First off, I want to apologize for being so hung-up on science fiction lately. I can’t help it. I have a bit of an addictive personality, so I get fixated on things and it’s hard to break away to other
Dealing with Side Characters
You know, Squiders, main characters are bad enough. They don’t do what you want them to do, or they forget the plot in a moment of passion, or you turn your back for a moment and they’ve decided being a
Defiance and Other Scifi TV Shows
We’ve talked in the past, Squiders, about science fiction and television. And we’ve got a new crop trying their hand now. (Personally, I’ve been re-watching DS9. The second season never ends.) The one that’s caught my eye is Defiance. SyFy’s been
What is a Subplot?
We all know what a plot is, don’t we, Squiders? The plot is what happens. It’s the series of events that takes us from the beginning to the end. So, what’s a subplot? A subplot is a series events that
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles Readalong: Calling on Dragons
Nooooooooooo cliffhanger. Well, Squiders, we’ve reached book 3. (I think this may have been the one I read first as a kid. It seems…more familiar than the others, if such a thing can be said about a series of books
As You Know, Bob
You may not be familiar with this term, but you know it. You’ve seen it on movies, read it in books, maybe used it in stories of your own creation. Used well and subtly, it can be a useful tool.
Where Has All the Hard Science Fiction Gone?
So, I recently finished reading Inherit the Stars by James P. Hogan, a hard science fiction novel from 1985. We talked about some of the things that were a little bit jarring a few weeks ago in the Old Science
Research Makes a Story Richer
Ah, research. I know it doesn’t necessarily sound fun (unless you’re one of those people, like me, who goes, “Oh, I don’t really know anything about evil spirits. Time to go to the library! Glee!”) but a little realism can
Pen Names
Pen names. Nom de plumes. In simple terms, when you put out work under another name that is not your own, but is still meant to be you (i.e., not ghost-writing for someone else). Some people do, some people don’t.
For Love of Old Science Fiction
Oh man, I love old science fiction. I’m talking anything earlier than 1980. I love it because it takes so many chances, sends its characters all over the universe, and because I love to see what they got wrong. Am
