Archive for February, 2008
February 29th 2008
Fire Study Release!
My third Study book arrived in bookstores and via Amazon this week. Many of my readers have been waiting since October 2006 for this book, and I know I’ll soon be getting emails asking when the next book is due out :) I am quite pleased with how the story progressed in this novel, and […]
February 28th 2008
Ignore that deadline behind the curtain!
This Saturday begins “70 Days of Sweat,”a happy exercise in masochism developed by writers for writers. It’s like NaNoWriMo—so many pages a day, in this case 4-6, with an end goal of 60K-100K words. A shorter novel, or a pretty significant chunk of an average one. I learned about it on Diana Pharaoh Francis’ blog, […]
February 27th 2008
On Negative Reviews…
As many of us OC writer-types will do occasionally, I browsed over to amazon to check out A MAGIC OF TWILIGHT, and found that someone had given it a one-star review.
Of course, I had to read it — it’s like picking at a scab: you know it’s going to hurt and you shouldn’t do […]
February 26th 2008
Show, Don’t Tell: The Great Debate
The dumbest advice I ever got as a science fiction novelist was “Show, Don’t Tell.”
My problem was that I thought “They” meant all the time. Of course it’s good advice particularly when dealing with character issues. Nothing knocks a reader out of a story quicker than a protaganist you’ve been told six or seven times is braver than […]
February 24th 2008
Promotional Madness
I almost forgot today was my day to blog at SFNovelists.
See, my next book, Goblin War, comes out in 9 days. So needless to say, I’m a little insane right now.
The biggest problem is that I haven’t touched Goblin War in months. I turned in the page proofs back in mid-2007, which means at this point, the book’s […]
February 22nd 2008
The Great Query Letter Debate
Is it more effective to start the query letter with a dramatic pitch paragraph or a straight-forward business proposal?
Thing is, I’ve heard it both ways. My favorite book on writing proposals and query letters YOUR NOVEL PROPOSAL: FROM CREATION TO CONTRACT by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook (Writers Digest Press, 1999) suggests the straight-forward […]
February 20th 2008
Secret Handshake
When I was a nascent writer I used to jokingly ask professional authors what the secret handshake was to getting published. I was kidding around, but there was a serious edge to my question. I felt like they had some clue to the whole publishing industry that I was missing. I knew there was no […]
February 18th 2008
A Few Brief Notes on “Epic”
A couple of weeks ago my daughter asked me how to write a space opera in the epic style. It’s nice of her to think I know (I’m not so sure I do), but it did get me thinking about that kind of story that needs an expansive canvas to accomplish the kind of narrative […]
February 17th 2008
Stringing a story together
I am a linear writer. I start at the beginning and write on through to the end. As I go, I also spiral back to look at what I wrote recently and revise and tweak and then write more forward progress. This has been my process for five novels now.
But I’m having trouble with novel […]
February 15th 2008
Oh, Joy! Oh, Rapture!
Oh, joy! Oh, rapture!
What a coincidence my SFNovelists post should come the same day I finish the current WIP. So of course I have to talk about what it feels like to finish a WIP (see above). Joy and rapture don’t even come close to covering it. Also featured are relief, euphoria, a sense of […]
Author Information
Maria V. Snyder
Maria V. Snyder has been writing fiction and nonfiction since 1995. She has published numerous freelance articles in magazines and newspapers. Her first published novel, Poison Study appeared on the shelves in 2005, and chronicles Yelena’s challenges in surviving her dangerous job as a food taster. Magic Study follows with Yelena’s efforts to learn about her magic while searching for a rogue magician turned serial killer. Fire Study chronicles Yelena's adventures with a Fire Warper and was released in March 2008. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maria earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology at Penn State University. Much to Maria’s chagrin, forecasting the weather wasn’t one of her skills. Writing, however, proved to be more enjoyable and Maria earned a Master of Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. As part of her research for her Study novels, Maria signed up for a glass blowing class to learn how to shape molten glass. The first thing she learned is it is considerably harder to sculpt glass than it looks. Maria now has an extensive collection of misshapened paperweights, tumblers, and bowls. When she’s not traveling, Maria lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, daughter and yellow Lab. She is working on her next MIRA novel, Storm Glass, due out Spring 2009. Readers are welcome to contact Maria by e-mail at maria@mariavsnyder.com, or they can find more information on her Web site at www.mariavsnyder.com. Visit site.
Kristine Smith
I'm a scientist by day, spec fic writer by nights and weekends. Author of the Jani Kilian SF series. Owned by two overgrown puppies. Visit site.
S.L. Farrell
S.L. Farrell is a Cincinnati author with 21 novels and several dozen short stories published. Booklist called his latest book "Good enough to cast in gold." He teaches creative writing at Northern Kentucky University, and is a frequent speaker to writers groups. Visit site.
Lyda Morehouse
Lyda Morehouse is the author of the science fiction AngeLINK series. She's won the Shamus and the Philip K. Dick Special Citation for Excellence (aka 2nd place). Her books have also been nominated for the Romantic Times Critics' Choice and preliminary Nebula ballot. She lives in the deep-freeze of Saint Paul, MN with her partner of twenty-odd years, their son, and lots and lots of cats (and fish!) Visit site.
Jim C. Hines
Jim C. Hines is the author of the goblin trilogy from DAW Books. The third book, GOBLIN WAR, came out in March, 2008. THE STEPSISTER SCHEME will begin a new series in January of 2009. He made his first professional fiction sale in 1998 with "Blade of the Bunny," an award-winning story that appeared in Writers of the Future XV. His short fiction has since appeared in over 30 magazines and anthologies, including Realms of Fantasy, Turn the Other Chick, and Sword & Sorceress XXI. Jim lives in Michigan with his wife and two children. He's currently hard at work on a sequel to THE STEPSISTER SCHEME. Visit site.
Tate Hallaway
Tate Hallaway is the best-selling paranormal romance alter-ego for an award-winning science fiction author. Currently, her short story "Fire and Ice and Linguine for Two" is available in MANY BLOODY RETURNS (Ace Hardcover, Sept. 2007) 978-0441015221 Visit site.
Lyda Morehouse
Lyda Morehouse is the author of the science fiction AngeLINK series. She's won the Shamus and the Philip K. Dick Special Citation for Excellence (aka 2nd place). Her books have also been nominated for the Romantic Times Critics' Choice and preliminary Nebula ballot. She lives in the deep-freeze of Saint Paul, MN with her partner of twenty-odd years, their son, and lots and lots of cats (and fish!) Visit site.
Kate Elliott
Kate ElliottKate Elliott is the author of multiple fantasy and science fiction novels, including the Crown of Stars series and the Novels of the Jaran. She's currently working on Crossroads; the first novel, Spirit Gate, is already out, and Shadow Gate will be published in Spring 2008. Visit site.
Diana Pharaoh Francis
Diana Pharaoh Francis has written the fantasy novel trilogy that includes Path of Fate, Path of Honor and Path of Blood. Path of Fate was nominated for the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award. Recently released was The Cipher, first of The Crosspointe Chronicles, which will be followed by The Black Ship in November 2008. Diana teaches in the English Department at the University of Montana Western, and is an avid lover of all things chocolate. Visit site.
S.C. Butler
Butler is the author of The Stoneways Trilogy from Tor Books: Reiffen's Choice, Queen Ferris, and The Magician's Daughter. Find out what Reiffen does with magic, and what magic does with him... Visit site.
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