(04-21-2017 11:50 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 11:00 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 08:35 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-20-2017 11:52 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(04-20-2017 06:53 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  Scalzi is excellent.

He is. I can't get enough of stories that get into the intricacies of politics and the "business of doing business" in a particular universe. I have a hard time finding these things in books.

He get a lot of grief for that, you know. A lot of readers want less of that and more action.

I can really do without the action to tell you the truth. I often find it hard to read through bunches of action and only really find the flow when reading about the machinations that drive the world. I'd be satisfied by a book set some time in the future, during a war but only showing what's going on in the war room.

One of my favorite scenes in movies is the meeting of the Congress committee in Akira. They're talking money and politics and I adore it.

My favorite shows of all time are Breaking Bad and The Wire. Not chock full of action, but they go deep into the inner workings of their particular societies.

My favorite authors are Elmore Leonard, Stefan Zweig, and Carl Hiaasen. Very good insight into how their worlds operate. Leonard had a knack for painting the world around violent people without using a bunch of violence, putting emphasis on what it costs to live their lives. Zweig often wrote about environments during wartime, but without a lot of overt action.

My problem with a lot of sci-fi is that a lot of readers think that fighting is the crux of the genre.

I hear ya. I got one review that whined because 'only about 15% of the book is action, the rest is setup and dialogue.'

Well, yeah, because military units spend most of their time training and talking. So you've got to try and hit a fine line.

If you like space opera, try Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series. There's a LOT of conferences and behind the scenes work.

Will try.

As far as the complaints, I think it's because American sci-fi has been the subject of those blockbuster action movies. We've been conditioned to believe that this is science fiction.

I've had to turn to Franco-Belgian, Japanese, and Korean stuff. It's the same thing with horror.

(04-03-2017 08:31 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-02-2017 09:44 AM)fathergoose714 Wrote:  

(03-31-2017 05:16 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  Did everyone see that Booksellers at Laurelwood is coming back, under a new name but same staff and philosophy?

Yes I did, and I think it great. Especially keeping the staff in place. And, I believe thats the second poster to grace your pages, which is also great!

Look for a scraper in book three or four named Father Goose. What's a scraper?

You'll have to wait for that.

Ha!, thats great! You might have me pegged already. I'm through with both and am trying to find my way around this computer to get to the extras now. I think you are doing a great job already!

(04-22-2017 08:01 AM)fathergoose714 Wrote:  

(04-03-2017 08:31 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-02-2017 09:44 AM)fathergoose714 Wrote:  

(03-31-2017 05:16 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  Did everyone see that Booksellers at Laurelwood is coming back, under a new name but same staff and philosophy?

Yes I did, and I think it great. Especially keeping the staff in place. And, I believe thats the second poster to grace your pages, which is also great!

Look for a scraper in book three or four named Father Goose. What's a scraper?

You'll have to wait for that.

Ha!, thats great! You might have me pegged already. I'm through with both and am trying to find my way around this computer to get to the extras now. I think you are doing a great job already!

Awesome! I hope you loved them! Would you mind dropping me a review?

(04-22-2017 12:07 AM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 11:50 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 11:00 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 08:35 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-20-2017 11:52 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  He is. I can't get enough of stories that get into the intricacies of politics and the "business of doing business" in a particular universe. I have a hard time finding these things in books.

He get a lot of grief for that, you know. A lot of readers want less of that and more action.

I can really do without the action to tell you the truth. I often find it hard to read through bunches of action and only really find the flow when reading about the machinations that drive the world. I'd be satisfied by a book set some time in the future, during a war but only showing what's going on in the war room.

One of my favorite scenes in movies is the meeting of the Congress committee in Akira. They're talking money and politics and I adore it.

My favorite shows of all time are Breaking Bad and The Wire. Not chock full of action, but they go deep into the inner workings of their particular societies.

My favorite authors are Elmore Leonard, Stefan Zweig, and Carl Hiaasen. Very good insight into how their worlds operate. Leonard had a knack for painting the world around violent people without using a bunch of violence, putting emphasis on what it costs to live their lives. Zweig often wrote about environments during wartime, but without a lot of overt action.

My problem with a lot of sci-fi is that a lot of readers think that fighting is the crux of the genre.

I hear ya. I got one review that whined because 'only about 15% of the book is action, the rest is setup and dialogue.'

Well, yeah, because military units spend most of their time training and talking. So you've got to try and hit a fine line.

If you like space opera, try Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series. There's a LOT of conferences and behind the scenes work.

Will try.

As far as the complaints, I think it's because American sci-fi has been the subject of those blockbuster action movies. We've been conditioned to believe that this is science fiction.

I've had to turn to Franco-Belgian, Japanese, and Korean stuff. It's the same thing with horror.

I can see that. A series I'm going to try is Chris Fox's werewolf series. I heard him on a podcast last night talking about how he researched it so they were scientifically explained, including why silver can kill them.

But while I love reading about big battles and stuff, mine right now tends more to the tactical side of things, seeing war through the eyes of a small combat team, or individual.

(04-21-2017 11:51 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 10:57 PM)memtigbb Wrote:  I certainly didn't mean it as a slight or insult.

No doubt though, if you are writing in the fields of sword and sorcery you should definitely read Jordan.
He wrote numerous Conan books that I never read, but his series Wheel of Time is some of the most influential books in fantasy to ever be written. I would say almost as impactful as J.R.R Tolkien (although I was never a big fan of The Lord of the Rings). I will also say that there are two problems with his series.

1. He began this series so long ago that most editors and publishers at that time thought that all fantasy had to be in line with J.R.R Tolkein and the first 2 books he was pushed to emulate them. Fortunately, he was able to push past that and turn the series into much, much more than your basic Lord of the Rings.

2. In a 14 book series, the middle books (6-9) dragged quite a bit, especially when the readers were waiting several years at a time for the next book. When you can sit and read them one after another it isn't so bad though.

I'll work Eye of the World into the schedule. Maybe one of his biggest influences is that epic fantasies now have to be long books or fans are disgruntled. Some fans, anyway.

Hah, I will say after spending 24 bucks on hardbacks that are close to 1000 pages long it is hard to want to spend 24 dollars on a hardback that is only 350 pages long. Other than that, one of the biggest drawbacks to epics tend to be the middle books. I have yet to read an epic that doesn't drag in the middle and seems to be more filler, character building and setup than moving plot along.

Wow. Got and finished Standing in the Storm on Friday.

Review is up already.

Bill, these are great!

(04-23-2017 06:16 PM)Claw Wrote:  Wow. Got and finished Standing in the Storm on Friday.

Review is up already.

Bill, these are great!

Thanks man! Did you like seeing your name?

I'd love to have you on my Street Team. For one thing, I'm plotting book 3 right now and would like your input. If you're interested, sign up at my website or PM me your contact info.

(04-24-2017 09:19 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-23-2017 06:16 PM)Claw Wrote:  Wow. Got and finished Standing in the Storm on Friday.

Review is up already.

Bill, these are great!

Thanks man! Did you like seeing your name?

I'd love to have you on my Street Team. For one thing, I'm plotting book 3 right now and would like your input. If you're interested, sign up at my website or PM me your contact info.

By the time I got to that chapter I was completely absorbed in the book. It took me by surprise. Don't make me such a big prick!!! I am a smaller one.

(04-24-2017 11:06 AM)Claw Wrote:  

(04-24-2017 09:19 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(04-23-2017 06:16 PM)Claw Wrote:  Wow. Got and finished Standing in the Storm on Friday.

Review is up already.

Bill, these are great!

Thanks man! Did you like seeing your name?

I'd love to have you on my Street Team. For one thing, I'm plotting book 3 right now and would like your input. If you're interested, sign up at my website or PM me your contact info.

By the time I got to that chapter I was completely absorbed in the book. It took me by surprise. Don't make me such a big prick!!! I am a smaller one.

You're one of the toughest soldiers on Earth, but you takes orders like everybody else. Green Ghost was leader of First Squad, Task Force Zombie, but you were in charge of 2nd Squad. You and he were buddies. Adder had 3rd Squad. You both couldn't stand him.

I hope TigerBill's lack of activity is because he started the Wheel of Time and can't put it down. 14 800+ page books take a long time to read.

(05-04-2017 06:39 PM)memtigbb Wrote:  I hope TigerBill's lack of activity is because he started the Wheel of Time and can't put it down. 14 800+ page books take a long time to read.

Ha! No, TigerBill wishes he'd started Wheel of Time. He put out another book yesterday and has started writing book three, and...well, I can't mention that yet. Maybe I can next week.

But I only come to this site infrequently these days.

(05-05-2017 09:58 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-04-2017 06:39 PM)memtigbb Wrote:  I hope TigerBill's lack of activity is because he started the Wheel of Time and can't put it down. 14 800+ page books take a long time to read.

Ha! No, TigerBill wishes he'd started Wheel of Time. He put out another book yesterday and has started writing book three, and...well, I can't mention that yet. Maybe I can next week.

But I only come to this site infrequently these days.

What's your process?

(05-06-2017 10:35 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(05-05-2017 09:58 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-04-2017 06:39 PM)memtigbb Wrote:  I hope TigerBill's lack of activity is because he started the Wheel of Time and can't put it down. 14 800+ page books take a long time to read.

Ha! No, TigerBill wishes he'd started Wheel of Time. He put out another book yesterday and has started writing book three, and...well, I can't mention that yet. Maybe I can next week.

But I only come to this site infrequently these days.

What's your process?

Process for writing?

(05-06-2017 10:42 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-06-2017 10:35 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(05-05-2017 09:58 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-04-2017 06:39 PM)memtigbb Wrote:  I hope TigerBill's lack of activity is because he started the Wheel of Time and can't put it down. 14 800+ page books take a long time to read.

Ha! No, TigerBill wishes he'd started Wheel of Time. He put out another book yesterday and has started writing book three, and...well, I can't mention that yet. Maybe I can next week.

But I only come to this site infrequently these days.

What's your process?

Process for writing?

Yes. You've said you were a pantser.

(05-10-2017 04:51 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(05-06-2017 10:42 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-06-2017 10:35 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(05-05-2017 09:58 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-04-2017 06:39 PM)memtigbb Wrote:  I hope TigerBill's lack of activity is because he started the Wheel of Time and can't put it down. 14 800+ page books take a long time to read.

Ha! No, TigerBill wishes he'd started Wheel of Time. He put out another book yesterday and has started writing book three, and...well, I can't mention that yet. Maybe I can next week.

But I only come to this site infrequently these days.

What's your process?

Process for writing?

Yes. You've said you were a pantser.

Ah, okay. For those who don't know, a pantser is someone who doesn't outline their books, they sit down and right whatever comes into their head. That's no longer wholly true. For book three I'm charting it out to some extent, just to keep everything and everybody straight. There's a lot going on.

My process is to write scenes first, vignettes, chapters. They are not necessarily connected, either. Right now book three has about 25k words written, but none are connected. I'm just now starting on Chapter 1, but Chapter 30 is done. That sort of thing. Once I've done this to its maximum extent I go back and stitch it together.

An outliner would faint doing this. They feel the need to be in complete control at all times. That's how I used to do it and I was a colossal failure. But some of those people are making 7 figures a year, check out Michael Anderle, for example, so I might be changing tactics.

I need to speed up my production but I have physical limitations that slow me down. Dammit.

Did that answer your question?

(05-10-2017 09:56 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-10-2017 04:51 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(05-06-2017 10:42 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-06-2017 10:35 PM)nomad2u2001 Wrote:  

(05-05-2017 09:58 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  Ha! No, TigerBill wishes he'd started Wheel of Time. He put out another book yesterday and has started writing book three, and...well, I can't mention that yet. Maybe I can next week.

But I only come to this site infrequently these days.

What's your process?

Process for writing?

Yes. You've said you were a pantser.

Ah, okay. For those who don't know, a pantser is someone who doesn't outline their books, they sit down and right whatever comes into their head. That's no longer wholly true. For book three I'm charting it out to some extent, just to keep everything and everybody straight. There's a lot going on.

My process is to write scenes first, vignettes, chapters. They are not necessarily connected, either. Right now book three has about 25k words written, but none are connected. I'm just now starting on Chapter 1, but Chapter 30 is done. That sort of thing. Once I've done this to its maximum extent I go back and stitch it together.

An outliner would faint doing this. They feel the need to be in complete control at all times. That's how I used to do it and I was a colossal failure. But some of those people are making 7 figures a year, check out Michael Anderle, for example, so I might be changing tactics.

I need to speed up my production but I have physical limitations that slow me down. Dammit.

Did that answer your question?

Yes.

(04-06-2017 04:21 PM)21-17 Best Time I Ever Ha Wrote:  Still Here by Ram Dass

on conscious aging and dying

Quite profound

I haven't read that one yet.

Some friends of mine have a house on the beach on 30A. Their beach towels have "Be Here Now" printed on them.

Helter Skelter

I never understood anything since 1962 and other necked truth's.


Lewis Grizzard

But I like humor...