Sunday, March 02, 2008

Quick Notes n Updates


It's a beautiful day here so I'm probably going to get out and do some walking, but I thought I might mention a couple of quick things.

Unified SciFi Forums is no more. I was the horror moderator for several years at the site and met some good folks and made some good friends. Visits there had been declining for some time and when they ended up with a software problem that would be costly to fix they decided to shut down. I've taken them off my links. I'll miss 'em, but nothing hangs around forever.

The March issue of Niteblade is out, with a poem by me called "Recompense Reprise." I believe you can click on the link below the cover and get to a page where you can read some of the material for free, including my piece. This is a great magazine, though, something like 133 pages of material, so if you like Fantasy, Horror and SF check it out.

I'm thinking about a post I want to do on "Front Loading" versus "Back Loading." In a novel one can spread the needed "explanations" of plot across the entire book, but in short stories this material often clusters at the beginning or the end. For example, the story I'm working on right now has more back loading than front, and want to give this pattern a bit more thought.

In the meantime, I hope it's gorgeous where you are. If so, get out and breathe.

21 comments:

  1. Congrats on the poem and the good weather. In Detroit, it's up to about the freezing mark but -- made it to March, and that's something to be happy about.

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  2. If you'd asked yesterday, I'd have told you it was 74 degrees and that a good friend stopped by bearing a pitcher of sangria, so we sat out on the deck and enjoyed the sunshine and each other's company. Today -- there is a blizzard swirling outside. But it's all good -- springtime in the Rockies is all about surprises every day :)

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  3. It's a get-out-and-do kind of day out here too. We've already been out once.

    Now we're in for a few hours to watch the Lakers. Then it's out for some more enjoyment of the afternoon.

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  4. I shall check out the link.

    Enjoy your day Charles :-D

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  5. Charles that poem is awesome!

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  6. Yes, it's wonderful outside today. I went out with my camera and took a few pics. You know how it is with a digital camera--I came home and found I'd taken 188 photos.

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  7. I love the poem, Charles. In fact, the other poems I read there were also hackle raising. I think "And then she licked their blood" will stay with me for a bit.

    I'd never heard of Niteblade. I bookmarked it to go back and read later. Thank you!

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  8. It's always gorgeous wherever YOU are. :)

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  9. Erik, thankee. I hope the weather gets better there soon.

    Lisa, I wouldn't mind living in the mountains myself. The land here is very flat.

    Travis, we took two hikes today, and I got in some quality deck time.

    Miladysa, thanks. I appreciate the good words.

    Danette, Lana does that with our digitial. We think we've taken 30 pics and have taken a 100.

    Rachel, yes, I went through the poetry in that issue myself and it's pretty good stuff. Greg Schwartz has a fine piece there as well.

    Lana, I believe you are talking about...you.

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  10. Congrats on being listed on Amazon.
    Hey, yout and I should hang around together.
    I'm up there somewhere too.

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  11. The orienteering question.
    Odd, I'm puzzling over that right now too.

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  12. Congratulations on your poem, and thanks for sharing that beautiful photo!!

    I've only written one short story. I finished it today. YAY!! Have no idea if it's front or back loaded. I'm just glad it's loaded.
    :-)

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  13. Danette has awesome photos of herself in life and death situations....
    ;-)

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  14. Ivan, that's a good idea. I'd have to take Lana along though, because you know the women can just "smell" the author on a man.

    Bernita, my current story is a bit more back loaded than I'd like.

    Christine Eldin, congrats on the story. Good luck with it. Thanks for your comments about the poem. I'll check out Danette's photos.

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  15. Charles, awesome poem! Congrats on getting it published.

    Looks like BookEnds is not doing the thriller contest today like I expected. Oh well. Guess I have more time to fiddle with my first 100.

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  16. Congratulations on a very wonderful poem! :*)

    It's beautiful where I live too! :*)

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  17. Charles,

    Funny about that.
    Male writers seem to attract female writers. :)

    Ivan

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  18. Yes, congrats on the poem, Charles!!! Beautiful yesterday, but today ... well you can see just like I can ... LOL. Yuck.

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  19. Really like the Poem. Snowing in Ireland, but it looks good.

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  20. We had one blasted kind of weather this weekend. But Monday brought the get-out-do-some-sowing-in-the-veggie-garden, as Travis has put it so well.
    I sowed parsley on Saturday and carrots today (Monday).

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  21. Wow, what a powerful poem. I thought it was truly beautiful and I loved your theme and your ending line. It is really excellent! Congratulations!

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