Comments for SF Novelists http://www.sfnovelists.com A mutual support group for SF/F Novelists Fri, 09 May 2008 13:13:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 Comment on 12 Things to Avoid when under a Book Deadline by Matt http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2686 Matt Wed, 07 May 2008 16:53:31 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2686 Avoid the sudden urge to train the dog to do just about anything it can't currently do. Unless you train it to type and take dictation. Then you've got something. I've also found it difficult to resist cleaning my keyboard once I notice how dirty it is. This is after staring at it unproductively for hours, of course! Avoid the sudden urge to train the dog to do just about anything it can’t currently do.

Unless you train it to type and take dictation. Then you’ve got something.

I’ve also found it difficult to resist cleaning my keyboard once I notice how dirty it is. This is after staring at it unproductively for hours, of course!

]]> Comment on Science in My Science Fiction: Come to the Dark Side by Sajjad Ahmed http://www.sfnovelists.com/2007/09/14/science-in-my-science-fiction-come-to-the-dark-side/#comment-2679 Sajjad Ahmed Tue, 06 May 2008 22:02:46 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2007/09/14/science-in-my-science-fiction-come-to-the-dark-side/#comment-2679 Great article and comments about dark matter. I've been fascinated with this topic for a long time, and actually wrote a science fiction adventure novel about it that just got published. The main idea is that dark matter is actually just ordinary matter purposely hidden from our view by highly advanced aliens. In reality, our galaxy is almost 10 times as big as what we think it is. It is heavily populated with all kinds of alien civilizations, but all the star systems they inhabit are invisible to us. The only stars we see in the sky are those whose worlds are devoid of any intelligent life. All other galaxies are similarly made to appear proportionally smaller to us. The whole story is about a human who uncovers this secret by accident, and the adventures he undergoes as a result. Details are on my website at www.swahmed.com. Regards, Sajjad Great article and comments about dark matter. I’ve been fascinated with this topic for a long time, and actually wrote a science fiction adventure novel about it that just got published. The main idea is that dark matter is actually just ordinary matter purposely hidden from our view by highly advanced aliens. In reality, our galaxy is almost 10 times as big as what we think it is. It is heavily populated with all kinds of alien civilizations, but all the star systems they inhabit are invisible to us. The only stars we see in the sky are those whose worlds are devoid of any intelligent life. All other galaxies are similarly made to appear proportionally smaller to us.

The whole story is about a human who uncovers this secret by accident, and the adventures he undergoes as a result. Details are on my website at www.swahmed.com.

Regards,
Sajjad

]]> Comment on 12 Things to Avoid when under a Book Deadline by Zora http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2677 Zora Tue, 06 May 2008 03:50:35 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2677 Vacuuming the cat. Vacuuming the cat.

]]> Comment on 12 Things to Avoid when under a Book Deadline by Jeri http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2671 Jeri Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:36 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2671 Reading blogs?? Oops! Reading blogs??

Oops!

]]> Comment on 12 Things to Avoid when under a Book Deadline by Karen Wester Newton http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2669 Karen Wester Newton Mon, 05 May 2008 17:19:34 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2669 When I was in college and really needed to study for a test I wouldn't let myself goof off and go to the movies, but hey, if the apartment needed cleaning, it needed cleaning, right? When I was in college and really needed to study for a test I wouldn’t let myself goof off and go to the movies, but hey, if the apartment needed cleaning, it needed cleaning, right?

]]> Comment on 12 Things to Avoid when under a Book Deadline by Maria V. Snyder http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2668 Maria V. Snyder Mon, 05 May 2008 14:13:27 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2668 How could I forget the game units! Perhaps because I already avoid those like my mother-in-law's phone calls ;> Actually - they didn't quite tempt me - we have a game cube and, if you're over 30, you need an engineering degree to figure out the buttons :) Plus the graphics made me sick to my stomach. However - a new temptation has entered the house in the form of the Wii - easy to use, and can be considered a workout - very tempting.....extremely tempting....er....I'll be back...... How could I forget the game units! Perhaps because I already avoid those like my mother-in-law’s phone calls ;>

Actually - they didn’t quite tempt me - we have a game cube and, if you’re over 30, you need an engineering degree to figure out the buttons :) Plus the graphics made me sick to my stomach.

However - a new temptation has entered the house in the form of the Wii - easy to use, and can be considered a workout - very tempting…..extremely tempting….er….I’ll be back……

]]> Comment on 12 Things to Avoid when under a Book Deadline by Sebastian Keller http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2665 Sebastian Keller Mon, 05 May 2008 07:33:10 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2665 Creating lists and worry about the deadline. Creating lists and worry about the deadline.

]]> Comment on 12 Things to Avoid when under a Book Deadline by domynoe http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2663 domynoe Mon, 05 May 2008 03:18:27 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/04/12-things-to-avoid-when-under-a-book-deadline/#comment-2663 The PS2. I swear that thing sucks all thought and creativity out of my brain...but...it's. so. hard. to. RESIST! The PS2. I swear that thing sucks all thought and creativity out of my brain…but…it’s. so. hard. to. RESIST!

]]> Comment on Committing Series by fritz freiheit.com » Friday link dump http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/04/29/committing-series/#comment-2658 fritz freiheit.com » Friday link dump Fri, 02 May 2008 20:30:03 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/04/29/committing-series/#comment-2658 [...] Committing Series at SF Novelists [...] […] Committing Series at SF Novelists […]

]]> Comment on larks and owls by MO.THER> http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/04/28/larks-and-owls/#comment-2652 MO.THER> Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:28:33 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/04/28/larks-and-owls/#comment-2652 1) when do you write? In the morning, for about 30 minutes, after I've had coffee, but before I shower. 2) did you always work at this time, or did you make a switch (morning to night? night to morning?)? No. I just didn't write. This is the only time that works for me. The goal is four pages a day every day. Usually I stop after four unless it's the weekend. Also, I always try to leave something to write the next day, never finishing anything and never having a blank page. Doesn't work out like this much, but that's what I'm aiming for. 3) did you notice a difference in quantity or quality of output? Did the time change make things better, the same, worse? A scheduled time makes writing possible for me. I write 2-4 pages in 30-40 minutes in the morning. Sometimes on the weekend I add more to this. It is supposed to add up to ~25 pages a week, minus holidays and such. So far, four months for 250 pages. I work on a typewriter. It's going to be more expensive than a computer, because I have to get someone to put the pages into the computer, because I'm not doing that myself; it takes too much time, but if I want to write and write well this is the way it has to be, even if it costs 75 cents a page. 4) any comments you’d like to add. 1) when do you write?

In the morning, for about 30 minutes, after I’ve had coffee, but before I shower.

2) did you always work at this time, or did you make a switch (morning to night? night to morning?)?

No. I just didn’t write. This is the only time that works for me. The goal is four pages a day every day. Usually I stop after four unless it’s the weekend.

Also, I always try to leave something to write the next day, never finishing anything and never having a blank page. Doesn’t work out like this much, but that’s what I’m aiming for.

3) did you notice a difference in quantity or quality of output? Did the time change make things better, the same, worse?

A scheduled time makes writing possible for me.

I write 2-4 pages in 30-40 minutes in the morning. Sometimes on the weekend I add more to this. It is supposed to add up to ~25 pages a week, minus holidays and such. So far, four months for 250 pages.

I work on a typewriter. It’s going to be more expensive than a computer, because I have to get someone to put the pages into the computer, because I’m not doing that myself; it takes too much time, but if I want to write and write well this is the way it has to be, even if it costs 75 cents a page.

4) any comments you’d like to add.

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