Fantasist's Scroll

A fun literary game.

I actually found this on Joe Clifford Faust’s blog, but I’m gonna’ post it anyway! The website is called First Lines. It’s a simple game, actually, the page presents you with a series of first lines from novels and you try to remember (I.E. Guess) who wrote it and in what novel. There’s no grading or anything, but it’s still fun. And, it’s a powerful reminder of the importance of the first line of your own work.
But, heck, it’s Friday, go have fun!

Online and free!

The Science Fiction Channel has a free fiction archive on their website. It has both “classics” and original ficition. You might recognize some of the authors, but I imagine that many will be new. At least, they were new to me. Of course, I’m reccomending it because I think the fiction is good, but I would expect that from SciFi.com.
The editor is Ellen Datlow who is an award winning writer and editor. She’s also a master (mistress?) of the short-story. And, of course, there are submission guidelines. So, if you’re feeling brave, you can submit your work.

Enjoy!

Well, it seems so…

At least according to this page on SciFi.com. Of course, it’ll be on the Science Fiction Channel, but still, it’s coming. Apparently, they’re going to make the first two books into a mini-series, much like Dune and Children of Dune. Now, this could either be really, really cool, or the lamest thing since the cancellation of Farscape.
First off, I read the books a number of years ago and have re-read them several times. These books were the “Harry Potter” of their time, though it turns my stomache to compare the two that way. To fans of fantasy literature, they remain the very high standard to which everything else is held. So, if they can recreate this series on TV, then it will be great.
But, just like the Lord of the Rings, the movies will be missing things. They really just have to be less complete and less, well, “fulfilling” than the books. No one can imagine for me what it’s like to walk through the grove on Roke. Nor can they recreate what I saw when Ged faced the Shadow. It just can’t be done. That’s the beauty of books. My imagination is my own, unique creation and that’s what I see when I read books. No special effect can beat that.

In any case, I hope it’s done as well as the Dune mini-series was. At least then I won’t be outraged when I watch it. And, who knows, it might even get my step-daughter to actually read the books!

Ever want to learn a conlang?

Was it just too intimidating? What if you could learn it one word at a time? Well, Terrence Donnelly created the Tsolyani Word a Day page just for you! Yes, now you, too, can learn a created language one word, per day, at a time. Don’t delay! Start today!

A great resource for writers.

So, I was going through my old bookmarks this weekend and found a link to The Internet Writing Journal. It’s an on-line resource for writers. It covers a lot of ground. They have a little bit of everything here: interviews with authors, book reviews, submission guidelines, and a whole lot more.
They have current articles and a fairly extensive archive. In the latest “issue” they have an interview with Victoria Strauss, an interview with Libba Bray, an article on choosing a writing teacher, an article on quirky but effective book launches, and an article on wrestling With rejection, not to mention the usual book reviews.

It’s an inspiring place to visit, so check it out.

The Magus knows!

And, now you can, too, with the Fantasist.net Fantasy Pocket “Litter” Generator. It’s pretty simple to use: just check the boxes that correspond with the categories that you want to generate random items in and click the button. The result is a list of what a character in a fantasy setting might be carrying in its pockets. Suitable for fiction, role-playing games, or just for fun.
The generator is a fairly simple idea that was inspired by Picked Pockets designed by Wraith Systems Labs. Their’s was built in Visual Basic, or Visual C++, but this is web-based and will work for anyone with a browser.
But, enough chatter, it’s Friday, so, go have some fun!

Today is William Gibson’s Birthday!

For those of you who have been hiding under a rock, or are freshly hatched from the Great Egg, William Gibson is one of the fathers of the cyberpunk movement. He’s generally credited with coining the term “cyberspace” and popularizing a somewhat more realistic, if sometimes bleak, view of the future.
He also ran away to Canada in 1968 to avoid the draft. Which is the only bad thing I can say about him. I otherwise admire his work and thought processes. Certainly his literature is beyond compare.
If you’re interested in science-fiction at all and haven’t read any of his work, you have no idea what science-fiction really is. And not the movies, either, you have to actually read his work.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Bill.

What, my story starter isn’t good enough for you?

Well, okay, I have to admit, it’s hard to beat Writer’s Digest for writer’s resources. I mean, they are the tops. Though, I recently let my subscription to their magazine lapse because I didn’t like the way the articles or format was going. I still love thier books, though. Nothing better in the “how-to” market for writers, in my opinion. Anyway, if you’re still looking for inspiration of somekind, you can try their writing prompts. There’s an “inspirational” thought for writers for every day of the year there. Hopefully, something will get your creative juices flowing.