An example of me getting a bit rambly during the previous week’s dictation session. This got cut because Maxim’s cousin Victor interjected himself into the conversation earlier than I originally thought. And it’s not entirely in character for Maxim to try to shield Chloe to that extent.
Continue reading “Friday Fragments: Chloe and the Wolf”Category: Weird Science
Weird Wednesday: Red Right Hand by Joel Townsley Owens
This was originally published as a novella in a pulp magazine in 1945 before being expanded into a full-length novel and re-published in that form, and it feels somewhat padded in the middle. It’s a weird, rambly first person sort of thing that sounds like the author managed to get Raymond Chandler and Edgar Allen Poe stuck in his head simultaneously. Usually hyped as a mystery story with extra atmosphere, I would say rather that it’s a psychological horror story which uses mystery tropes to help ground itself. Above the cut, I will only say that Red Right Hand spends about a quarter of its length hinting in one particular direction, and the middle two quarters basically saying that possible solution out loud while simultaneously laying down markers for the actual resolution in the final quarter. More interesting than good, and not helped by the fact that the only truly sympathetic characters – the policemen and the damsel in distress – are pretty peripheral. But it’s very much its own thing, and if that counts for anything with you, it might be worth a try. Just remember, if you find yourself thinking that “obvious solution is obvious,” stick around to the end.
More detailed, spoilery thoughts below the cut. Leave now or be spoiled.
Continue reading “Weird Wednesday: Red Right Hand by Joel Townsley Owens”Music Monday By Suno: Door Into Summer
Suno wouldn’t let me use the opening paragraphs of Robert Heinlein’s Door Into Summer as song lyrics (no, it’s not a copyright issue, I’ve gotten Suno to use Star Wars dialogue as lyrics in the past), so instead I gave it a general prompt based on the anecdote of the cat who won’t accept that all doors lead to winter snow: https://suno.com/song/a611bcd1-1579-45bf-ae34-0a2f2732d4e7?sh=Rvqz0Izo10EGxrJv
Friday Fragments: Chloe on Maxim’s Cousin Victor
I cut this bit during the dictation cleanup process because it’s kind of rambly, and it’s not literally true that all Chloe knows about Maxim’s cousin is his parentage. Back in Wolf’s Trail, she also had to look up stuff in a book Victor wrote.
I’d heard references once or twice to Victor. Maxim and the other Storm Crows seemed to respect him, while the Continentals—the ordinary people of Noricum with no ancient knowledge or long lifespan—seemed to fear him. The only thing I knew for certain of him was that he was Jerome’s son, and Jerome I had no particular use for.
Frequently Seen Questions About Writing
Occasionally, I offer moral support and solutions that worked for me in the comments section of other writing blogs, but I don’t do a lot of it here. What works for me might not work for you, and vice versa. That being said, I’m seeing certain things come up over and over again in certain places on the web, and I feel like I have to put my oar in. Since nobody asked me, I can’t call them “Frequently Asked Questions,” but I feel comfortable calling this “Frequently Seen Questions…”
Continue reading “Frequently Seen Questions About Writing”Midjourney Monday: Spot the Difference
I had to use “Vary Region” on this image. Vary Region is a Midjourney tool which keeps most of the image intact and only changes one area in it. The first image below is the revised image, the second one below is the original. Can you see what was changed?
Continue reading “Midjourney Monday: Spot the Difference”Midjourney Monday: Reception Area aboard The Last Repose
From the space regency, a brief bit of scene setting and the image which helped me visualize it, although you can also see where I chose to ignore it:
Continue reading “Midjourney Monday: Reception Area aboard The Last Repose”Happy Valentine’s Day…And A Book Sale!
Hans G. Schantz has graciously included Undead Flight in his quarterly book sale, covering over 200 books! Undead Flight, the second book in the Hunter Healer King series, is just 99 cents USD, like many of the books in the sale. The rest of the books in the sale are free. With so many books from so many different authors, I’m sure there’s something for everyone in there, so please be sure and check it out!
Music Monday by Suno: The Laundry Song
We were, several of us together, lamenting laundry chores on Discord, so I asked Suno to write lyrics and music to a country western song about laundry.
Friday Fragments: The Wounding of the Quantum Tree
When I created the Jaiya setting, I thought it best, for various reasons, to use my own religion as the inspiration for the cosmogony and beliefs of the settings, rather than messing around with other people’s religions. So, here is Afaro Viamafar, “The Wounding of the Tree of Choices”, sometimes also titled “The Wounding of the Quantum Tree.” Parts of it are quoted as chapter headings in the novel Seeking the Quantum Tree. Apparently there are other scriptural writings in the setting (you can see passing references in the text below to at least two others), but this is the only one I ever wrote out in full, and one of the first things I wrote in the setting.
Continue reading “Friday Fragments: The Wounding of the Quantum Tree”
Jaglion Press 