Thursday, July 24, 2014

Rereading the Classics

Yes, I read and then reread books over and over again.

So this past week, I reread the 1930s classics, When Worlds Collide and After Worlds Collide.

Sometimes it's hard to read older books. There's terms that we don't use any more and plenty of social/political beliefs that are completely outdated and, honestly, offensive.

And omg, the books are so, so White. Not that there's anything wrong with being White, but except for a mention of a "Negro" singing (at least they didn't use the N-word), and one continuing character and the Japanese bad guys who were continuously called the "J-word," the characters were so, so, well... White!

No Native Americans, no Arabic peoples, no East Asians, no Pacific Islanders, no other Asians, no Africans, no African-Americans (that were mentioned anyway)...

I wonder if these books are out of copyright yet?

I'd like to do some judicious editing and reprint them, and then add a couple more books to the series, like the South African spaceship that was briefly mentioned, and maybe an Aussie and also a South American group that included indigenous peoples. Pick up the story upon landing on Bronson Beta, maybe on the other continent, and their struggles to survive, since they don't have the large cities built by the extinct original inhabitants. (Gets hotter underground, hmmm, live in mining facilities or deep caves maybe, where it would be warm, and set up a power plant with the remains of the spaceship(s) for lights, etc?)  

It would be interesting, huh?

I have an idea for an anthology too, based on something Andre Norton mentioned in two of her books, but NOT using Norton's stories or characters. Just the idea. But that will have to wait until I can afford to do it right.

So, back to my crime noir meets urban fantasy book. I'm only at 3400 words, so I have a longgggg way to go before November!

Or back to making money. One of the two... 


Friday, July 11, 2014

Another Work in Progress

Yes, I'm a great one for starting books.

Despite the fact that I already have three works in progress, I started a fourth and also am working on a story for a cyberfunk anthology. The new book has a short story to whet your whistle, so when I'm ready to publish the story I started last night, you'll have a free sample to download, and then a whole new book that kicks off the crime noir meets urban fantasy series.

When I get it done.

Meanwhile, I still have a Native American urban fantasy/fantasy series,  a dystopian end-of-the-world as we know it Christian science fiction, and a steamfunk set in California that I'm working on. Inch by agonizing inch.

AND three websites to maintain: Alien Star Books, New Bridges, and The Griffith Girls

AND, I'm still writing non-fiction articles for money. So, since I still have to pay for hockey, I'd best get myself back to work on the money part of the equation...

Yeah, I did buy a Megamillions ticket for tonight. LOL, but I'm not holding my breath...

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Yahoo Voices Is Done

Yes, another writing site bites the dust. Yahoo Voices is ending at the end of this month. All rights revert back to the authors.

Darn. I just got my very first residual check from them and it ends. Well, I'll try not to spend that $1.93 (or whatever it was) all in one place LOL!

I've already saved my two articles and I'll be posting them on my own website New Bridges. Which I need to add a LOT more content and get that free newsletter going.

This turn of events really sucks for some of my writer friends, who were getting $100+ every month in residuals. They have to scramble to save their articles because at the end of the month, it's all going to be GONE. And then they have to find a place to put those articles. Hubpages and other websites are going to have an influx of new articles.

In the meantime, though, if you have Yahoo Voices articles bookmarked, you should go to the articles and locate the author's name and contact info, blog, or website so you can find the articles after he/she reposts them elsewhere.