Instead of a unified post this week, I thought I’d share a few of the very best moments from this week’s reefing: Cygnus perched in a sea fan: Wilson the tuxedo urchin “cleaning up” algae around the sun corals: Life with brittle stars means you never know where a set of wiggling legs might come from: And, last but not least, Ghillie the seahorse hanging out with Wilson and Phobos the cleaner shrimp: I’ll have another tank-related story post next week, but for today, I hope you enjoy the random moments! If you had to pick a “shot of the
Read moreMonth: January 2013
Monday Blog Game: Writing as Craft
I didn’t originally realize that writing was a craft. I thought writing meant “telling stories.” My first completed manuscript attempted to tell a story I made up – the fictional history of Borte Ujin, senior wife of Genghis Khan. The agents who read the manuscript offered nearly identical feedback: great idea, solid pacing, interesting voice – but the characters are flat and uninspired. I wrote another book, adding dialogue tags and descriptive adverbs galore. And once again, I was told my characters seemed merely two-dimensional. It wasn’t until much later – years down the line – that I recognized the
Read moreInspiration From Master Writers: a guest post by DeAnn Smith
I write hundreds of words daily for my day job. Writing for a news outlet and novel writing have similarities but significant differences. I spent two decades growing my craft as a journalist. I worked to get better details and verbs into stories, and pushed sources for better quotes to make a story sing. Gobbledygook was verboten. I realized last week how much my novel writing is growing. I was thrilled to be tagged in a game that has you post on Facebook seven lines from page 7 or page 77 of your work-in-progress. I was pleasantly surprised by how
Read moreNews! January 19, 2013
This week in Spann of Time news: Shinobi news! The new author website is almost ready to launch, and I can’t wait to share it with the world. Also, I’m looking forward to seeing galleys of Claws of the Cat, which should be finished some time in February. I’ve finished polish edits on Book 2 of the Shinobi Mystery series, tentatively titled Blade of the Samurai, and I’ll be sending it to the publisher very soon. Upcoming Appearances 1. On January 24 I’m blogging at Chiseled in Rock. This week, we’re looking at grants of rights in publishing contracts. 2.
Read moreFor Love of Thesaurus
January 18 is the birthday of Peter Mark Roget, perhaps best known for writing the first thesaurus. Like me, Roget used lists as a coping mechanism (no word on whether he had more success completing the items on his than I have with mine). The first edition of Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases Classified and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition (Note: this is why publishers want to approve your title…) was published in 1852 and went through 28 printings before Roget’s death in 1869. In honor of the occasion,
Read moreExploring the Bakufu
Many Westerners know the words “shogun” and “shogunate,” but fewer recognize “bakufu” – even though the concept is familiar. “Bakufu” (幕府:ばくふ) is the Japanese term for the shogunate or, more specifically, the shogun’s government. The term translates “tent office” or “field headquarters” and implies a government of temporary duration. The Japanese emperor originally established the shogunate on a short-term basis. The title “shogun” was given to military commanders who led campaigns on the emperor’s behalf. By the medieval period, however, the shogun became de facto ruler of Japan, and his “field headquarters” took on more permanent status. The emperor remained
Read moreNegotiation Step 3: Read the Contract
Step 1 to a successful negotiation is attitude: go in seeking a mutually beneficial solution. Step 2 is know thy business, and the publisher’s business too. Which brings us to Step 3: Read the Contract, and Understand Every Word. I’m always surprised when an author approaches me with a publishing problem and then admits to not having read the contract before (s)he signed it. The offered reasons vary, but at the end of the day they’re unimportant. A contract signatory is legally responsible for knowing what the document contains. Do not ever sign a contract – publishing or otherwise –
Read moreMushrooms of the Reef
When I post photographs of my aquarium on Twitter and elsewhere, I’m always surprised by the number of comments I receive about the mushroom corals. I suspect it has a lot to do with the fact that most large marine aquariums don’t include any “mushroom corals” (Actinodiscus sp., Ricordea sp, etc). The choice has less to do with survivability than predation. Many marine fish consider soft-bodied, non-stinging mushroom corals a tasty (and defenseless) treat. Fortunately, seahorses largely leave them alone, which means the mushrooms flourish in my tank. The largest ones are about 6″ in diameter when fully opened: In
Read moreMonday Blog Game: Quirky Pets
Today’s Monday Blog Game topic: pets and their quirks.* My favorite smallest cat, Oobie, has a number of quirks, one of which causes me almost constant amusement. Oobie likes to sit on important things. If she perceives that an object is important to me, she sits on it as quickly (and as often) as possible. Leaving the desk guarantees she’ll take the computer, and also that she’ll be put out when I reclaim it upon my return. Two weeks ago, when the copy edited manuscript of Claws of the Cat arrived for review, I had to persuade her to surrender
Read moreMy Quirky Dog, Lucy: A Guest Post by DeAnn Smith
I was delighted when this week’s blog topic was pets’ quirks. Our beloved Australian cattle dog, Lucy, is a walking quirk. After all, the spoiled dear thinks she is a four-legged human. And wouldn’t you if you were a dog and had your own queen-sized bed in your own room to sleep in any time you desire? So many quirks to choose from, but Lucy and I agreed I would share her disdain for water and love of snow.Lucy is a stray we rescued literally from the middle of the road in southeast Arkansas where snow is a rarity. Unlike
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