most interesting stories are those of people who don’t neatly fit into their society. Continue reading
This is the second part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
The Slush Pile Simulator presented by Angie Fenimore
This was the most depressing panel I attended. Angie Fenimore started out by telling us that 3,000 books get published every day. Most of them are self-published so it’s a good idea to have an agent or an editor to give you an extra edge. How do you get an agent or editor? Editors and agents are looking for the ideal client, someone who is professional and stands out. Continue reading
I recently attended the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference in nearby Provo, Utah between February 15-17. There were usually several panels going on at any given time, so I obviously didn’t see everything, but I did take notes on the panels I attended. I was disappointed that the SWAG bag didn’t have any free ebooks to download this year, but since I’m still catching up on the books I got last year, that’s probably for the best. Continue reading
“I had begun to throw on my clothes, but the way Larry said that stopped me with one leg in my jeans, the other hanging in air as I hopped around with all the dignity of Kanye West at the Grammys.”
The Longest Con by Michaelbrent Collings is a semi-autobiographical horror comedy that takes place during a Comic Con type convention. There are cos-players, panels, vendor booths, celebrities like Stan Lee, a game room, and everything else you’d expect at such a convention. However, there’s also a hidden world of supernatural creatures including brownies, dwarves, vampires, werewolves, witches, succubi, gremlins, and so forth who like to go to conventions dressed up as people… and not all of them like to play nice. Continue reading
I can’t help comparing Byron’s poems to those of Keats and Shelley. Like them, he liked writing about Greek mythology, gave long descriptions of nature, and had an obsession with death. Byron seemed to write more about lost love than they did. He also lived longer than them and produced a lot more writing. Perhaps due to this, he moved on from the familiar themes into new territory. Compared to them, he was also something of a bad boy and gave us the Byronic anti-hero. The protagonists of his poems and plays are often deeply flawed, yet still sympathetic characters. (Byron even makes us feel sympathy for the Biblical Cain.) Continue reading
