A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the idea of focusing on short stories rather than full-length books for our summer reading lists. Although no one else has yet picked up the challenge, I have already barreled ahead on my own.
Having picked up a copy of the May/June Fantasy & Science Fiction journal, I read two stories in particular that really stood out for me.
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Here’s an interesting idea. Melbourne’s Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas is hosting a literary speed dating event in July as part of their “Week of Love and Lust.”
The idea is that the love of reading is a strong tie that can spark good conversation, affection, and maybe more. Wonder if such a thing might work north of Oz?
The article on the event at the Sydney Morning Herald is great, and goes on to provide a peek into romance among various publishing types like historians, playwrights, poets, writers festival organizers, novelists, and critics.
Check it out, because I said so! 🙂
On this day, 18 June, in the year 1178 in Canterbury, England, a group of monks reported seeing a strange “flaming torch” on the moon, which caused the moon to “writhe” like “a wounded snake.”
Bizarre and unexplained real-world events like this can be the jumping-off point for a good science fiction story. Did these monks see an explosion, perhaps a meteor impact as some scientists have suggested, or was something more strange going on?
A backwoods skirmish in an interstellar war? A rift in the spacetime continuum? The appearance of a time-travel machine from our own century? The arrival of several alien probes?
Of course, such an event could also be worked into a fantasy story. Perhaps the moon became the last refuge of the dragons, and the monks were witnessing their fiery departure from Earth.
Here is a translation of the incident, as recorded by Gervase of Canterbury:
There was a bright new moon, and as usual in that phase its horns were tilted toward the east; and suddenly the upper horn split in two. From the midpoint of this division a flaming torch sprang up, spewing out, over a considerable distance, fire, hot coals, and sparks. Meanwhile the body of the moon which was below writhed, as it were, in anxiety, and, to put it in the words of those who reported it to me and saw it with their own eyes, the moon throbbed like a wounded snake. Afterward, it resumed its proper state. This phenomenon was repeated a dozen times or more, the flame assuming various twisting shapes at random and then returning to normal. Then after these transformations the moon from horn to horn, that is along its whole length, took on a blackish appearance.
What sort of story do you think could be built around this strange incident?
If birds ever created their own civilization, would the anisodactyls get weirded out shaking hands with the zygodactyls?
Oh, Monday… with your false enthusiasm and wearisome clichés of toil resumed.
Prescription: coffee, with a healthy shot of cynicism and defiance!
The writer links this week are chock full of advice on characters and a writer’s personal approach to writing. On to the links! Continue reading
I have received a few submissions at Facebook for the graphic icon for “Reading Cats,” and I should have the final decision — and a developed icon — by the end of the weekend. Thanks to all of the entrants, and a great looking bunch of felines; for your own safety, may they never learn to read!
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And, without further side-lining, let’s get to what you clicked that link to find: publishing industry professionals offering up their advice and opinions on books, writing, and all things literary! Continue reading
A fish was dragged, without a single fin,
up from Amalgam’s Tee, and found within
were seven strips of cloth, no blood nor flesh;
the fishers burned the sailcloth, boat, and mesh.
A certain city, stone but worn by fire,
sent to Amalgam seven girls in white
who said the arsonist was hanged with wire,
but still they missed the blaze’s yellow light.
I know the next week or so may be rather slow, so I want to publish a little update.
First of all, I am moving! Adams Morgan is a great neighborhood, but unfortunately great neighborhoods are not always blessed with great property managers, rational parking arrangements, or reasonable housing prices.
So, I’m off to the Waterfront, literally a couple blocks from where the sailboats dock, the Cantina Marina, the historic Maine Avenue Fish Market, Zanzibar, the Arena Stage, Hogate’s, and the Thomas Law House built in the 1780s.
It’s also very close (a 15 minute walk) to the National Mall. I can have lunch at NMAI‘s Mitsitam Café whenever I want! And, if you haven’t eaten there, go. Seriously. Venison loaf, chili short ribs, maple brined turkey, quinoa verde, bison chili, cherry dusted scallops, lobster whipped potatoes, roasted salmon, and drinks from juice to beer and wine. It’s absolutely the best food on the Mall.
I’m taking the move gradually during the overlap period. So far, I have moved 21 bankers boxes filled with books; I’m about halfway done with that part. The big stuff (mostly, as you might guess, shelves) will be moved on Monday, after which will be a week of organizing the new place and cleaning the old.
Also, as you can see, I’m trying out a new WordPress theme: Andreas09. I’m not too fond of the sans-serif font, but I like the clean hyperlinks and the more expansive layout. If I can figure out how to do Typekits, the fonts will be shifted to something more serify and old-fashioned.
Finally, I have been thinking of expanding outward from my Story Behind The Story posts. I have three writing advice blogs in the draft stage, tentatively (and humbly) titled “Advice From A Dude Who Hasn’t Even Been Published.” And, of course, I will get back into the fiction-writing habit as soon as the move is accomplished.
But, never fear: the Amalgam Poems and Archaic Definitions are front-loaded and ready to go!
RUMMAGE _ ‘Arrimage‘ is French for the ship’s cargo. Damaged and unwanted goods were sold at an arrimage sale, hence the derivation of today’s rummage sale. ‘Rummaging‘ — searching through a jumble — comes from this nautical source.
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– The Pirate Dictionary by Terry Breverton.
