Polar Bears and Zeppelins and Auroras, Oh My!

Let's talk conglomeration. Let's talk about why authors conglomerate multiple, varied —seemingly unrelated— elements into a single story.


In other words, what's the meat and potatoes of your story? What's the subject matter? What's the substance readers will sink their teeth into? What's the world you're building and why?


In Pullman's The Golden Compass, there are multiple worlds.

Finished the 1st of the 4th

Yes, ladies and gentlehearts, I have completed the first draft of my fourth novel, The Vallen.


Gosh, I'm just glad I can count that high.


I marked the occasion with a chin nip. My raggedy beard came off in tatters. "Good riddens, old fellow! You were worth the combing. I'll grow a replacement fellow here shortly, like a clone-you grown in a test tube, except out of my face..."

The Ending of a Book

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/

At last, we've come to it. The final pages. The point when we say: This is it. There's no more. Add a few blank pages, some acknowledgments, and there's the back cover. Staring you in the face. You're done.


Welcome, to the end of the book.

N. K. Jemisin: SFF's New Standard Bearer

Science fiction has a new standard bearer and her name is N. K. Jemisin. I read The Fifth Season, the first in a series of three books (The Broken Earth Trilogy) and egad. As in: "Egad! This book is a whopper of literary might and sff brilliance!"