All posts by Jeremy Varner

Observations, Sci-Fi, Writing

Science Fiction as Metaphor

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A while ago I came across an article about science fiction that caught my attention. The article was a decent argument that I felt had at least some validity, so of course I shared “Our Science Fiction Movies Hate Science Fiction” on Twitter and mentioned I didn’t agree with everything in it. Sadly, 140 characters isn’t nearly enough to start talking about the failings of a fairly long article. So like any opinionated guy on the internet I decided to blog about it to those of you silly enough to give me the page views.

It all started with Elysium.

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About me, Publishing, Writing

I Return From The Desert: 10 Commandments For Starting Indies

A couple of years ago, wandering through the southern California desert, I saw a burning bush (as is typical of the region for 9 months out of the year). And during the time when this bush was burning I swear I heard someone telling me that it would be a good idea to go and do something that everyone else figured was damn foolish. Now, as I say this, you might think that I was dehydrated or suffering a heat stroke in the sun. You might even think that the bush in question was of a questionable form of herb that wasn’t legal in the country I reside in. But whatever was happening in those moments I can tell you one thing for certain:

Never take your career advice from a hallucination.

Two years later and I’ve found that being indie is a longer, harder road than I even imagined. Honestly, I burned out and lost my way for a while. Thankfully, it wasn’t 40 years, but I have come back rocking a freshly styled beard and sporting a brand new manuscript that I swear wasn’t written by some mysterious ghost writer.

And anyone who claims otherwise is a damned liar

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Observations

A moment of common sense…

Hi there, sorry that I’ve been missing for so long. In fact, writing this, I see I’ve been gone long enough that blogger’s changed their layout, funny. It’s not that I’ve run out of things to say – I’ve just been in self-imposed exile to work on another novel and focus on relaunching my first novel in a more organized fashion. Essentially, I’m hiding to lick my wounds. But, I had to come out and say something because two things that I’m really passionate about came together in a bad fashion and I just couldn’t stay silent anymore: Gun Violence and Batman.

I’m not trying to make light of that by saying it that way, it seriously does bother me that Batman of all things became the scene of a crazed shooter. It’s not because of the fact I’m a fan of Batman – it’s because I’m a fan of kids. On that night in that theater, regardless of the rating of the movie or the fact it was midnight, there were going to be kids there because it was Batman. And you know what? There were.

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Publishing, Sci-Fi, Writing

Everything Old Is New Again: Evolution of a Genre

A couple entries ago I spoke of how Hunger Games was, in fact, a bit derivative. But, as I stated then, that’s a good thing. Holding onto conventions and rooting your works in the timeless aspects of the human experience is not only a benefit to your works but a necessity. And, because of this continual line that you can trace through works throughout time, you can follow this and see that old genres never really go away but rather evolve into something new. And evolution, regardless of context, can often be a strange force that can be hard for people to understand.

Proof of Karma?

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About me, Observations, Writing

Dangers of the Digital Age

As anyone reading this blog more than once could probably figure out, I’m a big supporter of digital formats being a way to bring the written word to the world quickly, cheaply and efficiently. There’s a lot of strengths to the format and I’ve talked about them frequently. But, while every format has its strengths, it also has its weaknesses. One of the weaknesses, I’m afraid, is that there’s no physical copy… who knew?

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Publishing, Sci-Fi, Writing

Everything Old is New Again: The Generation Gap

Last week, I went over some things I’ve seen or heard from writers, critics and even the audience about the relationship between the creators and their audience. The contract, the acceptance of new words and even the idea that there were no new ideas. But, when addressing “no new ideas” I came to think about it and realize that there was still something to be said about that. I’ve already expressed my opinion on the concept that there were “no new ideas”, but there are facets that I didn’t think to talk about at the time.

Namely: Why is it that an idea that clearly has roots in conventions has managed to surpass others of its kind?

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About me, Observations, Writing

Inherent BS: Reader-Writer Contract?

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This may come as a shock to you, but I’m not just a writer, I’m a gamer. Go figure, right? But the thing about it is that recently the two worlds have been merging more and more as games with real plots have started to become the standard bearers for the rest of the industry. Writing for games has actually, in some studios, become respectable. And at the forefront of a lot of this was a game series called Mass Effect.

And then they fucked it up.

I’m not saying that as a judgment of the quality of their last game but rather as a judgment of their position in the eyes of their fans. You see, if you’re unaware, there was a bit of a controversy not long ago about the release of the final game in the trilogy, Mass Effect 3. The ending for this game was apparently so counter to what the fans expected that there was what could be called a… nuclear meltdown. The fans of the series, at least a large portion of them, have said they felt betrayed by the results of Mass Effect 3’s last 10 to 20 minutes of game time. How betrayed? Well one person actually reported them to the Federal Trade Commission for, apparently, fraud.

Even the characters are confused

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Observations, Writing

Inherent BS: Writing Tips – No New Ideas?

The Hunger Games film has come out and it is currently doing spectacularly. In it’s opening weekend it managed to beat the first film in the Twilight Saga and several of my more feminist minded friends have cheered the fact that the current fad among teen girls happens to be centered on what can easily be defined as a strong willed, self sufficient and capable female lead that isn’t constantly helpless or tripping over herself.

katniss-everdeen-photo

This is progress people.

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Observations, Writing

Inherent BS: Writing Tips – Don’t Make Up Words?

There’s a piece of common wisdom that has been around the writing community forever, especially in the sci-fi and fantasy groups. It is so old and so frequently echoed that I can’t even remember who first said it because every time you hear it someone presents it as something they came up with themselves. It changes from person to person, but the basic concept is always the same:

“Don’t create new words”

That’s it – clean, clear and simple. So, of course, that’s what you should strive to do, right? You should make every effort to avoid making up a new word if you can because the act of creating new words is the mark of an amateur that will live in obscurity for the rest of time. You know, like Shakespeare.

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FICTION, Satire

Checklist for the Aftermath

Saint Patrick’s Day has rolled on through and you just woke up from your blind stupor. That was some party, wasn’t it? You’re dazed, confused and probably wondering just what the hell you did over the last couple of days. First, just to be clear, as of this writing, it is Monday, you blacked out and it’s probably for the best you can’t remember what you did for that day. If you go to church, though, they are going to be judgmental about it next week. As a catholic this is fine since you’re likely to just have to say a few Hail Marys and put up with being nudged a little when it’s your turn with the sacramental wine. But there’s some more important things to consider.

Don’t be ashamed to admit that you’ve had a problem in the past. Obviously, if you’re reading this now with a cup of coffee and no memory of the last 48 hours, you’ve had a bit of a drinking problem. With your tendency to get blitzed to the point of complete blackout, you’ve likely got a record (unless, of course, you work for Wall Street, then you’ve probably been rewarded for your criminal activities during your momentary lapse of consciousness).

So, if you do have a probation, and you probably do, there’s a quick checklist you need to check before you continue on with your day:

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