In the latter part of 2012, I started reading a book per week in an effort to become a better writer, but also because I love reading and have neglected it for far too long. November and December were pretty productive months for me in terms of my reading list, apparently. Here are the last 11 books I read last year. Continue reading →
What Eddy Writes
Spun Yarns, Tall Tales
My Next Big Thing
My good buddy Kiersi tagged me in a new blog meme titled My Next Big Thing, wherein writers talk about their current projects. She’s a pretty cool and super talented lady, so I thought I’d keep the meme going and answer some questions about the book I’m working on.
The Pitch: The Collector’s Legacy
As many of you know, I’ll be traveling to Los Angeles this weekend to attend the Writer’s Digest West Conference. The main draw of this shindig is to get a chance to bounce the idea of this book off of some industry folk. Just getting my feet wet a little bit, in my attempt to do this writing thing some justice. We’ll see how it pans out. Continue reading →
Lessons Learned from Third (and Fourth and Fifth) Drafts
I am in the midst of the fifth draft of my young adult monster hunter romp, affectionately known as ItB around these parts (although the title is most certainly changing). I’ve probably done more on the book in the last three to four months than I did in its first year.
Looking back, it seems inappropriate to even call the thing a book in the state that it lived for its first year. It was more like a book’s embryo. The little tadpole looking thing you see on ultrasounds, filled with potential but in need of some incubation and life goo.
What lit the fire under me to start all these drafts? Continue reading →
Welcome to Earf, Talia
Talia Sianne Rivas.
Apparently I could think of no better introduction for you than to quote a mediocre Will Smith movie, wherein he punched an alien in the face and then mispronounced the name of his own planet. You’re worthy of more, but this is the man that will father you, the one that you’re stuck with — a grossly under-prepared geek that makes jokes when confronted with things too big to grasp. Continue reading →
A Glimpse of a Robot Gangster
I can’t seem to make up my mind these days. I’ve got lots of life stuff going on and I’m zipping around between a million ideas. The most achievable of these is a short story concept that I’ve been sitting on for a little bit, so I decided I would knock that out this month before jumping back into another big project. It’s been so long since I’ve gotten to really polish something that I wanted (or needed) the satisfaction of doing something short and sweet that I could finish quickly.
That doesn’t mean it’s been easy, though. After all these 100,000 word dragons, I’m discovering the 5,000 word eagle still has talons, too. Continue reading →
The Rockstar Equivalent
This weekend, Jen and I went to the Alley Theatre to check out the much celebrated Toxic Avenger musical. While that might sound strange or awesome to you depending on whatever whacky lens you use to view the world, rest assured — it was one of the greatest live performances of anything I’ve seen, ever. Continue reading →
Prior Incantato: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Part 6
Prior Incantato: In Harry Potter, a spell that can reveal the last spell performed by a particular wand. In other words — magic revisited.
Several months after part 5, here we are at Part 6 (of 7) of my re-read of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. And here I thought I’d knock this thing out in just three short essays. I apologize for the delay, but Jurassic Park knows best when it tells us that “life finds a way”, and that includes interrupting all of our plans to write about wizards.
In this edition, we talk about Ridgebacks, centaurs and the stars. The end of our last session found Harry spying on Severus as he threatens Quirrell for the Sorcerer’s Stone. Or so it seems. Dun dun dun, and so forth. Continue reading →
Corporate Horrors
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been fascinated by an idea that sort of tumbled into my head fully-formed. For those of you who are creative types, you understand that this is something about as rare as catching a unicorn with your bare hands and convincing it to make you a sandwich afterwards. Continue reading →
Running for God Knows Why
Two days ago, I ran for 13.1 miles, finishing my second half marathon in the last few years – and well, ever, I guess. To be able to say that I’ve done two of these things now is something I never would have believed back in 2009, when I was in the midst of some Internet shows, 110 pounds heavier and largely (pun entirely intended) unsatisfied with my creative and professional trajectory.
The most recent half marathon was much more fun than the first one. Continue reading →