Swords Against Boredom

Jim Baen’s Universe, an electronic zine of science fiction and fantasy, offered an issue to bloggers with the idea that today we’d all post reviews … a clever bit of marketing, that.

Here’s my review: Read more »

Tangent Online looks at GrendelSong No. 2, which features a Calthus tale called The Gods-Forsaken World.

It’s still odd to find a review of something I wrote online.

– Steve

I’ve added another character bio from my sword-and-sorcery fiction, for anyone interested …

This time, I chose the Faceless Sons, since I’m working on a story from that cycle at the moment and because I have a Faceless Sons story coming up in All Possible Worlds before too long.

– Steve

Jason Waltz asked for a little information about Calthus, my sword-and-sorcery hero, whom he wanted to add to his list of favorite characters over on his blog, Von Darkmoor’s Thoughts.

Well, hell, how can any writer turn down a nice request like that? Besides, Jason wanted to list Calthus in the company of Edmund Dantes ( “The Count of Monte Cristo” ) and the vampire Lestat (Anne Rice’s invention). Rarified company, that! I don’t deserve it, but I’ll take it.

Now if I can only handle the pressure … Read more »

I mentioned this essay to my pal TW the other day, and Googled it and … what do you know, there it was. I love the Internet.

Anyway, prepare to read one of the most savagely funny reviews ever written by one American literary icon concerning another …

And if you’re a budding author, pay attention. There is some good learning to be done …

– Steve

P.S. I apologize for the numerous typos in the text linked to above; if I find a cleaner text online I’ll change the link.

When we got home from vacation, I’d hoped to find a few responses to fiction submissions in my email.

Nope. Man, those wheels grind slowly.

Upon my return, I had exactly one email pertaining to my fiction — a conditional acceptance for one of my stories. The editor had a problem with one minor character, and suggested a change. I balked, and explained why, and so now I’m waiting to hear whether I talked my way out of a fiction sale or not.

I’ve changed things at an editor’s request before, so this is nothing new. I cut a Calthus piece by a thousand words, and pumped up the ending of another Calthus piece, and tweaked some dialogue in a Faceless Sons story, all because editors wanted me to do so. In general, I think any writer would be wise to at least try to make the suggested changes. Editors read a lot, and know what they want, and most of the time their advice results in a better story.

But sometimes, I think it’s best to stand your ground. In this instance, the editor suggested that a one-armed minor character ought to have both arms. The minor character involved is a heroic knight who failed at a quest; my story deals with another knight who tries to succeed at the same quest.

The editor thought having a one-armed knight try the mission before my protagonist put a stain on my hero — what kind of knight could he be if a one-armed dude was chosen first? Is my protagonist a frigging wimp?

The change would be easy to make. We’re talking about one sentence in a 4,000-word story. I read the piece again, and it would be the matter of a moment to change it.

But I don’t want to change it. That particular attribute — the loss of an arm — is part of a technique I try to use whenever possible; I try to convey a wealth of information in a few vivid words. It helps me to tell a whole lot of story with fewer words than I might otherwise employ. Whether I succeed or not is for readers to decide, but that’s what I try to do.

In this case, the reference to the knight’s loss of an arm conveys a couple of points I think are vital to the tale. It shows that the knights being sent on this mission have made real sacrifices. The fact that this particular knight continues to quest in the king’s name despite his handicap tells me something of the character’s bravery. I think it makes him more of a hero. The fact that the king continues to make dangerous demands of such a man tells me something about the king, too — something important to the story’s resolution.

And that particular sentence in the story is a line of dialogue, spoken by my protagonist. He says his precessor was a better man than himself, despite the loss of an arm. It was a courtly thing to say in a courtly setting. That my protagonist would say such a thing conveys a little bit about what manner of man my protagonist is — at least, it does in my view. And that, too, points toward the story’s resolution.

And so, I argued to keep that sentence as is — although it may well be a big sticking point for the editor. If so, I’ll be talking my way out of making a sale. I’m still waiting to find out. And there’s always a chance of compromise; perhaps an added sentence or two might alleviate his concerns while bolstering my case. Perhaps I can make my view of the story more clear. We’ll see.

If the editor decides not to buy the piece, I won’t feel bad about it. It’s his job to make those calls (and it’s not an easy job). I’ll submit the story elsewhere, and maybe even sell it. And I’ll continue to send stuff to that particular editor — assuming, of course, he doesn’t decide I’m a prima donna.

Even if I don’t always agree with them, I appreciate it when editors point out concerns. It shows they are trying to put out a good magazine, and that’s a Good Thing.

– Steve

Our family foray into the land of bourbon and horses went smashingly well. Read more »