Blog Hop: My Writing Process

My good friend and fellow writer K.T. Briskie tagged me in a blog hop meme and gave me some questions about my writing process.  Unfortunately, I have no other authors to tag to keep the meme going, but here's my answers.

1) What am I working on?

I have a fair number of projects on the go, which is why I keep a whiteboard with all of them on it. Otherwise I wouldn't know what to do with myself in the mornings. Fortunately, I'm sitting across from my whiteboard, so I can list them for you.

Let's start with the novels:

I am editing two books right now.  The first is True Magics, the third and final book in my Magics Trilogy, due out this fall (YAY!). I have sent it to my editor, the brilliant Gabrielle Harbowy, and am waiting to see how much I have to fix to make it marketable. And by the way, if you haven't bought Small Magics and Cold Magics yet, now is an excellent time to click on the links and do so. Otherwise, how will you be ready to buy the third one?

My second editing project is City of Phantoms, a YA horror novel, and hopefully the first of a series.  It's about a young girl in Victorian England who disguises herself as a boy to take a job, only to find that the work is very mysterious - and dangerous.  I'll tell more when I get the edit done and start shopping it around.

I am working on the series arc for this one as well, so I know what's going to be happening down the line of books. I have a good concept, now I just have to get it to the end, so I can write the rest of the books.

I am in the planning and research stages for an historical fiction novel, set in Pre-Elizabethan England. Not going to say much about it, but it's a book I've been wanting to write for a long time and I really like the concept so here's hoping it works.

And now that we're done the novels, here's the rest:

I have just finished a short humorous story and am sending it out to market. I will also be starting a second story with a Noir style set after the Zombie apocalypse.

For some things completely different, I am also working on a six episode web series called "Hendrix's People" about two thieves trying to prove one of them didn't betray their boss and their organization.  I'm hoping all the pieces will come together this summer and we can shoot it then. It will feature a lot of humour, a lot of fighting, and a great deal of fun. I am also working on a book with a personal trainer friend on on how to train for Obstacle course races, because they are fun.

And then there's my day job. I ghostwrite for a living and currently have 3 projects on the go.  My client is excellent, and that's all I can say because, you know, I'm the ghost.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

All stories are about people, and the challenges they face, and it is seeing how people are transformed by their experiences that is one of the most interesting parts of reading.  That is what I try to bring to my work. When I write , I am more interested in the personal side of the story, rather than the grand epic scale of things (though the grand epic may make an appearance).  

The other thing I believe in is consequences. Too often in fantasy or sci-fi we have "monsters" - orcs, aliens, zombies, whatever - and the purpose of those monsters is to give our heroes a license to show how powerful and strong they are by killing, and doing so in the knowledge that there will be no consequences.  In reality, all actions have consequences. They may be external, such as society punishing you, people's relatives our for revenge or  friends being driven away by what you've become. They may be internal: nightmares, shifts in world view, questioning of the society in which you live, self hatred or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

And it is those consequences, or the possibility of those consequences, that I like to explore when writing.

3) Why do I write what I do?

Because it's fun.  I love exploring the "might have been" worlds, and the impossible. It's a chance to let your imagination go in places that literary fiction doesn't allow.  And in contrast, I like the strictures of historical fiction. There's a challenge in not just getting the characters right, but getting the world around them right as well.

Most important, I like to tell a good story, and these are the sorts of stories I like best, so they're the stories I write.


4) How does my writing process work?

My writing process has changed a great deal in the last few years. I used to just write, let the story take me where it will and enjoy the ride.  I still do this to an extent with short stories because they are short.  That said, I've discovered that mapping out novels ahead of time makes it a lot easier for me to write them quickly and to get them out. It's especially useful in the ghostwriting, and I've brought it in to my own work as well.

So these days, I will start with a concept, write out ideas and bits and pieces, until I have enough for a story outline.  At the same time I work on developing the characters so I'll know how they'll behave and what sort of reactions I can expect from them in the situations I put them in. Of course, sometimes the characters react in ways that are completely different from what I had planned, which can be annoying or fun, depending on whether it improves the writing.

I try to write every day, because if you don't write every day, you can fall out of the habit, and from experience, that can really mess up your timetable.

And that's me. Hope you enjoyed it.

Ad Astra! I'm going to the Convention!

It's the Ad Astra Convention this weekend! I'm on panels, reading a new short story, and aiming to misbehave! Here's my schedule:

Saturday Morning:
11:00 Swords: Not Just the Pointy End

Saturday Afternoon:
1:00 How to Read...Good
2:00 Signings!
7:30 Reading: Sweater Girls of the Apocalypse

Saturday night: Dragon Moon Press Launch Party! Come visit!

Sunday Afternoon:
3:00: Historical Fiction: Balancing Fact with Fantasy

The rest of the time I'll be wandering about, attending panels, hanging with other authors, and taking my turn staffing the Dragon Moon Press table in the dealer's room.

I hope to see you there!

http://www.ad-astra.org/

A New Year, a New Book

Well, at long last, I have it done.

True Magics, the final book in my Magics trilogy is finished.

(I wasn't planning to write a trilogy. It just worked out that way)

I have the contract from my publisher, the ever-brilliant Dragon Moon Press, and we are aiming for a release date at the end of September.

And by the way...

WOOT!

(I am very happy!)

Ever wondered why we all like stories so much?

Lifehacker.com has a great article on The Science of Storytelling that explains why stories are so powerful, and why a good one works so well with an audience.

My favourite quote:

When we are being told a story, things change dramatically. Not only are the language processing parts in our brain activated, but any other area in our brain that we would use when experiencing the events of the story are too.

Read the whole article here.

Neat!

That's just neat: What was that book

Ever tried to find a book where you couldn't remember the title or the author, just vaguely remembered snippets?

You're in luck!

What was that book? is an online community that reunites folks with the booksthat they've lost.

This may be one of the best ideas ever.

Hat tip to io9, which is where I learned about them.

New Review: When the Hero Comes Home

The folks over at Black Gate gave a very thoughtful review for "When the Hero Comes Home." You can read it here: http://www.blackgate.com/2012/05/01/when-the-hero-comes-home-a-review/ And they gave me a mention!

Erik Buchanan’s “The Evil That Remains” is nicely structured, has a strong thematic idea, builds a credible setting with a few well-chosen touches, and uses the fantastic in a memorable way.

So yay! for "When the Hero Comes Home," and our wonderful editors Gabrielle Harbowy and Ed Greenwood. If you haven't picked up your copy yet, what are you waiting for? Buy it here!

I agree with everything said in this story!

From io9:

Ten of the Most Awesome Sword-Fight Scenes Ever

And I especially agree with their choice of number 1.

Holy Sh...

This is really cool in a "let's clean up the whole plant" kind of way.

Alternate Timelines: Things not to do

Came across this article on io9:

10 Worst Mistakes that Authors of Alternate History Make

An interesting read, and some good tips to work on if you might be thinking of working on a novel that plays with history.

...not that I know anyone planning to do that.

...Really.

Oh, and they added this one this evening:

Another Mistake That Alternate History Authors Fall Into

Enjoy.

As for me, I'm editing (still). It's like writing only less fun.

But it makes the work so, so much better.

Late night Christmas Poetry

The cake is now baked, the whisky's been poured

And downed as we wrapped the whole Christmas hoard.

It's way, way too late as we stumble to bed,

Hoping to lie down and sleep like the dead,

But knowing that soon the child will arise,

And wake us all with her loud, happy cries.

It's that time of year, so what can you say,

But Merry Christmas! And may you nap later today.

They Read my Story in Salem (or Why the Internet is Really Cool sometimes!)

I received an email today from Kevin Newland Scott, who was participating in Deck the Halls: Grown-Up Storytime at the Salem Public Library in Salem, Oregon.

And there, he read my story, "A Visit from Cousin Charles." (which you can find here)

A quote from his email:

Everyone wanted to know where I had found the wonderful Christmas ghost story -- and it was a lucky Google. I was looking for a Christmas ghost story by Robertson Davies, and chanced to turn up one that mentioned him.

I am all sorts of thrilled!

Thank you for picking my story, Kevin, and I am very glad the audience enjoyed it.

And now I'm wondering if I can get another one written by Christmas. Hmmm...

Merry Christmas to everyone who attended the event, and heck, Merry Christmas to the rest of you!

Science! Learn like they did in "The Matrix"... maybe...

What if there were a technology that would allow you to learn how to do new things with no conscious effort?

According to scientists at Boston University and ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in Kyoto, Japan, it might be possible.

Click the link above to read the whole article, and then imagine opening your eyes in the big chair and and saying, "I know Kung Fu."

Cool.

NaNoWriMo Wrap-up and next steps...

I wrote 50,440 words. I also took 6 days to recover. The question is, was it worth it?

The answer is, I'm not sure (how decisive of me, eh?).

Yes, I wrote 50,000+ words on my new novel. On a normal month I write around 20-25,000. So I doubled my output. The problem was, it wasn't a sustainable pace.

Like a lot of other people who tried it, I have a full time job and a small child. I also have a nasty exercise habit that gets me out of bed at 5:30 a.m. and a convention I go to in the middle of it all. All of them are immoveable objects in my life.

So what did I give up?

Sleep.

I averaged 5 hours a night or less for a month. Yes, I can do that. No, it is not happy making. It leaves me zombified and drinking too much caffeine, which in turn (because I am allergic to caffeine) leaves me shaky, irritable, prone to mood swings and given to sudden exhausted collapses, one of which happened on a weekend with my daughter.

That was not happy making.

The other issue is that the name of the game in NaNoWriMo is volume, not quality. I can already see that there's at about 10,000 words that are going to be cut entirely. And there's a fair amount of the rest that will need some serious re-working (even more serious than usual, and that's saying something).

So while I highly recommend NaNoWriMo for those who need impetus to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, I will not be taking part next year. Instead, I am focusing on three writing projects between now and then:

1. Editing my new book, a young adult piece set in Victorian London.

2. Finishing the third book in my "Magics" series for Dragon Moon Press (which was my NanoWriMo project last year).

3. Writing a new historical fiction piece that's been brewing in my mind for a while.

Will I get it all done?

I think so. And hopefully with more sleep than I got in the last month.

Too funny not to share

From the website Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal:

Good-bye, Anne McCaffery

You gave me dreams of dragons.

Anne McCaffery, 1926-2011

SFContario!

This weekend is SFContario!

I'm tearing myself away from NaNoWriMo (32,819 words, by the way, which puts me past last year's count. YAY!) to staff the Dragon Moon Press table, which this year will feature:

When the Hero Comes Home (anthology), edited by Gabrielle Harbowy and Ed Greenwood

Small Magics and Cold Magics by Erik Buchanan (of course)

Destiny's Blood by Marie Bilodeau

Triptych by J.M. Frey

Authors J.M. Frey and Marie Bilodeau will both be at the convention (Marie on Sunday only), and both will happily sign books whenever they get the chance.

Also, panels!

Weapons and Armour - Fri. 8 PM, Parkview
An examination of the historical and ongoing technological race
between weapons and the equipment that makes them obsolete. (Erik
Buchanan, Stephen B Pearl, Adam Shaftoe(M), David Stephenson)

Are there any new stories? Sat. 4 PM, Parkview
It's been said that there's a limited number of stories - the number
varies with who's saying it - but each generation of writers seems to
come up with a few truly new ones. How can you break out of the
classic story forms and do something really new, while still being
understandable to readers? Is it even worthwhile to try? (Erik
Buchanan, Derek Kunsken, Ira Nayman(M), Craig Russell, Michael
Swanwick)

Accents and Speech Patterns - sun 11 PM Ballroom BC
When representing accents and ways of speaking in fiction some authors
choose to add slang terms while others may write entire novels in a
vernacular accent. When is it too much? Is it worth sacrificing
readability for authenticity? Our panel will give tips, strategies and
techniques for accurately representing speech in fiction. (Richard
Baldwin, Erik Buchanan, Ian Keeling, Stephen B Pearl(M), Robert
Charles Wilson)

So do come by this weekend, if you have a moment and want to have some fun. It's a great little con and this year is hosting the Aurora Awards.

Or, if you don't have the cash to spare, but want to get your hands on some fine DMP books, the dealer's room is open to the public from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

A bit of fun...

As I mention from time to time, I'm a fight director and an actor. About a week ago, my friend Kevin Robinson, a stunt coordinator, asked me to come out and stunt-double for an actor on a show he is working on.

So I said yes.

The video is a bit dark, but that's me, wearing a wig and padding, on the left.

A great bit of fun, thanks to Kevin and Chris Mott, his assistant, who made sure I was safe and that most everything went off smoothly and on time.

J.M. Frey's Triptych makes Publisher's Weekly Top Books of 2011

Congratulations to J.M. Frey for a great debut novel! Looking forward to seeing many more good books from you!

Here's the link!

And in case you don't know about Triptych, learn more and buy it here.

Well done, J.M.!

See you at SFContario!

Nanowrimo - week one round up

Well, got through the first week and got 15,223 words.  My goal was 17,000, but still, not bad at all.

I had a strong start last year, too, but didn't make the finish. I only managed about 30,000 words.  Just like last year, life is remarkably busy and I have a convention right in the middle of it.

So the real challenge this year is to show a little more self-discipline than I did last year with my free time.

On a good night, I can write a thousand words in about an hour (maybe a bit longer. I tend to lose track of time).  If I can keep up my self-discipline for the next three weeks, I can easily put down 1500-2000 words a night. But there are things I'm going to need to do:

Get enough sleep: I never do, and with a month like this I really need to, which means

Stay on schedule:  Even tonight I'm up later than I should be. I live on a tight schedule most of the time, and this month, it's tighter than most. I need to get my writing done in the time I have (usually 1 to 2 hours a night) and get to sleep by 10:30 p.m. so I can get up at 5:30 a.m. and

Exercise: I really need exercise. It keeps my brain alive and keeps my damaged bits from falling apart entirely. Also, it's fun.

Stay away from coffee: I know, everyone talks about living on caffeine during Nanowrimo. I'm highly sensitive to the stuff and drinking it messes me up after a few days.  Drinking it during the day leaves me exhausted at night, drinking it at night means no sleep, and no sleep means no creativity and no writing.

So that is the end of Week 1. Let's see what week 2 will bring!

In Time

Went out to the movies last night in the company of four lovely women (you know who you are) and saw "In Time."

Fun little film. Nothing too deep, nothing too groundbreaking. The whole "time is money" thing worked fairly well, and the whole movie was a fairly straightforward allegory for corporate greed. It's also a not bad chase money. And while the ending was predictable, it was fun predictable.

For the most part I liked it. The one thing that I really didn't like was Amanda Seyfried's shoes.

Seriously. The shoes. Because I don't care how much you practice running (and her character wouldn't have practiced much before she met Justin Timberlake's character) no one runs that fast in 5 inch spike heeled platforms.

I know Amanda is short and needed to be in frame with Justin, but couldn't they have found a nice pair of combat boots for her? Just for believability's sake.

(Of course, making a movie about people who turn 25 and then only have a year to live unless they earn more time, chances are believability wasn't high on the list).

Still, it was a good bit of fun and all four of the women with me assured me that Justin looks cute with his shirt off. So if you like a good gritty near-future sci-fi action movie, I'd give this one a try.

Just ignore the shoes.

SFContario Schedule

Hi Folks

I'll be at SFContario from Friday November 18 to Sunday November 20. Mostly I'll be staffing the Dragon Moon Press table, selling books and signing away madly. But I also managed to land on three panels this year. Here they are:

Weapons and Armour - Fri. 8 PM, Parkview
An examination fo the historical and ongoing technological race
betweeen weapons and the equipment tha tmakes them obsolete. (Erik
Buchanan, Stephen B Pearl, Adam Shaftoe(M), David Stephenson)

Are there any new stories? Sat. 4 PM, Parkview
It's been said that there's a limited number of stories - the number
varies with who's saying it - but each generation of writers seems to
come up with a few truly new ones. How can you break out of the
classic story forms and do something really new, while still being
understandable to readers? Is it even worthwhile to try? (Erik
Buchanan, Derek Kunsken, Ira Nayman(M), Craig Russell, Michael
Swanwick)

Accents and Speech Patterns - sun 11 PM Ballroom BC
When representing accents and ways of speaking in fiction some authors
choose to add slang terms while others may write entire novels in a
vernacular accent. When is it too much? Is it worth sacrificing
readability for authenticity? Our panel will give tips, strategies and
techniques for accurately representing speech in fiction. (Richard
Baldwin, Erik Buchanan, Ian Keeling, Stephen B Pearl(M), Robert
Charles Wilson)

Looking forward to seeing folks there!

Something for the Narnia fans out there

Embedded from of xkcd.

And twistedly brilliant, I might add.

And it is done!

Finished my story for the new Dragon Moon Press anthology and have sent it off to the lovely and talented Gabrielle Harbowy, editor extraordinare. Very happy making.

Now there are three projects ahead of me:

1. Start writing the third Magics book.

2. Start editing The King Below.

3. Start editing City of Phantoms.

A lot of work to be done, but it should all be fun.

The rhyme there was not intentional.

In the next day or so I should post my schedule to SFContario, so stay tuned.

SFContario and a Finished Story

After much hemming and hawing, I decided to go to SFContario 2/Canvention 31. I will be doing panels and staffing the Dragon Moon Press table.

The hemming and hawing centred around NaNoWriMo, which I will be using to help kick-start the next Magics book. I have a whole big bunch to write, and it was a hard decision to lose most of three days to a Con, but the folks at SFContario are great and I wouldn't want to miss it.

I'll post my panels as soon as I know what they are, along with our table location and hours.

In other news, I finished my story for the new DMP anthology. Going to edit it tonight and send it out, if all things work out (which they rarely do, but I have high hopes for tonight).

Then I will be engaging in a mad editing/writing frenzy for the next few months. Whee!

And so it begins again...

I've put down 924 words today for a new short story anthology from Dragon Moon Press. Wrote it in under and hour while my daughter was doing her ballet class. Very cool.

And once this is done, I will be starting on the new "Magics" novel. Got a title (not telling you) got a plot (still not telling you) and got a plan for writing a whole bunch very quick. We'll see how well it goes.

(It would be so cool to have it finished for Christmas. It's nearly impossible, mind you, but it would be very, very cool.)

And Another One Down...

Very happy making kind of week. On Monday the new website went up at erikbuchanan.ca, and today, I finished writing "City of Phantoms." Yay!

Now I have short story for an anthology I need to write, then on to writing the new "Magics" book while editing "the King Below" and "City of Phantoms."

Want to see something really cool?

It's the "When the Hero Comes Home" book trailer!

And what a damn handsome fellow that is!

You know, this is an excellent time to pick up your own copy!

Here's the paperback.

Here's the Kindle.

Have fun!

New Reviews for "When the Hero Comes Home!"

And very good reviews they are, too!

And I get a mention in both!

The Gloaming says this about When the Hero Comes Home:

...And it’s a really good anthology. It’s clear that Harbowy and Greenwood carefully considered their theme and the authors and stories that are its backbone. Every story is well-plotted and contains characters that leap off the page. Characters that feel, that make you feel along with them. When I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, I was excited by the subject matter I’d heard so much about at Ad Astra. I popped it into my Kobo right away, and was glued.

And mentions my story here:

My Top 5:

• An Evil Not Forgotten by Erik Buchanan
• Brine Magic by Tony Pi
• The Legend of Gluck by Marie Bilodeau
• Ashes of the Bonfire Queen by Rosemary Jones
• Dark Helm Returns by Ed Greenwood

Yay!

The Left Hand of Dorkness says this about When the Hero Comes Home:

I love small presses. Really, I do. They are so much more likely to put out interesting anthologies, such as When The Hero Comes Home...

...Really, there are no lackluster stories in this collection, and I could easily sing the praises of each of them. Pick up a copy from Amazon and enjoy, or go to the Dragon Moon Press site to check it out.

And says this about my story:

Let me highlight some of the gems inside, in order of appearance. Erik Buchanan's What Evil Remains gives us a picture of a veteran of a wizard's defeat dealing with post-traumatic stress, a good man who served his community and bears the mental scars to prove it. Truly heart-wrenching.

Excellent reviews and very happy making. So, if you haven't picked up your copy of When the Hero Comes Home (Paperback or Kindle), I (and they) recommend you do so now!

Book Launch Day!!!!

Off to the "When the Hero Comes Home" Book Launch!

Yay!!!

Polaris Day 1

Friday night at Polaris and things are off to a great start. Marie Bilodeau and J.M. Frey were both in attendance, as was our lovely and talented assistant, Katrina.

We have a great spot for the table, and we sold a good number of books for a Friday night. And we're starting to get buzz for the launch. All in all, very happy making.

But I need to mention...

KINDLE!!!!

Small Magics is now available on Kindle!

Cold Magics is now Available on Kindle!

Coolness!

If you are a Kindle owner, please buy them and let me know how they look!

Back to Polaris:

I had my first panel tonight, "How to judge a book by it's cover, with the very intelligent and knowledgeable Julie Czerneda moderating and myself, Stephen B. Pearl and Nikki Stafford talking. Good experience, great information and a quite appreciative audience, which is a great thing on a Friday night.

Will be taking some pictures tomorrow and posting them when I can.

Thanks to those who were there for a great evening, and everyone remember the "When the Hero Comes Home" Book Launch and Champagne Brunch on Sunday!

"When the Hero Comes Home" Reviews!

The first are in, and so far, so good!

From Andrew Jack's Writing:

"When the Hero Comes Home edited by Gabrielle Harbowy and Ed Greenwood, was a real surprise. I expected it to be good, but I wasn't expecting it to be as moving as it was. This is a perfect example of how an anthology of stories should work, individual tales tied together by a cohesive theme"

Nice! And he even mentions my story, "The Evil that Remains."

You can also find that review on Amazon, where someone who bought the kindle edition said:

"I don't read short stories...usually. This one piqued my interest based around a cool theme. I thought it might have one or two good stories, then a lot of filler -- but fortunately, they were all top notch. The stories (by a mix of shared-world veterans and Cdn authors) are all excellent...such that I found I wanted to tell people about the plots or characters -- that special moment when you HAVE to share the experience with someone."

So, so far, so good, and I encourage everyone to get their own copy, either at the book launch, or on Amazon in paperback or Kindle, and write their own review!

"When the Hero Comes Home" Champagne Brunch and Book Launch!

On Sunday, July 17, 2011, we are launching Dragon Moon Press's new anthology, When the Hero Comes Home with a Champagne brunch at Polaris!

From the DMP website:

When the epic battle, the mission, and the quest are over, can a hero go home again?

When the Hero Comes Home, answers these questions with nineteen powerful stories by some of today's top and up-and-coming fantasy and science fiction writers.

Edited by Ed Greenwood and Gabrielle Harbowy, the anthology features new fiction by Jay Lake, Todd McCaffrey, Julie Kagawa, and an all-new Jig the Goblin story by Jim C. Hines.

The official launch will be at GenCon in Indianapolis but thanks to the generosity and time-shifting of the good folks at Polaris, and that most wonderful of publishers, Dragon Moon Press, we get to have our own Canada/Toronto book launch!

And by "we" I mean, me, J.M. Frey, Marie Bilodeau and any other of the authors that can make it.

We're spreading the word now, and as we get more folks, I'll let you know.

Here's the announcement from the Polaris Program:

When the Hero Comes Home Champagne Brunch and Book Launch

Join Dragon Moon Press at Ten Forward as we celebrate the launch of our new anthology, When the Hero Comes Home. What happens when the epic battle, the mission, and the quest are over? When the Hero Comes Home answers the question with 19 powerful stories by some of today’s top and up-and-coming fantasy and science fiction writers. We’ll have champagne mimosas and a continental brunch, readings by authors, prizes, and of course, chocolate! Copies of When the Hero Comes Home will be available for sale and authors J.M. Frey, Marie Bilodeau and Erik Buchanan will be ready to sign them for you.

Sunday, July 17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Ten Forward.

So how can you get there?

Well, first, you have to go to Polaris. Here's all the details. Then just come on in. We'll have a mimosa just for you!

And if you just can't wait for the launch party to get your copy of When the Hero Comes Home, not to worry:

You can get the paperback here at Amazon.

And the Kindle version right here.

I hope to see you at the launch. It's going to be a great time.

Announcement - When the Hero Comes Home

Yay!

My short story "An Evil Not Forgotten" will appear in the new Anthology "When the Hero Comes Home," edited by Ed Greenwood and Gabrielle Harbowy.

Coolness!!!!

Below is the text of the official press release:

WHEN THE HERO COMES HOME, an anthology of fantasy and science fiction tales—co-edited by Bestselling author Ed Greenwood and Gabrielle Harbowy, Editor and Associate Publisher, Dragon Moon Press—will be released in August of 2011 by Dragon Moon Press.

When the epic battle, the mission, the quest are over, can the hero go home again? Is she too changed to resume where she left off... Is the life he left behind is no longer waiting for him?

In WHEN THE HERO COMES HOME, these questions are addressed in nineteen powerful stories by some of today’s top and up-and-coming fantasy and science fiction writers.

"We've been very pleased with the stories we've received. Strong storytelling featuring great characters, from both new voices and established writers. They’ve given us wildly different approaches to our theme—which is just what the title of the book says it is," says Greenwood.

"It's a thrill to be able to work with Ed and with so many other talented writers, and to have an opportunity to showcase some of Dragon Moon Press's up and coming authors. Each story gives the theme its own fresh, fascinating spin. Whether you're into swords and sorcery, science fiction, or urban fantasy, there are stories here that will grab you," says Harbowy.

The anthology features new fiction by Jay Lake, Todd McCaffrey, Julie Kagawa, and an all-new Jig the Goblin story by Jim C. Hines.

Title: WHEN THE HERO COMES HOME
ISBN-13: 978-1-897492-25-3
Release Date: August, 2011
Publisher: Dragon Moon Press
Format: Trade Paperback, E-book
Distributor: Ingram

For preordering and promotional information contact: eic@dragonmoonpress.com

Did I mention yay? Because, YAY!!!!

Geek Link! The Science of Social Networking

Apparently, a single new connection can dramatically increase the size of your social network. And here is why:

Beating the Competition: Scientists Discover how the Size of Social Networks can Skyrocket

Interesting little article, which explains how my facebook fan page can leap up in the numbers.

If you'll all just join it, that is...

The Green Hornet or, Dammit, They Said It Better than I Could!

I saw The Green Hornet last night and was trying to come up with a way to tell folks what a good movie it was. Loads of fun, completely irreverent, and a total hoot.

But while I was searching for a way to say it, I stumbled across io9's review, whose title alone said the whole thing better than I could:

"The Green Hornet is the rare stoner superhero movie that you can enjoy sober."

So read their review, which sums it up very well, then I highly recommend going to see The Green Hornet. I laughed myself silly, and the explosions were pretty good, too.

Science! Plastic to Oil in one easy machine...

Found this via Care2, a social action website. They have some interesting stuff on a variety of topics, so have a look if that's your thing.

Aniko Ito is the CEO of Blest, a Japanese company. One day, he wondered why we didn't convert the plastics back into oil and use them. So he built a machine that could.

Here's the article where I learned about it.

And here's the video:

Cool, eh?

The Truth About Writing Fantasy

Yep. That about sums it up...

Happy New Year!!!

It's a brand new year, and a brand new blog post!

I'm excited about this year. I don't have a new book coming out (damn this whole "life" thing with its busy "life-iness") but I've got one I'm working on and two others I want to start on.

I learned a while ago that one book at a time is the best way for me to write, so I have to hold back on the others for a bit. Still, it gives me motivation to hurry up and finish this one.

The day job that keeps me in beer and skittles is going along very nicely and I am enjoying my work. My daily schedule has resolved itself into something that I can live with and still do my writing and get some exercise (the latter of which fell desperately behind last year).

Now, because no post of mine would be complete without a shameless plug for my work, I will mention that the New Year is an excellent time to treat yourself to a new book or two. I recommend:

Small Magics

and

Cold Magics

But, then, I would. That said, check out the reader reviews. They're pretty darn good!

And Look, I got Interviewed!

(I was mighty busy when this came out, first with NaNoWriMo and SF Contario, then with Christmas, so I missed telling everyone about it at the time.)

While I was at Con*Cept in Montreal, I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by Denis Lalumiére of Cinemaniax and Sébastien Mineau of SithClan. This guys did a great interview and asked some really good questions. Thanks to both for an excellent time.

You can listen to the podcast here.

The introduction is in French, but the interview is in English.

And I have to say, the folks in Montreal are wonderful. Had a great time, and they even put up with my lousy (and I mean really, really lousy) French. Must also thank Dragon Moon Press author Marie Bilodeau, who went there with me and did most of the talking. It was a great weekend.

So Happy New Year to all. I look forward to a great year of writing, conventions, and telling everyone all about it.

Another NaNoWriMo Post

6271 words today. Not bad at all. Not the 10,000 I was hoping for, but I'm not going to complain too much.

The brain is not a muscle, as we all know, but it does share a certain characteristic with one's muscles. If it doesn't practice something, it stops being good at it. Whenever I've been away from the sword or martial arts for any length of time, I can feel the disuse on my muscles. The old nerve pathways are grown over, and I have to practice until the path becomes clear again.

Same thing with my brain. I've been out of the discipline of writing. It's been months since I engaged in any serious work. Too much of life going on. Moving, organizing a new place, looking after my little girl and changes at work all make it hard to focus on the big projects.

And as a result, the paths in my brain that give a clear line from the subconscious to the page have overgrown. And I needed to do something about it. That's why I went into NaNoWriMo: to get that focus back. And I must say, so far, so good.

This week I did fall down a bit. I had a busy start to the week and precious little sleep, so the writing levels were no where near what I had hoped for. As a result I am behind on the "suggested word count," which is 23,334. My word count is 16,14

My goal tomorrow is to do 3-4000 words, which will get me almost back on track. Then 2000 a day for the next 4 days. After that, it's time for SFContario, which I have been woefully neglectful in publicizing, but which I promise to do a blog post about in the very near future. Really.

"Winter's Bone" and NaNoWriMo

Too lazy to do two posts. Also, it is midnight and the alarm goes off way to early (yes, I have an alarm on the weekend. I am, in fact, odd).

Just finished watching "Winter's Bone" and if you did not see it in the theatre, I cannot recommend enough that you go rent it. It is incredible. Amazing acting, amazing camera work, amazing use of landscapes. Incredible use of suspense and one of the most truly horrifying scenes on film.

Way, way cool.

Meanwhile, on the other end of things, I did 2000+ words in a couple of hours today, which has me sitting pretty good for where I'm sitting. I am behind, of course. According the page I should be at 10,002 words by end of day Saturday, and I am only at 8,379. Not unexpected. I have my little girl with me this week, and we had a couple of low sleep nights - night terrors and a visit from a mouse. Oy veh.

But, the mouse has vanished and is hopefully holed up in someone else's apartment, the last two nights we both got great sleep, and I'm feeling very energetic, positive and upbeat about the whole thing. It's all good, at the moment.

And so, soon to head to bed, and visions of another 2000 words dancing in my head.

Twas the night before NaNoWriMo...

And all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring,

And no panic had set in.

Feeling pretty good about it, actually, which may just be denial, but hey, I'll take it. Not panicked, not worried. Just finishing up a nice Hallowe'en with my little girl and her Granny, and about 60 kids ranging in age from 2 to maybe 15 who came to the door. The cutest was the 3-year old dressed as a penguin.

Only a few of the kids noticed I had a skull under my arm. But then, they don't notice these things with adults, or possibly try to ignore them. One was impressed and said so.

So, the night before NaNoWriMo, and I'm feeling pretty good. Know the story, know the lead character, know the other main ones, have some idea of plot. It should all be good.

So, if I'm not posting much here, you probably won't notice the difference! (Yeah, I know I don't post enough). But seriously, I will try to get some posts up telling how it is going. I'm looking forward to it.

And now, soon to bed, to rest up for the big event.

NaNoWriMo!

Yep, I'm going to give it a shot.

I haven't written anything long since Cold Magics came out. Too busy moving, unpacking, working, and going to conventions. There was one period where I don't think I had a free day or evening in a month. So, while the writing bug has been biting me, and I've been working in fits and starts, there's been no consistent time or space to keep the drive alive.

Now, however, my time has sorted itself out as has my place and I've only got one convention to go to, SFContario, November 19, 20, and 21, at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, 300 Jarvis Street, Toronto. Got to love a home town convention.

For me, writing, like everything else, has to be made a habit to be done effectively. I find I need to be writing at least 5 days a week to really get in stride; 6 days a week preferably, and 7 when I'm reaching the end of a project. And when I get out of a habit, it takes some work to get me back in.

Fortunately, NaNoWriMo has the two things that help me most when I'm trying to get back on a habit: a challenge, and a deadline.

First draft of a new novel in month. I can do it. I've got the novel in my head, the general plot figured out, the main characters all sorted. Now I'm just waiting for the starting gun.

So, let's see how it goes, starting Monday.

Sunday Night: the Last Con*cept Blog Post (for now)

Well, that was a pretty good end to a pretty good weekend.

Spent most of the day in the dealer's room, selling books and getting one more chance to talk to people before they headed on their way. Sold a lot of copies of Small Magics and a fair number of Cold Magics. Had several people who'd bought Small Magics on Saturday come back for Cold Magics on Sunday, just based on their reading Saturday night. That was a very nice feeling indeed.

My panel today was "Killing Your Babies," which was all about editing and the joys of realizing that that amazingly cool scene/character/description/idea/philosophy that you just know was the perfect thing when you wrote it is the thing you need to cut from the book. And if ever there was a group of people qualified to talk about it, it was my fellow panelists. From closest to furthest from me (I was sitting on the end of the table and moderating! I was moderating this group! cool!), there was Tad Williams, Marie Bilodeau, Violette Milan, and Deborah Beale!

It was a wide-ranging discussion with lots of great audience participation and lots of great stories from the writers at the table. In the course of talking about editing, we shared some of our favourite/most horrifying story realizations, discussed the "Disneyfication" of popular culture and the many times all of us have either written or read something which we know needed to be cut out.

Great fun, and an excellent panel to end on.

Then, to make things even cooler, I got an interview with Angela Roberts from The Gloaming. She asked some great questions, and I hope I wasn't talking too much in my answers. Thanks, Angela!

And speaking of thank you's, my thanks to everyone at Con*cept for having me as a panelist and treating all of us so well. And my deep, deep thanks to Marie Bilodeau, my partner in crime and at the Dragon Moon Press table for the weekend, who kept us both laughing through the weekend, translated for those whose who spoke mostly French but still wanted to know what my book was about, and for finding us great breakfast spots two days running.

To everyone new I met, and to everyone I got to see once again, merci beaucoup, et au revoir until next time!

Saturday Night Con*cept Blogging, plus Time Management Basics

And here I am. Only 12:20 and already heading for bed. I swear I was a night owl, once...

Had an excellent day of selling Small Magics and Cold Magics and talking to people. Had a great time on the "But When Do I Write" panel, where myself and Rob St. Martin, Karen Dales and Glenn Grant all talked about time management and how important it is for a writer.

It was such a good discussion, with such excellent people that I want the share the highlights with everyone who happens to pop in and read.

First off: If you want to be a writer, find the time to write, no matter how busy your life is. If you can't, you really don't want to be a writer.

Steps to finding the time:

1. Organize your life. I use a system where everything that one is doing is divided into URGENT, NOT URGENT, IMPORTANT, NOT IMPORTANT (if you know whose system this is, let me know. It isn't mine and I can't remember, but would like to give credit where it is due). From there you can...

2. Prioritize the things that need to get done, in the order you need to get them done in.

3. Create a schedule that allows you to work on the important things (like your writing). Make sure you schedule your free time, so you don't feel guilty about it when you have it.

4. Build a community of people around you who support and understand your goals.

5. Reward yourself when you reach a a goal.

We also talked about the nature of change, and or trauma, and how either or both these things can really throw off your writing schedule. Unfortunately, both are part of life, and in either case, you have to let yourself and your life settle to the point where you can get back on your writing schedule.

It was a good day, and I'll looking forward to another good day tomorrow.

Con*cept Friday Night

Late night blogging from a nice little Con in Montreal. Had a good first evening and a nice book launch with lots of folks attending.

Marie Bilodeau and I are partners in crime for our Montreal launch. I'm launching Cold Magics, Marie is launching her new book, Destiny's Blood. Marie is an amazing reader and a great person, and I can't wait to read her book. It sounds really good.

Then a group of us went out for drinks and late night snacks at a nearby restaurant. It was a great way to end the evening.

So that's day 1. Looking forward to a great day tomorrow with 2 panels, a table to sell books at, and time hanging with fans and fellow writers.

Geek Link! Cool Cave in Spain

Tonight's Geek Link comes from Spain via the CBC, who have some great pictures of a cave containing the world's largest collection of helictites. Very impressive pictures.

Helictites, for those who don't know (which included me until I read this article), are eccentric crystallographic formations (yeah, I know, big help). This means that instead of forming vertically like stalactites and stalagmites, the crystals form in gravity-defying directions and shapes. They are very cool to look at:

(image taken from the CBC article)

So have a look. It's just plain neat, in a geological kind of way.

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson

Some books move us more than others, moving beyond entertainment to be come an experience. William Gibson's Pattern Recognition is one of those books.

This is the first book of Gibson's I have read that does not take place in his familiar and well-imagined cyberpunk worlds. Rather, it takes place in our world, in a post-911 reality of marketing and internet obsession, and of mystery spanning across the globe. It is a work of literary fiction of the highest orders

I'm not going to bother with a synopsis. You can read that on the Amazon page for Pattern Recognition, here. I will say, this is a spectacular book, and one that I highly, highly recommend you read.

A Great Place for a Good Story

I just learned of a new website called 52 stories. They are publishing a new story every week online, for free. Very cool, so I thought I would share.

Another Review!

This one is from from You Gotta Read Reviews, which had very some nice things to say in their review of Cold Magics:

"I cannot recommend this book enough. I hope there are more to come in this series and will be picking up a copy of the first book in the near future."

Extremely nice, and glad it was enjoyed.

For those just reading this blog today, the first book was Small Magics, available here.

And of course, you can pick up Cold Magics here.

Erik on Amazon

I'm just working on getting my Amazon Author Page together (something I am far overdue to do). So I have started by adding this blog to that page, and am uploading a photo (one of my actor shots) and will have a BIo up tonight.

(I can just hear my publisher saying "Finally!")

Right now I'm up to my neck in projects. I'm moving house, writing a zombie movie (purely for fun), prepping for the Toronto Small Press Book Fair, and organizing the next three writing projects:

• Historical Fiction Novel
• Young Adult Novel
• Third book in the Magics series (because I can't just leave you hanging!)

So I am going to be mighty busy for the next six months. But not too busy to post where I am going to be appearing. Watch for a list to come soon!

The Best Cold War Film Ever

In 1964, Stanley Kubric's amazing satire Dr. Strangelove hit the theatre. It poked fun at the cold war mindset, at the paranoia and fear-mongering of the military complex, and the laughable, horrifying idea that someone thought there could be winners in a nuclear war. Some say that it was the single best film about the stupidity of the cold war.

I used to agree with them. Then I saw Fail-Safe.

Also shot in 1964. Also about the cold war. Not a satire, but a riveting drama that haunts you for days afterwards. It died at the box office because Stanley Kubric found out about it and insisted his movie be released first. A serious movie released after a satire on the same subject does not make a box office smash.

The two books upon which the movies are based, Red Alert (which became Dr. Strangelove) and Fail-Safe are nearly identical. So much so that the writer of Red Alert sued the writers of Fail-Safe for plagerism. It was settled out of court.

Despite that dubious honour, Fail-Safe is an incredible film. Directed by Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men), the use of lighting, close-ups, and silence drive the tension in this film sky-high. And the ending will leave you shocked.

If you like, you can see it on Google Video, but you'll have to watch it in pieces. I say, rent it or find it, and watch it all the way through. It's incredible.

Here's the opening:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Great Movie

Escaped the desk and got out to the movies tonight (last night, now). Caught a showing of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Great movie. Riveting, suspenseful, horrifying in just the right way.

Now Magazine's review of it sums it up really well. For my part, I liked it so much, I want to go get the book.

Highly, highly recommend this movie.

Great Reviews for Small Magics and Cold Magics!

It is a happy day when you get to say that people liked your work, so this is a very happy day for me! I have three new reviews!

Two folks who bought my books at Ad Astra have written reviews of Small Magics, and a fan from San Francisco, who bought a copy from Gabrielle Harbowy (editor, DMP Associate Publisher, and San Fran resident) wrote a wonderful review of Cold Magics!

The first Small Magics review comes from the Left Hand of Dorkness blog (which is an amazing name, by the way!) and is a great little piece. The review is lengthy and detailed and ends with:

"Let me finish by saying that I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it so much that I'd recommend it to my friends, family, and random strangers on the street or internet. Pick it up!"

The whole review is lots of fun to read. He has a great way with words. You can find it here.

The second review you can find on the Small Magics' Amazon Page. You'll also find it in one of the comments of this Blog. My favourite part is:

"...the blinkin' book kept me up till 2:00 am last night. I couldn't quit reading. I had to get up at 6:00 am to get ready for my mundane work. You are evil and I love it. It was an excellent read!!"

The Cold Magics review can also be found on the Cold Magics' Amazon Page. Very happy making. Here's part of it:

"Cold Magics is a romping good time. High fantasy at its best. Subtle, fraught with tension (so much so I had to read fluff in order to sleep at night) and the action is wonderful."

Now THAT was a Book Launch - Cold Magics at Ad Astra

I don't think I've had that much fun in months.

For those who have not been following, I launched my new book Cold Magics at Ad Astra, April 10, 2010. The convention itself was excellent, the people were great as always, and the book launch went amazing. Our posters, package invites and word of mouth seemed to really do the trick, because we had a packed house. Our chocolates and prizes were well received, especially the "Moose Jaw Style Candlelight Dinner for Two" (No, I'm not telling you what it is).

Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me. Fortunately, my ever-helpful and stunningly talented editor (and now DMP associate publisher) Gabrielle Harbowy did. So some pictures will appear below.

Before that, however, there's some Thank You's that need to be said.

First, to all the folks at Ad Astra. Thank you so much. You were great as always. The party would not have been nearly the success it was without your help.

Also, thanks to Scott and the rest of the security team, with whom last year I inadvertently started a tradition. At Ad Astra 2009, I went to the green room where Scott was working security. We talked, and it turned out he forgot his book. I sold him a copy of Small Magics, and it became the communal book for all the security at the green room. This year, Scott found me on day one of the convention and bought a copy of Cold Magics, which became this year's communal book. I'm only sorry I won't have a new one out for next year (at least I don't think I will, but talk about an incentive to write faster!).

Great thanks are due to Marie Bilodeau whose book, Destiny's Blood, is due out with Dragon Moon Press this summer, and whose chocolate helped bring the party to life. Mmmmm. Also to Gunnar, a friend who showed up with even more chocolate -- dark Mayan spiced chocolate from Soma -- and gave it to everyone at the party. Thanks Gunnar!

I also want to thank Chris Jackson, who was my table-mate for the weekend, and was selling his first DMP book (though not his first book by a long shot!) Scimitar Moon. I am reading it now and it is great. I highly recommend it. Chris was good fun and good company for three days of selling and talking.

Thanks to Gabrielle Harbowy, editor/associate publisher extraordinaire for being there, helping with everything, and taking some pictures since I so cleverly forgot the camera. We didn't get a crowd shot, but the place was packed!

And, of course, my great, great thanks to Gwen Gades at Dragon Moon Press, for taking a chance on Small Magics, and for keeping the series going with Cold Magics. Without her, none of this would have happened.

Finally, thank you to everyone who attended, who bought books over the weekend, and who made it a truly great evening.

Look! Pictures!

The Dragon Moon Press Team: From left, Erik Buchanan, Gabrielle Harbowy, and Chris Jackson

Author, with books. Very cool moment.

Gabrielle and I, just before the launch started (hence the slightly manic smiles).

The reading! They laughed at the funny bits and clapped when I finished! Life is good.

Erick Fournier. Actor, fight guy, and cover model for Small Magics and Cold Magics, brandishing his copies of the books. Thanks again, Erick!

Ad Astra Schedule

For those of you who are attending Ad Astra (and I recommend you do -- it's a good time) here is what will be taking up my time this weekend:

Fri 9:00 PM Ballr. East Working with Smaller Presses

Gabrielle Harbowy, Chris A. Jackson, Brett Alexander Savory, Derwin Mak, Eric Buchanan

Is a smaller press the right choice for you? How does a small press work? How can you find them? Panelists will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of working with a smaller press.

Fri 10:00 PM Ballr. East World-Building – A Balancing Act

Erik Buchanan, Ed Greenwood, Rob St. Martin

How do you research a world that doesn’t exist? How important is world-building to a story? Can too much emphasis on world-building hurt other aspects of the story? How can you find the right balance of story elements?


Sat 11:00 AM Ballr. East Editing Your Own Work

Gabrielle Harbowy (m), Rick Wilber, Jana Paniccia, Erik Buchanan

Authors and editors share tips on how to spot the problems that are so easy to miss in your own work, how to add a bit more polish to your writing, and how to prepare your draft so that editing goes as smoothly as possible.

Sat 4:00 PM Ballr. East Autograph Session

Sat 5:00 PM Ballr. East Autograph Session (to 5:30)

Sat 10:00 PM ConSuite Cold Magics Launch (to 1am)

(just to make sure people notice)

Do come to the book launch, if you are coming. I'm looking forward to doing a reading, and looking forward to people seeing the new book.

Life is Good

Tonight, I finished the last exam of the last course for the certificate program I was taking. I am finished.

I come home, and there is Cold Magics, fresh off the presses, just waiting for the book launch at Ad Astra.

I am relaxing, sipping Scotch and wondering what to do with all the free time...

Life is good.

Young Artists for Haiti

Time has passed since the earthquake in Haiti. Not much, but enough that it has fallen off the news. Despite that there are still people who need a lot of help there.

Young Artists for Haiti is a group of talented Canadian Musicians who have re-recorded K'naan's single "Waving Flag" (best know as the 2010 World Cup theme) with all proceeds from the sale of the single going to three charities working on the ground in Haiti.

Here is their facebook page.

Here is the single on CBC.

Here is the single on You Tube.

Here is their donation page.

If you can afford to help, please do.

And please spread the word.

The Book Thief

It is 12:10 a.m. I have to be up in less than 5 hours.

I could have been asleep at 10:30, but I was reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

The best books are the ones that you keep reading. Even though you should be working, even though you should be paying attention to other things. Even though you should be sleeping.

The Book Thief is a very good book.

Interesting Thoughts on Writing from Other Authors... And Life Getting in the Way of My Art. Again. Dammit.

It has been one of those years, and we're not even 1/4 of the way through. I should be working hard on marketing Cold Magics right now. Looking for events and booking interviews, trying to capture the ever elusive market share by pressing the flesh and pushing out the social media. So what am I doing?

Studying.

For a mid-term. In Communicating Financial Information.

Now, don't get me wrong, this is a good course, taught by an excellent teacher, with good information. Unfortunately, the timing is lousy. My course runs until the end of March. And that plus little things going on in my life (like selling our house) are really putting a damper on my marketing plans. Most aggravating.

But enough of my whining for the moment.

Over at his journal Neil Gaiman posted links to two articles from The Guardian:

Ten Rules for Writing Fiction, Part 1 and Part 2.

Both are insightful, thoughtful, and give you some ideas of how writers who make their living at it think about their craft. Good reading.

And now, I must put my mind around my studies. Again.

Interview with Irreverent Muse

Just got finished an interview with Michell Plested from Irreverent Muse. Michell is an amateur writer and a podcaster who talks to authors about the publishing journey. We took some time to talk about Small Magics and Cold Magics, which will be coming out in April, and what makes writing so much fun.

I'm slightly worried about this one because I only managed to get about 3 hours of sleep last night and despite two coffees and a Coke, I'm afraid I may have been slightly loopy by the time I started this interview. Hopefully, it'll be funny. Fortunately, Michell is a gracious host and put up with my ramblings.

When I have the link to my actual show I will put it up. Meanwhile, do check out Irreverent Muse and see who else he's had a chat with.

EDIT: Fixed the links to Irreverent Muse. Hat Tip to "Desk Boy" on Facebook, who noticed and told me.

And yes, you can follow this blog on facebook by joining the Erik Buchanan Page.

It's a book!

It really, really is:

Now that is a happy-making sight. We've got the book out to the first batch of reviewers, and will be doing more later this week. The promotional plan is getting underway, and I'm trying to organize myself around it.

It's very, very exciting!

Christmas Eve

Soon to be Christmas morning. The little one is tucked in, the house is clean-ish, the food is ready for tomorrow. Not bad considering what a hectic, horrible month it has been.

Work, illness and stress are a mean combination. But tonight is the first night of my vacation, and I am already feeling better.

The Glenlivit 12 year old helped immensely.

So Merry Christmas everyone. May you have a good holiday season and a good rest, and if I don't blog again before that, a Happy New Year as well.

A Little Christmas Music

I think I have a new favourite Christmas song.

The singer is Tim Minchin, an Australian musician, actor, comedian and writer. And apparently, if you download the song from iTunes in December, half of the proceeds go to autism research.

Tip of the hat to Neil Gaiman, who posted this on his journal first.

And now, since it's 10:30 p.m., it's time for more editing.

Editing and Brain Rules

Charging madly forward. Reached page 267 tonight, removed another 1500 words or so, and am almost pleased with the progress.

So is Gabrielle, who has been giving me gems from the Dragon Moon Press December slushpile. Impressive stuff. Not in a good way.

At work we are putting together some videos and part of my research on it took me to the Brain Rules website. It's a fascinating website, built around the book by the same title, written by John Medina. I haven't had time to dig too deeply into it, but it looks like the man has done his research, and the website itself is a great example of marketing design. There's a lot of neat stuff that I intend to explore sometime when it isn't midnight.

Correction. After midnight. I'm going to get myself four hours sleep and see if I can manage a workout in the morning (or should I say, later this morning?). It's unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

The Last Edit - Night 1

Did 46 pages tonight. Not bad for a start back, but much more to do.

Here's the thing: My editor needs it back by Christmas so we can get copy set and ready to go for the first round or reviews. The book is still 10,000 words more than what it should be, and while Gabrielle and I have worked out what needs to be done, it still needs to be done before the end of the month.

No problem.

Really.

Tomorrow, the goal is 80 pages. Let's see how it goes.

Taking a Night Off!!!

Why, you ask?

Because last night my editor, the indomitable Gabrielle Harbowy, and I finished going through her notes for Cold Magics. They were good notes and we resolved them all, or marked where I have to fix things during my next task:

One more edit before Dec. 25.

That's right, I have to go through the entire book by Christmas if we want to get advanced copies to the reviewers. And I still need to take out 10,000 more words. Oy veh!

But tonight, I am taking a break. I am chilling out, relaxing, and generally doing nothing except getting to bed on time. My only regret is I don't have a nice bottle of red wine to do it with.

So have a good night. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow (and every day for the next 14) we edit!