Monthly Archives: January 2014

Agent of Argyre, Alterpedia, FICTION

Alterpedia: Dwarves

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In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Dwarves

Short, angry and hairy: Dwarves are the Norse version of Chibification, with all of the personality quirks of the Viking horde at a quarter of the terror.

Like cute little mascots they’ve represented hairy axe-wielding maniacs from the North for centuries. Given credit for fine craftsmanship and excellent skill in battle, besides from this the Dwarves are, today, primarily known for being the butt of many jokes and having a striking resemblance to certain team mascots.

So what do we really know about them?

Continue reading Alterpedia: Dwarves →

Writing

Don’t Kill The Messenger: 4 Tips To Avoid Soap-boxing

As I said on Monday in a lengthy introduction: it’s impossible for an author to remove themselves completely from their own work. No matter what you do, you’re going to bleed into it and people are going to be able to see what you think and feel about subjects through how you portray them in the things you’ve written.

Sometimes it can be incredibly subtle, left up for interpretation throughout the ages. But for others it can be painfully obvious. At this point we reach a stage where someone does what we call “soap boxing” or, worse, the dreaded Mary Sue insertion. As much as you want people to know you through your writing, you also want to let them have their own experience and come to their own conclusions. A good writer will have a message and a theme in their work, a great writer will guide the reader into discovering it for themselves.

So how does someone stay true to themselves without overwhelming the work and bogging it down with their own personality?

Continue reading Don’t Kill The Messenger: 4 Tips To Avoid Soap-boxing →

About me, Observations

Church and State

A couple of years ago, I published a book. It was terrifying, especially in a niche genre as an independent. But then I was told I needed to take even more risks and talk about myself in public. I couldn’t just let my work speak for itself because that just isn’t how you sell books today.

For a while, I blogged about myself and my opinions on the world. But it always felt a little unrelated to what I was trying to sell. After all, since I wrote fiction, it felt difficult to talk about the real world and the fictional world in the same breath.

Over time I’ve realized you can’t separate the book from the author. My view, my experiences, and my opinions will always shape the world that I’ve created. I can limit and control that, but I can’t erase it.

So maybe it’s time I started talking about myself again. Continue reading Church and State →

Observations, Publishing, Writing

The Real Reason Shia LaBeouf Needs To Go Away

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As many of you have found out in recent weeks and months, Shia LaBeouf is a prolific plagiarizer. It’s not just that he has stolen whole works, but, in fact, even takes quotes as his own in the midst of interviews. Even his attempts to tweet apologies for his plagiarism are stolen material. In fact, as far as I’m aware, the only thing Shia LaBeouf has ever done that is 100% original to himself is say his name.

And while I’m willing to forgive that… he has to go. Continue reading The Real Reason Shia LaBeouf Needs To Go Away →